urm...

OK, so i know i promised to finish off my kili blog now, but i may have left my diary in Anna mcsweens bag, who lives in arusha, and so i cant quite rember the final details, so im afraid that will have to wait for next week (i know you all so entralled... :S ). HOwever, LOTS has happend since kili so i may as well get on and write about that!

Firstly, let me talk abut Zanzibar, getting there was fun...not. Night after kili we stayed in a hotel (which had a tv !!!!! showing A KNIGHTS TALE!!!! soooo happy). Then a 10 hour bus journey to dar, without an ipod, or knitting and i cant read on transport, so i was dying with boredom really. Then arrived in dar al la dump. Stayed in the YMCA (WOO!) which was ok, had dinner in holiday inn which was SO POSH. Air conditioned, SHINY CUTLERY, like, crazy time, loads of tvs so clean and white, so posh and expensive. twas very odd. So dinner set us back quite alot, but was only the start. Zanzibar was SO EXPENSIVE. the next day ferry to Zanz (as clammy very gap yah tradge style calls it) then when we arrive (a wet two hour journey) i got embarasingly excited to see a port. It seems so long that i was at fowey. I found myself immediately countin how many tankers there were (7 by the way) and if there were any tugs around. Thats right Brigham family, TUGS. I am turning into my father. good times. Incidently, there was one green tug and two pilot cutters.
Anyway, got there, asserted that we were residents therefore did not need to faff with immigration (So cool! I love being a resident, everythings so much cheaper!) and got a taxi to the north of the Island, Kendwa, where all the AVs who hadnt climbed kili had been staying whilst they did their PADI course. Kendwa was beautiful. Cocktails immidieatly became my thing of the week (spent alot on them...) My current favourite is screaming orgasm a la Zanzibar which is kaluhah, bailieys and amarula mixed with milk srtained with ice. hmmm..... Found a good shisha bar to, and so most of the day was spent in the sea, WHICH BY THE WAY WAS 29 DEGREES CELCIUS, OMG! SO NICE! sunbathing in the shade, in the sea again, watching the INCREDIBLE sunset, mostly from the sea. In the evenings we happily spent our time having nice fresh fish, good food, chilling out by/in the sea or at beach partys getting very drunk. A very bad time (awesom party but felt terrible in the morning) at annas birthday where i somehow ended under a rugby scrum and two full sized tanzanians fell on my head. wow. Never knowmn so much pain as when i woke up the next morning, konyagi hangover X 10. Bad times.

Anyhoo, apart from the fact that it was very pleasent and filled with the usual AV dramas (which would be pointless to relate here as to an outsider its probably quite dull) Zanzibar passed in that heavenly way. Went to stone town for two days, was great fun just getting lost in the streets, casually shopping, asking the prices of things then laughing in shopkeepers faces when they told us. Becuase its such a touristy area its all mzungu prices to the exteme. We were having none of this nonsense! One guy tried to sell me earings for 20,000 when you can get them for maximum of 2000 in Arusha. foolish boy. Foridani gardens in the evening was great fun. It is an outdoor food market and you can absolutely stuff yourself for under 10,000. A massive rarity on Zanzibar! however, most of us got african tummy, just in time for the ferry and bus journey. Whoopee! Immodium agogo. (very sorry if that was too much information for those of a delicate disposition. African tummy is a standard part of life here, and as such is talk about poo. To the extent that both Ngateau and Machame house have a poo chart, listing such qualities as flushability, smell, rating out of ten, type and group reveiw. If you are ever caught having a poo in machame you have to make an entry listed as a party pooper. Living in small houses with unflushing toilets does this to you).

We also went on a spice tour which was fascinating. Basically were taken out to a farm in the middle of Zanz-darling and shown loads of spices and how they look when their growning and how to cook them. Things like jasmine flower, pepper, cinnamon (wow, fresh cinnamon smells amazing) coca, henna, this flower that has a dye like lipstick and many other things! Got some fresh cocnuts down from a tree and drunk them (yum!) before going to eat an amazing lunch with all the spices in it. Never been so full!

So anyhoo, im back at school now, only got 4 weeks left! Its painting agogo land! We are given a certain amount of money from AV to give to the school in some form of donation. i.e, desks, books, painting etc. So after visiting Lambo we decided a set of swings would be really nice. I LOVE swings and the reactions ive had from the kids they are insane with the idea! So we proposed our idea to Mr Mbowe (Nshara head) on wednesday and he got us to talk to Mr Mushi, who is the head of the training workshop that is a part of the school that trains people who cant afford the seconday school fees to do things such as metal and woodwork. He loved the idea and proposed we should go to the church where there is a set of swings to get meaurments. So off we trotted. Then he said, yup, all good, lkets go into moshi tomurrow and get matireals. So i told the guys at Machame as they were keen to get a set to and they decided to jump on our bandwagon. The next day (thursday) we went to moshi and got all the stuff and by friday they were starting! The matierials used up all our donation money ($200) so now i feel over organized by doing it all but so good! Its really good that we have to workshop on the school site becuase it gives them both training and application. I hope all future AVs use it! Also, its so efficient, i have never in all my time in AFrica seen something happen that quickly!

so anyhoo, now spending a pleasnt day in Moshi. Its very strange as this is the first weekend since ive been here that the Arusha crew and Moshi crew havnt met up. Missing everyone there quite alot especially because i spent a solid two weeks with half of them. Climbing a mountain really brings people together! When we got home to lambo we found it very/ far too quiet.

So this is where i leave you, i fear i have babbled alot! HOpe your all well. You shall be happy to know that as its now rainy season (Long rains). It rains everyday and in the evenings i have to put on a jumper. not cool. Also, the mud (matope) is INSANELY STICKY. var annoying as its all mud tracks where we live, my feet will not be clean for a long time...

love you all!
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