Non-Program Day!

Today was our first non-program day in Tanzania. This means that we do not have classes but this does not mean that we get a day to relax or sit around camp. I got up early and went on a run around Rhotia with Em and Elizabeth. Em is a D1 runner for the University of Richmond and Elizabeth is also in great shape. It was definitely not a relaxing run but it was fun and a great workout!

Melanie, Natalie and I

After breakfast, we drove to Mto wa Mbu for our non-program day activities. The options were you could either learn how to make knife paintings or go for a bike ride to the bank of Lake Manyara and around town. Due to my absolute lack of anything that resembles artistic ability, I chose to do the bike ride. Our guide was named Nixon and he was great! The bikes we were riding were a little questionable and I almost wiped out in the first few seconds. Most of the roads (loose meaning of the word) in Tanzania are composed of rocks covered in loose soil. 

Beautiful knife painting of the Maasai 

Some of my classmates knife art

Herding cattle from our bikes

However, once we got out of the city area, the ground was much easier to navigate. We rode through vidigi (Swahili word for villages that Nixon taught us), yellow acacia woodland, and across the dried section of Lake Manyara. At one point, we ran into a group of Maasai cattle and shoats (sheep and goats) and were herding them from bicycles. It was pretty difficult trying to make sure we weren't going to run over a cow while watching the path for acacia thorns that would cause a flat tire. 

Nixon our guide in front of Lake Manyara!

The bike ride was really beautiful but my favorite part of the morning was talking to Nixon. He talked to us first in fast Swahili and if we gave him blank stares, he would repeat in English. Though I was surprised that he had to resort to English very few times. I was able to understand and even respond in Swahili. It was really cool to get to really put the language into use. We also had to ask for directions to people who only spoke Swahili later that afternoon. It is obvious that we have A LOT to learn still, but being able to communicate with the locals is such a good feeling. Daniel (Swahili mwalima yangu) would be proud of us I think. 

At RAP (Reflection, Announcments, Presentation from the student of the day) tonight, Meg raised her hand to give us information about what the Holiday committee was doing tonight for "Halloween countdown." Once she began to talk, Ellie ran into the chumba with a kanga around her head and another wrapped around her shoulders like a robe. As she ran in she was yelling, "TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! I thought you'd all like know..." and then fainted. This was their way of telling us that they were going to show Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone tonight. I really do love our group. 

Then Allison was the Mwanafunzi of the day and for her presentation she got pictures of all of our parents. She made a PowerPoint and we had to guess whose parents were being shown. She also asked people to give her baby pictures and pet photos if we wanted. So we were able to guess those too. Of course I put Snape and Tasha's pictures in the slideshow. People guessed Mom like in the first second, so I guess I look just like Mom. I take that as a good thing. She won't like that I am talking about her though.

Em and I at the pizza restaurant in Mto wa Mbu