Day 1: The arrivalWe made it safely to Africa, in one piece! After a two hour drive to LAX, a 16 hour flight to Dubai, a 15 hour layover in Dubai (which allowed us to sneak away from the hotel and explore the city--yes, I was very starstruck by the Burj Khalifa), and a five hour flight from Dubai to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. As we arrived, exhausted, we hoped on a taxi-van and headed towards the beautiful Serene Resort. Still unaware if it was the exhaustion or language barrier that led to us to pay our driver 3x the amount needed, nonetheless, I am sure we made his day.
Day 2: Arusha |
Once settled into the beautiful Serene Resort, we were greeted by our professor, Dr. Jez and began to work. Work alongside the Indian Ocean? I'll take it any day. The beach was flooded by locals singing, dancing and swimming. Not only was the view breathtaking but the months of emails back and forth between the Tanzania educators and us began to take form. At this moment, I began to recognize all the work we had done and my excitement of meeting the educators and students in Tanzania grew.
|
The Arusha airport was one of the first elements of Africa that distinctly highlighted a difference between the U.S. The customs consisted of one line with one metal detector which allowed the process to go quickly--in comparison to the U.S. security process. As we exited the airport, we were greeted by a sign that read "ChangeMakers Team" and kaka (brother) Vinold. Immediately, Vinold made us feel welcomed and drove us to our next stop, the Cultural Center. The Cultural Center consisted of traditional handmade African jewelry, key chains, mugs, coasters, blankets and more. Although I wanted to leave with every item, I purchased a hand painted mug, coasters and salad utensils with engraved elephants, and a ring that was made up of two rocks tied to a gold wire. Immediately, I recognized that my suitcase needs to somehow make it back to the U.S. completely zipped.
Alongside the Cultural Center was the Cultural Heritage Art Gallery that immediately left me in awe of the architecture and engineering of the building alone. The art work was displayed along every inch of the gallery and spiraled from the bottom up, allowing the viewer to travel higher and higher through Africa's history, present and future depicted through some of the most talented artists and visionaries. The artwork varied in themes and style, however, the level of detail in each piece was undeniable. Again, I had to remind myself of the suitcase making it back home in one-piece. |