I made it!!!

I'm here! I made it, finalllyyy! I flew out Tuesday evening, spent 18 glorious hours in transit and I arrived in Arusha around 9pm local time on Wednesday. It's crazy loosing 8 hours. It's like the twilight zone...with awful plane food....and crying babies...

Originally I was supposed to be staying at my host, Kikoti's house in Arusha, but he was trying to do some renovations and of course they are not done. So, I am staying at a little hotel, right behind the African Wildlife Foundation offices, where Kikoti works. It's a tiny little place called the Pepe One Hotel with just 5 rooms and a restaurant. "It's nothing fancy, it's very modest." is what Kikoti said..yea..any hotel like this in the states would cost you well over $100 night. I think I am paying around $25 (the exchange is still a little confusing to me) It's landscaped all over the place with tropical plants and exotic flowers, decorated with typical African looking art, carved wooden animals and thatched roofs. There's a little courtyard with patio tables and huge umbrellas under enormous trees full of all sorts of birds. I was absolutely exhausted when I got in on Wednesday night, but I woke up around 6:30am the next morning, I was so excited.

It is the middle of the green season. Right now there is a little break between the short rains, typically from Nov.-Dec. and the long rains from late March through April. It's humid, but not too hot. It rained lightly all night (which is fantastic when sleeping with the windows open) so it is cooler today and a little overcast. It's probably in the low 70s. I'm sorry, Massachusetts.

So the first day I ran around with Kikoti looking at different vehicles and doing errands. I bought a little cell phone for local calls and went in checked with the TAWIRI office about my permit. Here comes the rant; Tawiri still has not reviewed my permit. I cannot get my Costech until I have my Tawiri. I cannot get a Residency permit until I have Costech. OY! So it might be a few months before I actually get all my permits in order, but there is plenty for me to do in the meantime.

Like learn Swahili and drive on the other side of the car and the road! Today, (day2) I went out driving around Arusha!!!! eeeek! It actually wasn't that bad. Kikoti's friend has an automatic 4WD Honda, so I don't have to learn stick. (WHEW!) The wheel is on the right, but the pedals are just like they are at home, so the only thing I really have to learn is driving on the left and their crazy traffic rules. Drivers are much more polite here, big surprise! If you are turning out onto the road, you can just put you hand out and someone will stop to let you go and you flash your high beams at night just to say hello!

Tangent time: SUPER EXCITING NEWS!!! A few weeks ago, I emailed Cynthia Moss through her blog; http://elephanttrust.org/blog/15 I just wanted to ask about the elephants that migrate into Tanzania from Amboseli and how I would be able to identify them as "Amboseli Elephants". I didn't really expect to reply, I mean, she's not a big time celebrity or anything, but I would say about as famous as Jane Goodall. Well, 2 days before I left, she replied, inviting me to come take an Elephant Identification training course at the Amboseli Research Facility!!!!!! eeeee!!!! So, while I am waiting for my Tawiri & Costech permits, I will go to Amboseli and learn how to age, sex and i.d. elephants!! Hopefully I will be able to see some of the elephants that I've been reading about in Cynthia Moss's book Elephant Memories. Now all those elephants will be all grown up! So exciting, I can't wait!!!

So for now, I'm just hanging around Arusha, trying to learn Swahili and getting used to the awesome slow pace of African life. And eating a lot of amazing organic fruit!
Room with a view; my hotel room and the courtyard at 6am

Courtyard at the hotel

My complimentary breakfast, before the eggs, toast, sausage & juice!

AWF Offices, where I'm hanging out writing this blog!!