Dar Es Sallam

So after four days of delay, we finally made it to Africa! Fr Edmund was there to meet us at the airport, all smiles and welcoming. Our first African task was to physically push down the back window on his ancient jeep and pass our bags through – not the first time I’ll bemoan my inability to travel light I fear...

The Jesuit community is on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, where the Chinese money and the paved roads have yet to reach. I was quite grateful for my Sri Lanka and Bolivia experiences or the journey to their house, with all the sights, sounds and smells of the developing world would have been rather a culture shock.

We spent our first day catching up on sleep and seeing some of the local area. Fr Edmund took us to meet some American Jesuit volunteers and en route Erin and I were accosted by the cutest little kids who were hugging our legs and telling us how beautiful we were – definite flattery given our red faces, frizzy hair and lack of sleep!

This morning Edmund took us down town to change money and get our bus tickets for Dodoma. Than after lunch we visited Gonzaga, the Jesuit primary school. It was the first day back after the holidays and the main attraction was the two swings and see-saws that had appeared over the break - the little ones especially were beside themselves with excitement over them. In one class when we were saying our names, they couldn’t get ‘Erin’ and called her ‘Heaven’ – she loved it! Then it was to Loyola High School – all I can say is that it was another world totally from my more recent experience of high school! It felt like school in Sri Lanka, except this one has really benefited from international aid and has good facilities.

So now we’re making the most of internet access which is right next door to our room here but I suspect will be much harder to come by in Dodoma...