Everybody walk the dinosaur
My pardons to Was (Not Was) on the use of their song phrase but I really wanted a song title to talk about walking here. There were many to choose from Ronettes' Walking In The Rain; Katrina and the Wave's Walking On Sunshine; Johnny Cash's I Walk the Line to the Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian and about fifty others. I choose this one because it was fun and a little cheesy. Look it up on Youtube for a laugh.
I have written blogs in the past about walking and will most likely do it again in the future. Why? Because I walk a lot here. To quote Hippocrates, "Walking is Man's best medicine." Not sure how true that it is but I have dropped many a pound due to the walking regimen that is the way things are here.
I embrace the walking lifestyle most of the time. There are times when it tires me out. Some days you just don't want to walk into town but if you want some food you have to. Even at my previous site, when I had the truck I normally walked unless I was sick or the distance was greater than an hour of walking (one way).
I learn a lot while walking around. For instance, I map out in my head where everything is and when I see something different than what the locals always want to show me. I found my best hardware stores that way in Singida. Here I am finding a lot better choices for furniture to equip the site's house with.
Since moving to Moshi, I choose a hotel about 3 KM outside of town so I have to walk into town every day for meals and my beloved coke zero. However I normally walk further to see if I can find new things like banking locations, Mpesa outlets, money exchange, new restaurants, etc...
The first time I traveled out to the site, I did so with my Tanzanian brother in ministry, Rogers. Typical of a Tanzanian who can, Rogers liked to use piki piki (motorcycle taxi) to move around town. So when we went together we rode them around town to get to the bus station.
The second time I went out I was by myself so I walked through town to find the bus station. That walk from my hotel was about 3 miles. Then I rode a dalla dalla type bus (for those that forgot it is between a minivan and a full-size van in size) with 30 of my Tanzanian neighbors, the driver, and the money man. After you get to the end of the dalla ride (which is just past the TPC sugar plantation and the end of the paved road), you get a piki piki to the site. I was not sure about the distance because it is hard to map the location where you change vehicles.
I got to the site and thought I had done a good job of telling the piki piki driver when I would like for him to come back and get me. That did not work out too well because he never came back. So I did what I do. I walked back to the pick-up location for the dalla dalla. I expected I might get a ride along the way. Nope every bike passing me was full (normally 3 people on it). So I now know the distance back to the bus stop is 4 miles according to my new fitness watch. So by the time I got back to town and walked to the nearest restaurant I had accumulated 9.4 miles. By the time I got back to the hotel I was 11 miles.
Something most people may not know about me is that I used to love to hike on vacation. My favorite type of hiking was to camp near a long trail like the AT and start hiking in one direction until I was exhausted. Take a 15-minute break and hike back. So the walk on that day was tiring, but it was also fun for me.
In addition, I got some cool sights.
You don't get to see that just anywhere.
In addition to the walking, I got to have some fun on site with the kids.
The next day I got up early to do my normal morning walk into town. They have predicted rain every day since I have been here. But it finally happened. And did it ever.
I finished up my walk but the walk back was the worst. Sunshine and shoes that are oozing out water with every step.
Later this week I will give a full blog on the trip out to the site and what things are like. For now the biggest prayer has been answered: The school is certified by the government and can register kids for primary school to start in January.
I have written blogs in the past about walking and will most likely do it again in the future. Why? Because I walk a lot here. To quote Hippocrates, "Walking is Man's best medicine." Not sure how true that it is but I have dropped many a pound due to the walking regimen that is the way things are here.
I embrace the walking lifestyle most of the time. There are times when it tires me out. Some days you just don't want to walk into town but if you want some food you have to. Even at my previous site, when I had the truck I normally walked unless I was sick or the distance was greater than an hour of walking (one way).
I learn a lot while walking around. For instance, I map out in my head where everything is and when I see something different than what the locals always want to show me. I found my best hardware stores that way in Singida. Here I am finding a lot better choices for furniture to equip the site's house with.
Since moving to Moshi, I choose a hotel about 3 KM outside of town so I have to walk into town every day for meals and my beloved coke zero. However I normally walk further to see if I can find new things like banking locations, Mpesa outlets, money exchange, new restaurants, etc...
The first time I traveled out to the site, I did so with my Tanzanian brother in ministry, Rogers. Typical of a Tanzanian who can, Rogers liked to use piki piki (motorcycle taxi) to move around town. So when we went together we rode them around town to get to the bus station.
The second time I went out I was by myself so I walked through town to find the bus station. That walk from my hotel was about 3 miles. Then I rode a dalla dalla type bus (for those that forgot it is between a minivan and a full-size van in size) with 30 of my Tanzanian neighbors, the driver, and the money man. After you get to the end of the dalla ride (which is just past the TPC sugar plantation and the end of the paved road), you get a piki piki to the site. I was not sure about the distance because it is hard to map the location where you change vehicles.
I got to the site and thought I had done a good job of telling the piki piki driver when I would like for him to come back and get me. That did not work out too well because he never came back. So I did what I do. I walked back to the pick-up location for the dalla dalla. I expected I might get a ride along the way. Nope every bike passing me was full (normally 3 people on it). So I now know the distance back to the bus stop is 4 miles according to my new fitness watch. So by the time I got back to town and walked to the nearest restaurant I had accumulated 9.4 miles. By the time I got back to the hotel I was 11 miles.
Something most people may not know about me is that I used to love to hike on vacation. My favorite type of hiking was to camp near a long trail like the AT and start hiking in one direction until I was exhausted. Take a 15-minute break and hike back. So the walk on that day was tiring, but it was also fun for me.
In addition, I got some cool sights.
 |
| Yes that is a camel that kept sticking his head into the Mosque as the call for prayers was played over the spekers |
In addition to the walking, I got to have some fun on site with the kids.
 |
| There is one in every group |
The next day I got up early to do my normal morning walk into town. They have predicted rain every day since I have been here. But it finally happened. And did it ever.
I finished up my walk but the walk back was the worst. Sunshine and shoes that are oozing out water with every step.
Later this week I will give a full blog on the trip out to the site and what things are like. For now the biggest prayer has been answered: The school is certified by the government and can register kids for primary school to start in January.
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