We've Arrived

Hello from Tanzania everyone. We officially arrived yesterday in Arusha and began our time in Africa. I"m not sure if it was the lush vegetation, cool mist, or flowing grasslands, but it definitely felt different when we stepped off the plane; different in a good way that is.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by Dr. Mhando's son Thomas, Amani his driver, and Baltazar. Unlike previous teams, we did not have much hassle at the border and got almost all our supplies through save a few boxes of sutures. We took the 45 minute drive into town and soaked up the surrounding countryside. Afterwards, we met with Dr. Mhando at his house and enjoyed some tea and conversation. Everyone was very welcoming and made us feel at ease. We then made our way to Sister Sophina's, our home for 7 weeks.  The accomdations are comfortable although definitely a change from our Western lifestyle as you can see with Ramez behind a mosquito net.
Today we are orientating ourselves around the city and getting a feel of the culture. Personally, I have the found the lifestyle similar to my family's native Serbia and thus has made the transition easier. Tomorrow we meet with Dr. Mhando to begin our program and start the work we came to do. I'm sure we will have many more stories and posts as the weeks progress. Tutaonana (goodbye) for now.

Posted by DavidDudok on June 19, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Comments

Hey MedOutreach 2006,
I'm so excited to hear that your border crossing went well, and you are settling into life in Tanzania! It was so amazing to see your picture of the Tanzania airport and the room at Sister Sophina's house- so many memories and it's so amazing that each year we can continue the trend! Good luck and I am looking forward to following your adventures on the weblog!
Tutaonana Baadaye!
Kiara (aka Kiki..aka team wussy)

Posted by: Kiara Smith | 2006-06-21 11:11:09 PM