It’s A Wrap (sorta)

DSM, May 2007

So this entry will be a bit news-y. Life has been hectic at 24 Kilimahewa, on “the hill,” one nickname for the main campus of the University of Dar es Salaam, which sits high atop a hill fifteen kilometers from the city center.

The program that Heather directs and I assist is nearing its completion. There are lots of loose ends to tie as our fourteen students finish up their studies and time here. Dealing with these students has been surprisingly stressful and we’ll be glad when this chapter in the East African experience is closed.

The university is still shut down but slated to reopen shortly for a week of classes, lectures, papers, exams, whatever has to happen prior to finals. My class will not meet as I’ve taken care of most things already. Finals will be some time after that but I’ll be up a mountainside or on a very large island so someone else will administer my final—and maybe grade it, with my “marking scheme.” As I’m working for free and no one could have predicted the university shutting down for a month (!!), my taking off isn’t too big a deal. Incidentally, I’ve yet to be officially appointed a Visiting Professor, though my papers were officially received in the Recruitment office at UDSM on 3 September 2006! Also, after numerous tries, as of yesterday, my residential permit extending my time here until 15 June (our departure date) was finalized. That only took four and a half months!

We have been hosting two good friends, Joel and Susan, for more than two weeks. Well, J and S and I climbed Meru a while back and then the two of them did the wildlife safari thing (Susan has sick photos). Later, Heather and I rendezvoused with them in Zanzibar for some seriously mellow beach time on Zbar’s east coast in the village of Bwejuu. We stayed at a “rasta” hotel and felt a bit colonial as several Zanzibari guys poled us out in a dugout canoe against some serious headwind to a little barrier reef to do some snorkeling. Always fun to be barefoot for an entire day and night. We also revisited Stone Town, which I think has one of the most cosmopolitan cultural histories out there.

In a few daze, I’ll bus-ride up to northern TZ and attempt the Machame Route on the legendary, popular, and expensive Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,000 feet). As H and I hiked 60 km in three days in the Usambaras five weeks back and J, S, and I climbed Mt. Meru (15,000 feet), I hope I am as prepared as I can be. Alas, my boots are toast. I keep paying cobblers to re-glue one of my soles and have resorted to duct tape several times! Then, H meets me, we bus it to Nairobi, and fly to Madagascar for three weeks of serious fun and touring. Much more on those topics to come down the road, I’m sure.