Stunned Mullets.

Stunned mullets. That’s what Anika and I resembled as we stepped through the doors of Nairobi International Airport. Sleep deprived from 20 hours of flying, we just stood clutching our 10 kgs of luggage trying to decipher our surroundings. Left or right? The signs were in English but were more than unhelpful. The security guards laughed at our overwhelmed expressions but didn’t make any effort to assist us, naturally. We eventually navigated our way through the airport, and experienced a minor panic attack when our bags were the very last loaded off the plane. Customs was surprisingly pleasant; although we declared 20kgs of surgical sharps and medical instruments, the paperwork was simply tossed onto a giant pile of blue forms from the entire days flights and we were waved through.

We had a lovely taxi driver who took us the scenic route through Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, a bustling city with countless hotels and political shrines. I didn’t feel the need to explore Nairobi more; half freaked out by warnings of terror attacks around Christmas and acceptance of a standard (albeit a combination of dirt and sealed roads) city, we bunkered down in our hotel/casino? for the night. Only in Africa could you order carbonara pasta and receive an Alfredo’s packet mix!

Next morning we caught the Riverside Shuttle bus, and I would highly recommend it as transport to Arusha, only being mildly harassed at the border by jewelry clad women and beggers. I loved being able to experience the variety of Kenyan and Tanzanian towns by road, from tiny slums to skeletons of promising warehouses. We were treated to amazing sights of Massai villages, dozens of Massai (many children) hearding cattle and goats and a colourful array of a Massai marketplace spanning hundreds of metres. Highlight was definitely the 3 giraffes casually chilling about 4m from the highway.

I’ve quickly learned the nature of Tanzanian men. Extremely forward to the extend of marriage proposals, I met a lovely aspiring chef Freddy who not only offered to let me borrow his phone to call our taxi, but also offered for me to let me live in Tanzania with him forever asking Anika if my dad would mind. 

Arriving at Mama Liz’s house was strangely like coming home despite only having seeing photos. Welcomed warmly by Mama, Jess (from Brisbane!) and Pam, we’ve settled in so well. Mama is an amazing cook, soups, chicken, stews, so there goes my plan of shedding this year’s non gym-ified body. Being New Years Eve, we headed out to a bar with volunteers from volunteer house and Mama Zubeida’s for a night of gin (a flask for $2) many many introductions and squat toilets. Happy New Year ! Our homestay gates lock at 10pm however, so we caught a taxi (along dirt, non lit, drunken crowded roads) to crash at volunteer house – any bed will do.

Today we went to church, all 2 and half hours of it in Swahili. And what better way to get there but squeeze 5 people into the backseat of a car. Personal space is most definitely non-existent here, as well as shall say political correctness? Every time we walk anywhere, we’re followed by cries of “mzungu, mzungu!” white person, white person! The dominant religion in Tanzania is Christianity, and the liturgy was incredible. The 2 choirs had stunning voices which brought tears to my eyes accompanied by choreographed dance moves and an albino African man played the keyboard. A 30 minute sermon was super animated that the language barrier was almost inconsequential. Anika’s neighbour kept translating for us and instructing us; at one point we wondered why the entire congregation was looking at us in silence until the woman told us the priest wanted us to introduce ourselves. “Jina langu ni Emma” has certainly come in handy, and Australia is often received with “Kangaroo!”

Although overwhelmed at the culture shock, the upfront nature of people, the constant staring and frequent occurrence of men holding hands, I’m so excited to start orientation tomorrow and continue to be thrown into the Arusha full throttle.