"As wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro."

- Ernest Hemingway

Apologies to those of you who might be checking in. It is very difficult to log in to blogger and often it won't work.

We left Zanzibar three days ago. Leaving the beach where we watched the sun go down over the Indian Ocean every night was a bit sad. I highly recommend the Indian Ocean. Incredibly warm. The drive back to Stone Town made me sad. Partly, the enormous heaps of garbage are a terrible sign of a lack of infrastructure. One major problem is that people here treat their surroundings like a garbage can. Zanzibar is incredibly littered, mostly with water bottles.... But mostly, it was because the rural people here have so little, and we can't see how things can change. Their homes are made of mud, or clay, or cinder block if they're lucky. Most homes are the size of one of MV's classrooms. It is dry and dusty and there are few opportunities. People try hard to sell things to the tourists. Sometimes, it becomes very annoying, but you can't help feeling guilty about saying no and walking away. It boggles the mind: where does one start trying to eliminate the poverty? where does one start in trying to help these people - without imposing western band-aids and western values?

We took a two-hour ferry to Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania with over 4 million people. Although there are people everywhere, it didn't feel like a big city. When the sun goes down (every day at 7 pm), so to goes the action. It is a quiet city... until the call to prayer at 5 am, of course. We stayed in the Indian part of town, mostly because the food is amazing. We splurged and got a room with a/c AND tv! I can't imagine being in Dar without both. There isn't much to do, but walk around. We did think that visiting the National History Museum would be a good idea (what with all the australopithecus types). It seems to be under renovation and rebuilding, sot he exhibits seemed disorganised and small. At least, I'm hoping this is due to the new construction. High school students were working on assignments; they were actually working and not goofing off... nor were they complaining about how bored they were or how boring the museum was. Every student in Tanzania wears a uniform, much like most Asian countries. If only our own students realised how much they have. The schools I've seen are small and lucky to have a blackboard.

Yesterday, we travelled about 550 kilometers to Moshi, at the base of Kilimanjaro. It was a trying 9.5 hour day. The driving is insane... our driver seemed relatively safe. There are no fewer than 40 towns between Dar and here. On either side of each town, for obvious reasons, there are 5 sections of ruts and 2 to 3 speed bumps on the highway... like I said, on either side. You do the math. We saw lots of countryside, mountains, the Masaai Steppe, but no animals. Moshi is not a pretty town, but Kilimanjaro in the background makes it worth it. It is imposing.

In a few days, we will go on a 5-day safari into the Serengeti, the Olduvai Gorge, the Tarangire Park, and the Ngorogoro Crater. Looking forward to seeing many animals... This is the short version of the last few days. Many more details with which to bore you in the future and over wine! All the best and lots of love! Nathan: Hope things are going well! Thanks for your notes.

My favourite: Zanzibari pizza! Just under a buck.