Africa, Italy, Greece, Everything else

Well I think I will wait until another day to write about Africa and the village. It was such a convoluted and often times overwhelming experience that I will have to wait until I have the time and motivation to digest my thoughts and feelings enough to really articulate them in writing. Needless to say I made it through the village and I went back to Dar es Salaam for a few days before heading to Italy.

In Italy, after Emirates Airlines, in all its #1 rated glory, lost my bag for a few days, I was able to get situated. I ended up being the bartender, after  learned some of the cocktails. Every night was excited, as I served people from all over the world. I had some great conversations and made a lot of great friends. I also saw my first castle! That was cool. It was decked out in many limestone carvings.

I did go to Rome for three days. It was beautiful city, but nothing unexpected. The most interesting thing that happened was sharing a drink with a crazy pedi-taxing driver next to the colluseum at night. It was perfectly quiet, and the guys pulls up. We share some wine and beer, he tells how he was imprisoned in Kenya (?) and later tells me he would have to kill me. I can't remember why exactly, but it was in a pleasant voice, so I was too worried. But I did leave shortly after.

I ended up leaving the hostel job in Naples last minute after I was fired for not making beds correctly. The manager was pretty insane and had some control issues, so I ended up buying a cheap ticket to athens because I've always wanted to see Greece.

In the airport on the way over I found a couchsurfing place. It was called the travel house. It was an organization run by two Serbian girls, and each year they get an apartment in a different city and host travellers. The travellers can donate however much they want to stay there, and people from all over the world sleep on the floors and balconies. It was a great community. lots of good people and camaraderie. I ended up sneaking into the Parthenon with a polish guy I met there. Everyone was very nice. Great experience.

Afterwards I found a note saying there was free camping on the island of Agistri, at the travel house. I got a 10 euro ferry to the island and camped there. It ws super cool. Lots of hippie students from athens, as well as some old wrinkly (but happy :)  ) hippies that lived nude on the beach. Most people were friendly, although most conversation was in Greek, so I was lost a bit. It was bit a lonely camping alone in the hills of the island, but it was also beuatiful, even a bit magical. From my little spot on the hills I could see the harbors of neighboring islands, and the red and orange sunsets lapping on the turqouise waters of the Aegean. Occasionally I would also see the bare ass of a stray beach bum too.

I tried unsuccessfully to get a position as a deckhand on a sailboat in Athens, and also Agistiri, so I caught a cheap ferry to the larger island of Aegina. There I stayed on the beach for a night, and asked around the docks, but to no avail. Finally I found a listing on Workaway for a hotel on the island, in the small fishing village of Perdika. However, when I got there to inquire, they were full, but the owner did suggest I go ask the restaurants if they would like some help serving for the foreign tourists. The second one did, and I worked there for four days.

Each day was a bit terrifying, as it was a family restaurant, and the teenage daughter and mother were always yelling at each other in Greek. Occassionally I would get caught in the crossfire, but usually i just looked at my feet in the corner or pretended to be busy with something. It was hard work for 20 euros a day and two meals, but it was a beautiful harbor.

I also made two friends. When I was sleeping on the public beach each night, one night tow girls from Athens happened to be doing the same, Athena and Joanna. They were sisters who lived together in Athens. We talked the whole night, and a few night later I stayed with them in Athens, after I finished up at the restaurant.

I roamed the city with Joanna, and was able to clean up from over a week of sleeping in forests and beaches. After staying for three days there, I came to Thessaloniki by train mostly. I've been couchsurfing here the last three days, although I don't know where I will be staying tonight. My workaway position in Istanbul was given to a Syrian Refugee so I'm a bit stuck now. However, I do have a another position in Istanbul in 10 days. Perhaps I will camp for a week or so. But until then peace and love  :)

Drifting Jonny

Heading to Mbeya

I've been living in Kibaha for about two weeks now. I'm starting to catch on to simple conversations in Swahili. This last week I've been teaching at school in Kibaha. I've been teaching english, explaining US politics, and also some pretty sweet dance moves.

Africans LOVE dancing, so any reference is always a good way to get a smile. In fact I had dinner with Joseph's parents-in-law. The kids wanted to show me thier dances, and asked me to teach me an American dance. Apparently an Australian volunteer showed them some so I had high expectations.

No knowing any other, I taught them the macarena. I just did it to some african drum music on the radio. The kids loved it, and the adults thought it was funny. So if you're ever in Tanzania and a bunch of kids aredoingthe macarena in the bush, you'll know why.

I've been having coffee at a small coffee stand an old man sets up each evening. There all the men gather for thier business "meeting" to drink coffee and tea. I've been learning Swahili there and they all have fun watching me make bizarre sentences with my limited vocabulary.

I went to a Massai church last sunday. The Masai are a tribe that histroically raise cattle and live exculisvely off dairy and meat. Now they have a more vaired diet thanks to limited grazing land. The sang songs along with an old radio, and the boys and girls did simple dances. The boys just jumped up and down in unision mostly and the girls swayed.I jumped up there too and got groovy!

Afterwards the pastor asked the small congreagation if any would like to show me thier homes. Many people volunteered, but I ended up going with the matriach of the village, a nice old lady. We walked about 15 min into the bush to her hut. The house are still built traditionally, of mud and sticks, but there is some bits of civilization around-tarps, rubber shoes, and empty bottles. A young boy also dragged me over to see his two cows. He was very excited to show me.

I tried some food, a mother invitedme into her home. It was ungali and melinde. Basically a flour dough ball and a slimy cheese and oil mixture.

I'm heading out to I need to get ready for tomorrow! Bye!

In Africa Mon

I arrived in Tanzania on Monday and Joseph picked me up from the airport with his friend Johnson. They came in a dusty 90's corolla turned taxi, and after failing to squeeze the donation suitcases into the trunk, the driver threw them in the front seat and we all sat in the back.

As we raced through the muggy Dar es Salaam air, motorbikes passed us on all sides. The driver passed vehicles in a shockingly coordinated traffic scheme that defied Western conceptions of traffic flow. We progressed into Kibaha and got drinks at the only bar in the market area, a huge thatched mechanism with food and pool tables.

I had a nice night listening to the bugs in Africa, shrouded in a nice mosquito net. The next day I hopped on to a very crowded bus with Joseph and went with him to his Internet cafe. I walked around town and learned some Tanzanian checkers.I am the only white person I know of in town, so most people noticed me.

Many were very friendly, introducing themselves in English if they knew.I'm starting to pick up Swahili, but I still cant hold a conversation in it.

The town is a maze of homemade shops more akin to a carnival set up then town by American standards. The streets are dirt,and dirt bike taxis race through from all directions. But the food is good, especially the fruit. Fresh mangoes and avocados. Yum!

I made a website for Josephs orphanage on wix and have been looking for grant opportunities, but haven't had much luck.

So far everyone has been friendly, and I've been introduced to the huge variety of sounds Africans make, squeaks, grunts and everything in between. A conversation can be very fun to watch as there is much laughing and slapping and grunting, even for mundane topics.

Tonight i will meet a volunteer from Australia that is coming in from Igamba.I will post pictures of the town another time!

Bedai!
'see you later'in Swahili