Hey all! So I have not written for a while, as per usual and I have a lot to report on. I guess I will start with my parents trip, which was amazing! We had a blast. We started with a rest day in Dar and then moved on to Zanzibar. Zanzibar is a sight to be seen. We took the ferry over and on the way my dad was curious about what the Bridge of the ferry looked like and just to get some interaction with some "Boat People" in Tanzania. So we asked to enter and of course we were invited in with opened arms and smiles. Papa was able to sit next to the captain and they all spoke fluent English, which was great. As we were discussing where we were staying in Zanzibar and how to get to our hotel one man, named Jeff, which is also the name of my father, just offered to drive us from the ferry port to the hotel, instead of getting a cab. So his son picks us all up in a very nice car and we begin our venture into Zanzibar's notoriously bad traffic (since the streets are all one way and windy). As we are waiting in traffic Jeff is giving us a tour of Zanzibar and points to an old beautiful door and declares that it is one of the oldest on Zanzibar and behind that door is an extremely nice hotel that is less expensive than the one we are going to. So they pull over, I run up the stairs and it turns out to be a great deal and gorgeous inside. Also, we had a water view from our room, which was amazing! Anyway we were all very imressed with the hospitatlity of Jeff and it was just the beginning of many more generous hearted people we met along the way! We have a great first night on Zanzibar with delicious food! Then the next day we go on a Spice Tour, where we met all sorts of interesting people. While walking through the spice forest and trying out different spices we had a posse of boys making us things along the way. My dad got a tie and my mom and I got glasses and necklaces and rings all made out of banana leaves! Then we had a traditional Zanzibar meal, a yummy curry, potatoes, chapati (which is like a thicker tortilla), and steamed green veggies, while eating on mats on the floor. Our afternoon consisted of visiting a cave where slaves hid during the slave trade, which was rather morbid. Then we went to this beautiful cove and put our feet in the Indian Ocean! It was a really nice day. Afterwards we went to Livingstones for happy hour and just to reflect on the day. It is the bar right on the beach where you sit under canopies and put your feet in the sand. While my dad and I were leaving we passed by a monkey on a leash. We wanted to take a picture, so we stood next to it, but the next thing you know the monkey jumps out a bites me! Literally bites my hand. Luckily he did not break any skin and if he had I am not sure this story would be as funny. But I just had his teeth marks on my hand after that. The next night we were able to meet with the Cronins! Our great family friends, Andrew, one of their boys, was studying on Zanzibar so it just happened to work out that we would cross paths many times throughout the trip in various places in Tanzania. We all went out to a delicious Indian meal (we could not get enough Indian food throughout this whole trip! And we were in a good place for it since Tanzania has a very large population of Indians living here, so the food is very authentic). After Zanzibar we made our way back to the mainland, on a not-so-smooth ferry ride. the nest day, after another delicious Indian meal under our belts, we jumped on a bus and we were on our way to Iringa! The bus ride was a little tough on the parents, but they were troopers. After 9 hours of winding through Tanzania countryside, seeing too many overturned buses, and struggling with strange smells, small spaces, lack air, and lack of protection from the hot African sun beaming down through the windows, we finally arrived in Iringa! The parents really enjoyed seeing the scenery of Tanzania, but we were all excited to get off of that bus! We move in to our home for the night and we go out to dinner with one of my good friends here, Katie. Even though we were all pretty dead from the travel, we still enjoyed a nice dinner and good bottle of wine, from Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.

