we finally made it made it

1/10/14 

i feel like we have been traveling for the last week and a half but never made it to our new home until today. The hotel had a nice breakfast for us. I had 3 bananas (no im not a pig... they were smaller than my pinky), a slice of pineapple (very sweet and not near as yellow as in the states), a bite of a pasta dish, a bite of a potato dish, and a hardboiled egg. Yes, i was starving. Leaving at 9am turned into 10:30 or 11 on typical tanzanian time. I assumed private transport from the district just meant amber and I... not so much. We had two of our newer best friends with us (math review 2+2=4) in the bask of their little SUV. funnnnn. We made a few stops before we really got going to pick up some stuff for the other passengers and also drop some paper off at this very suspicious looking building. well actually it was the gate with the hidden door and the electric fence that looked suspicious but thats beside the point. We finally began driving... on the shortcut to Bariadi. While maybe a shortcut, the road was in terrible condition and we were constantly being bounced around and beaten up. I was holding on for dear life the whole time. We stopped and ate lunch at some point and I was able to put down some far from delicious food. I had my first try at ugali, which has a very weird texture. and i picked at some very sketchy chicken. Luckily i saw the maybe 3 x 4 foot cage that their next victims were in on the way out. But anyways I kept shoveling it down with Mr. Sana. Not too many times do you get to stop at a super local place and share a plate with a tanzanian district official. We kept chugging along as I miserable tried to simultaneously sleep without busting my brains against the side of the car. A couple stops in Bariadi town and we made it to out home for the next few months. Nick was there to welcome us and take care of us while many others came by to visit and welcome us into the town. The house is lovely, perfect for what we need. I unpacked and got my room all set up before we started the process of cooking dinner. I say the process because, well, it takes a while. For anyone in the states, go buy a box of uncle bens and kiss it. Nick did the labor for us last night while Amber and I peeled, washed, and cut the veggies for basically veggie fried rice. We also have to have a little foresight in our menu planning because we needed to sort through and soak the beans for dinner tonight. I took a nice shower and the cool water actually even took my breath. Speaking of temperature, it is sooooo much nicer here. I can’t stress it enough. We had a short rain tonight and I really enjoyed listening to the rain on our tin roof. I also walked around outside while the rice was cooking to enjoy my own lightening show. No thunder or anything, just beautiful lights peaking through the cloudy black-dark navy blue sky. Before bed, I also made a point to go outside and check out the stars. So beautiful. So peaceful. Also, I actually used a sheet last night and was comfortable. My mosquito net is also pinned from 4 corners instead of just hanging down from one nail so it is much easier to sleep under. Winner!