I'm Back!!

I'm back in Tanzania, and it's more beautiful than I remembered it!! My morning started early in Nairobi, still dark out, but made it to the airport, got through customs, security, and to the gate in less than 45 minutes. Amazing...wow how complicated we've made things in the rest of the world! So my flight was about 50 minutes, on a twin engine craft, only about 30 passengers, and no, I didn't have to hold a goat on my lap surprisingly! The highlight of the trip was descending into Kilimanjaro International Airport, still well above the clouds, with Mount Meru to my right, and Mount Kilimanjaro to my left. And we were only flying at about 17000 feet, 2000 below where I was standing on the roof of Africa almost 3 years ago now!! It was absolutely incredible to see the glacier fields glistening in the sun again on the highest mountain of the African continent just 5 degrees south of the equator...breathtaking!!
Got through customs after picking up my bag, which was not soaked in detergent this time, and was met by the CCS rep right outside the arrivals terminal...how wonderful it was not to have to spend 2 hours washing out my bag, and actually being picked up by the company I'm volunteering with...so far so good I'm thinking! Both the CCS rep and the driver were very impressed with my Kiswahili, and had a great time chatting with them on the 30 minute drive to the CCS home base in Arusha...they're the first Africans I've met from the Chaga tribe!! Kili has been shrouded in clouds all day, as it's pretty overcast, but the countryside surrounding Arusha is more beautiful than I remembered it.

Home base is amazing...I feel like I'm at the Ritz Carlton compared to the house I stayed at in Nairobi. Breakfast was waiting for me when I arrived this morning, and lunch was spectacular...chicken with rice, beans, guacamole, vegetables, and fresh juice. There will be a total of 36 volunteers by the time tomorrow rolls around, with new volunteers arriving every month. So it's basically like a compound you could say. The main city center of Arusha is about a 10 minute dale dale ride, which is comparative to the matatu of Nairobi, and I'm just here in the internet cafe with a few other volunteers who are showing me around town. Am sooo excited about getting started at my project the more I talk to the volunteers who have been here awhile, as it's a newer project and I will be one of the first placed there. Most of all I'm excited to experience Tanzania as a volunteer rather than a tourist here to climb the mountain and go on safari...the community here is just so amazing and I can't wait to get more into it!