Arusha

On my first morning in Arusha, John showed me around town and introduced me to many people along the way. Most Tanzanians speak basic English, while some are fully fluent. They love to show off their language skills and many smile and offer a polite Mambo!, to which one must respond Poa! There are about 100 ways to greet someone in Swahili, and all have a different corresponding answer.

The central market is a particularly impressing sight. It is very large and organized by product group. The meat and fish sections are particularly different from markets in North America. The meat is kept outside for up to 3 days, and I was told it is safest to eat it on the second day. You can smell the fish section well before you enter it.

Arusha is not quite what I expected. You can find almost anything if you're willing to pay for it. A meal costs around CAN$2 to $5, a beer around $1, clothes around $4-6. However, the average income of the local families we are helping hovers around $0.50 per WEEK! Hotel rooms run from $8 to $200+ at the New Arusha Hotel, a five-star hotel on the same level as any Four Seasons. In fact, Mondo has a deal with the hotel, and we can use the pool for $2,50. Internet access is only available in town, and usually costs less than $1 per hour. Therefore, I will only have access to my emails etc on the weekends.

White people, Mzungus, are seen as walking ATMs. There aren't a very large number of beggars of the street, and most are children.Most people on the street have something to sell, be it clothes, plastic bags, newspapers etc. Whatever first price they quote, you can normally split it by 4-5... You can, and must, negotiate anything you buy except when a price is listed, which does not occur very often.