The Land of Milk and Cement

I'm at an internet cafe in Tanga right now, which is about 200 miles north of Dar. It's not a tourist destination and is well known in Tanzania for three things: its cement factory, dairy, and a cave which supposedly goes all the way to Mombasa. That's about all I can say about the place. The hotel I'm in looks very nice, but on closer inspection, none of the things actually work. My shower, toilet, tv and lamps do not function as they should. I moved out of the first room they put me in thinking things would be better. They were not, and it turns out that the previous occupant was Joyce, one of the workshop participants. They moved her to another room and moved me in without fixing anything. That night, they moved Aba into the room I was in previously, without fixing anything. I guess they figure if we're moved around enough, we'll stop complaining? What a dump. Half of the group is staying at another hotel, which isn't as nice looking, but everything functions. Normally, I wouldn't complain, but CARE's paying 40,000/= a night for our rooms. That's what many Tanzanian's make in a month. If you're going to charge a month's salary for something, it better be really f***ing nice. Meh.

The workshop is going nicely. I was brought along as the note taker, and I'm getting most things down. Sometimes I'm overcome with boredom and have to play a game or two of minesweeper, but otherwise, the workshop is well documented. Tomorrow we are all going out to visit field sites. I get to go to Amani, where they are apparently raising exotic butterflies for collectors around the world. I'm definitely bringing my camera along!

We're heading out early on Saturday morning. Anja (pronounced Anya), my new Danish friend, and I are going to meet up with Lise and Line in Dar. The plan is to catch a late dalla-dalla to Bagamoyo and spend the night. There are neat ruins and a museum about the slave trade there. Sunday is Lise's birthday and we'll probably celebrate by going to the wonderful Ethiopian restaurant near my house. I'm looking forward to it!