Rolling Rock Gathers No Moss (11/20/2005)

This week I was a pebble in a river. The water moved me from Morogoro to Dar es Salaam. I was beat into lots of other rocks, meeting lots of people and navigating a new city with PCT other than my language group. There are slow eddies where I begin to settle. After a few days of walking around the neighborhood of Safari Inn it begins to feel like a new home.But a new rain comes and again I am in the swift current traveling to Njombe. The water is strong enough to break a few pieces away from me. My watch, which recently lost its band, was lost before the band was fixed and a pair of pants was also left behind in the hustle of moving. I am swallowed by fish only to be excreted where I started. After a few days in Njombe, we returned to Morogoro. I was not overly impressed by Dar es Salaam--the city seemed very dirty. I did not really notice lots of litter, most likely because my eyes are so used to seeing it everywhere that I think I have begun to filter litter out of my vision. So when I say seemed dirty it is because you can see the dirt covering all the buildings and there is a persistent stench of unregulated vehicles and other unidentified unpleasant human odors. However, I don't want to give the impression that I did not enjoy Dar es Salaam. My expectations were so high that I must have believed I was going to the Emerald City. Also are group was so large that we spent most of the time waiting for somebody to get ready, and then after everybody is ready it takes forever to eat because there are so many people. Thus I did not get to explore many of markets and other attractions of Dar.It was relaxing to hang with the other volunteers and eat Indian food and ice cream. We did get to the American Embassy, Peace Corps office and the American Club.
I think the subjects of bus travel and Njombe are for another email.
T.