The Journey

1:20 pm, no wind. Dar, Tanzania. Just finished a morning outing with the mom of the household we are staying at. Dar is chaotic. I don't know how else to describe it. Chaotic. Bright colors whizzing past you everywhere- some of them belong to women's puffy-sleeved dresses, others to the cars of all shapes and sizes, some to laundry hanging out of dirty-gray apartment windows, other to flowers hanging from long green tropical vines, some to fruit in nicely piled stacks being sold on the side of the street. And, everywhere: sunlight. A blinding white light that bounces off of anything metallic- illuminating the entire bustling city. People everywhere (with way too much clothing on for the temperature and humidity) wanting to "help" you- help you park, help you pay, help you buy, help you cross the street, help you get a shirt, help you with some fruit or water. So much "helping" that it takes a quarter of your energy just to refuse the persistent "help". Sounds of all sorts surround you... pushing the heat closer to you with each beat, honk, chime, or rustle. And, through all this ‘jungle’... you can hear a bit of the ocean. A wide expanse of bluish-green water supporting thick-rimmed tug boats of rust and gray paint. The ocean waves sink in and out- caressing the steaming silt. Low hanging palms balance on the edges of the beach- weighed down by large-toed and sticky-eyed geckos. Beautiful.

Jessica