Long overdue

Alright, I realize it has been a VERY long time since we have blogged, but I’m about to start it, right here, right now. The thing is, we did a LOT of things the last while. Our good friend Chuck was here for 3 weeks and basically we needed the last while to recuperate! Okay, enough of my excuses….
Craig and I hopped on a bus and went to Tanzania the third week of February! It was a long journey, partially complicated by other drivers. In a town in Uganda, a car in front of us slammed on its brakes, causing our driver to veer off into the ditch to avoid him! At this point, the bus was at a precarious angle in the ditch and the people on that side of the bus were NOT happy! Our conductor (the man who checks the tickets) jumped out of the bus, hopped on a motorbike taxi after the other driver! We drove around that town a while, and eventually, the conductor came back with the license plate of that car. The door to our bus was damaged and they had to tie it shut from the inside! Oh, adventures!
26 hours and 2 borders after leaving kigali, we arrived safely in Nairobi at 7 AM! Our friends, Trevor & Andrea, have been living here for the past 7 months or so. We got a chance to visit with them, and also Trevor’s sisters, Leona and Wanda, who we know from back home! It was so great to connect with friends from home! Also, I was able to beat the Mennonites at their own game of Dutch Blitz! Ha!
After a good night’s sleep in a real bed and NOT the bus, we boarded yet another bus to Tanzania. Now this bus ride was only about 6 hours, but it felt like MUCH longer!! The road to Tanzania was terrible! And as we found out later, many roads in Tanzania are quite terrible!
The original reason we went to Tanzania was to hopefully purchase a vehicle. Seeing we have already spent the time and money to come to this part of the world, we want to see some of the many beautiful things that are here; and the best way to see them is with your own vehicle. Craig had seen an advertisement for a Nissan Patrol for a good price, and it’s what drew us to go to Arusha. In the end, the owner was in the Netherlands and just couldn’t figure out where the paperwork for the vehicle was left. This despite the fact that we had been emailing him about for 2 weeks before we went to Tanzania! We spent close to 2 weeks in Arusha and really didn’t enjoy it. It’s very much a tourist town, situated between the Serengeti and mount Kilimanjaro. Because of this it’s difficult not to pay Mzungu (white man) prices, which are MUCH higher than local prices! Thanks to the wonderful tourists who have come before us, spending their money like crazy. Also because it is a tourist town, foreigners are advised to NOT walk around at night, which is very different from Kigali. I enjoy strolling around a town in the evening because it is a little cooler but still warm enough to enjoy yourself without a jacket. In Kigali, there’s little need for concern about safety, even if you’re out and about after dark (which is about 6:30pm).
It’s now Tuesday February 24th and our man still hasn’t come through with the paperwork. So we need to make a decision as to what to do, as Chuck is due to arrive in Nairobi wed morning and needs to know whether to continue on to Kigali or to hop on a shuttle to Arusha. So we’re walking around the town, trying to make a decision, with none of the options seeming any good. Around 4:30, we get a call from an acquaintance. He has found an ad for a Mitsubishi Pajero. So Craig calls about the Pajero, and the guy meets us within 15 minutes and we take it for a test drive. Within an hour, our mechanic friend comes to look over the vehicle and then we buy it! How crazy it that! One hour! And so far, it has proved to be a good decision and a very reliable vehicle! To be continued…