So, to celebrate my parents being in Tanzania for one week we had a relaxing morning in Iringa, which involved shopping and spending time at Neemas, which is a cafe run by disabled Tanzanians and they have delicious coffee and food. Then we headed down to the bus stand to jump on a bus to Mbeya. This ended up being one of the MOST hectic ventures of the trip. It involved us trying to navigate a crazy bus stand with way too much luggage and way too many people. We thought we were supposed to get on one bus but then when it pulled through the bus stand, at an alarming speed, a man yelled us that it was too full and there was no room. After being hustled around, yelled at, ignored, and papa almost getting run over by a bus, we were finally thrown on to one bus with all of our luggage in to the aisle and surprised Tanzanians all around us (I mean, imagine 3 stressed out white people with 8 bags being pushed on to one of the cheapest buses literally yelling to each other the entire time in English). Eventually we all got seats. My dad and I were next to a window that was painted black so that we could barely look outside. The bus blasts music, as it usually does, and drives over 100mph the entire way. It was nuts! There is no other way to describe it!

Finally we arrive in Mbeya. And it feels so good to be back on my home turf. We got dinner and drinks with some of my friends! It was so great to mix the two worlds, Peace Corps Tanzania world (my Peace Corps friends), and America world (my parents). And they mixed well! The next day my dad and I hiked Mt. Loleza, which is one of the local mountains here in Mbeya and has beautiful views at the top! Then had dinner with more friends at one of our favorite restaurants in Mbeya town! The next day we stopped by Utengule (the coffee farm in Mbeya, that has beautiful views and delicious coffee) then we were on to Ilembo, my village. We decided to brave public transportation one more time and take my bus which may have been a little too much. So we all squeezed in on Mbadikilwe (the name of my bus), which I believe I have described before, it is like the bus in Harry Potter that drives around in the middle of the night and is only driven by a head. It takes turns like a race car on a track and it plays music louder than you thought music could go. Parts fall from it as it treks its way up the mountain. Eventually we made it to Ilembo and we were greeted by a whole crowd of people who arrived to help us carry our things. We did not lift a finger! Which was really nice. Then we were met at my house by more people who cooked us a delicious dinner of rice and beans. My dad fell asleep during while the were making the final touches on dinner and since my house is just like one room (because I do not have ceilings, just a tin roof) we all giggled when he started to snore. In a country tat is so different from my home, it feels good to know that some things are cross-cultural and snoring is funny to everyone! We slept well that night. The next day we walked all around my village, my dad played a guitar made out cow skin, we did self introductions at the Village office, and passed by both schools. Everyone was really excited to see my parents and loved the fact that they came all the way from America to Ilembo! The next day we went to eat with my Orphans Group and my Widows Group. I think it was one of the best days of the trip because my parents got to see how Tanzanians live, cook, go to the bathroom, etc. etc. So that was great! Everyone was so excited to see them and just shake their hand! The rest of the days in the village went something like this.

The thrid leg of the trip was amazing. Since we were a little public-transportationed-out we decided to have a private car come pick us up in the village and drive us all the way from Ilembo to Iringa. After a nice evening in Iringa we headed were met the next morning by our driver, Leo, which means "today" in kiswahili, in our safari car (see facebook for pictures). And we started on our adventure! Once we got into Ruaha National Park we immediately started seeing animals. And there was nothing Leo did NOT know. He knew every bird, every flower, every bone, every footprint in 3 languages: Latin, Kiswahili, and English! He was so knowledgeable. And I think my parents enjoyed seeing the birds even more than they did the hippos and elephants! But luckily we saw all the animals we wanted to see, from tons of new birds, to alligators, to SO MANY elephants and giraffes, and lions! Our one full day in Ruaha was jam packed with animals, animals and more animals. We took a packed lunch and ate on the road so we could maximize our time with the animals! It was really fantastic. And at night we fell asleep listening to the sounds of the Great Ruaha River and hippos. The lodge was beautiful and incredibly peaceful with delicious food, which we also ate right on the river. It was so nice!

After Ruaha we made our way up to Dar again and spent a few days on South Beach, just swimming and relaxing on the beach! It was the perfect end to a perfect trip! And all in all so nice to see my parents and show them Tanzania, my house, my work, my friends! I miss them more now than before they came. But Christmas is not too far away and if money/projects/Peace Corps permits, I will hopefully be home!