African finale....

My long awaited trip to Tanzania went faster than I could ever have imagined.  My last full day was spent making a few purchases and walking around the city taking pictures of things that Erin wanted to remember.  She took photos of people and places she saw every day, and she said goodbye over and over again to people who all asked her when she would be back.  She is leaving so many friends - I am amazed at the number of people who have become a part of her world in just four short months.

The highlight of the day was meeting her Swahili teacher, Hamid Almasi.  She calls him Mwalimu, which means teacher in Swahili, and he is one of her favorite teachers ever.  It was so fun to have the opportunity to meet the teacher she has talked about in such glowing terms, and to have a chance to hear him talk about her dedication to learning and how well she has done in his class.

Before I knew what was happening, it was the following evening, I was on my way to the airport, ready to fly out of Africa and back into the developed world.  As beautiful as Europe is, Africa has stolen my heart, and I hope to return again some day to see more of this amazing continent.

I have some enduring impressions of Tanzania that will remain in my heart forever.  Here is what I will always think of when I remember my time in Tanzania:

• People walking everywhere on the side of the road.  You can be anywhere, or in the middle of nowhere, and you will find people walking on the side of the road.  It struck me from the moment I arrived, and followed me all the way to the airport the evening I left.  I will never think of Africa without thinking of the walking first and foremost.
• The Maasai really DO stride across the open plain, and it looks exactly the same as in a documentary.  But it is so much more real in person.
• The acacia trees are a world wide symbol of Africa for good reason.  They are everywhere.  But a photograph simply cannot capture how they complete the landscape when you are there in person.  Their rugged beauty is indescribable, but I will never again see an acacia tree without remembering our wonderful safari experience on the Serengeti.
• If you want to see the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, you might have to take a plane flight somewhere.
• The developing world does not have a shortage of stuff.  They need technology and education, not more useless material goods.
• Speaking Swahili changes everything for you in Tanzania.  It also really freaks out the natives, who may or may not be saying mean things about you behind your back!
• Bargaining is a fun game for both vendor and buyer when it is done correctly.
• Your safari guide makes or breaks your safari experience.  If you engage with them, talk to them and ask questions, you will learn a lot and have a much better time.  They spend a lot of time getting an education in the many things you will see, and the good ones are extremely knowledgable.  It is a lot of fun to get to know the person who is helping you have the experience you have dreamed of.
• School children all wear uniforms, and they are very cute.
• Just because the government says a country is united doesn't mean it is.  Zanzibar does it's own thing, and it is an entirely different culture.

Next stop, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.