Do Cows Snore?

There are two cows tied up just across the fence and in the night I have heard snoring. It is a deep sound and not unpleasant. Perhaps the old Christmas song should say "the cattle were snoring, the baby awakes . . . "

We walked down the road to Tengeru market on Saturday. It is an amazing and very busy place. There are many people selling wares outside the market area as you approach and hundreds more on the inside. The market is sectioned into different areas and we followed Joy as she weaved in and around the stalls, stands and people. Vendors cheerfully called to us to have a look at their stuff, Mzungu (white person)! There were tables full of plastic bowls, wash basins, pitchers and other kitchen items. Piles of towels, sheets and curtains at one table push against a pile of blankets at another table. 99.9% of these things are used. It isn't unusual to see tags on clothing from Value Village. Have you ever wondered what happens to things you donate? Bundles are sold to vendors who, in turn, sell them in the markets. Some things are in good shape and just need washing. Bargaining is necessary and expected.

The local produce is wonderful. Tomatoes, green beans, bananas, avocados, eggplant, peas, onions, leeks, garlic, mangoes, and more. If you buy too much to carry easily there are men are waiting to be hired to load your purchases onto a cart and follow you home.

Market day is a feast for the senses. It is colourful, pushy, and noisy. The smell of omelets and fried potatoes waft through the air. It is hot and sunny. Sparks flew as a man sharpened machetes on his bicycle-sharpener. He had rigged it up so that he sat backwards and peddled, causing the rear wheel to turn a sharpening stone. In a small shed a movie was playing at full volume to a sold-out crowd. The market continues until long after dark.

A gecko in our fridge

I can tell we are in Africa because there was a gecko in our fridge today. He must have been in there when I started it for the first time a few hours earlier. I had pulled out the crisper to put in some vegetables and there he was. He wasn't moving. Poor fellow. I carefully pulled him off the wall of the fridge with his cold little suction pad toes holding fast. He moved slightly and sluggishly but warmed up very quickly in my hand. I released him in the pantry area and fully expect him to be a good bug-catcher in gratitude.

Africa is a cacophony of sound. Our house is located on the southeast corner of the Pamoja property and is aptly called "The Corner House". The day sounds include chickens, the neighbour's two cows and his radio, trucks rattling along the road, people talking and laughing, children playing, another neighbour's radio on a different station, and the loud squawk of hornbills. Africans live life outside. It's lovely.

Night sounds are different. The people sounds decrease and nature tunes up. Dogs bark, insects chirps, fruit bats peep, bushbabies screech, and occasionally something falls off the trees and hits the tin roof. It's wonderful.

Farewell

I am lurking by my computer waiting for the first possible moment to check-in with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, hoping to get seats with maximum leg-room. Tomorrow we fly to Africa. We have gone from counting the months, then the days, to counting the hours. We leave Toronto at 5:45 pm and after a brief stopover in Amsterdam, land at Kilimanjaro airport 19 hours later.
All the planning and preparation is over. Everything has been crossed off the To Do list. The cats are happy in their foster home, the cars have been sold and the tenants moved into our house yesterday. We have been staying with Jeff's Mom for the past several days and really appreciate this time to relax.
Keep in touch everyone! Our email address is: jeffjan.mauch@gmail.com
Send letters to: P.O. Box 1966, Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa

17 Days til Take-Off

We have been busy organizing, packing, cleaning and visiting.

Remember that To-Do List from my last post? It grew longer, much longer.
I forgot to add things such as ~ eating up all the stuff in the freezer. Trust me, that takes some planning!

Other difficult questions include: Do you store all 3,000 hangers from various closets or just the nice white plastic ones? What do you do with all the 1/2 used items like motor oil, paint, and bird seed? (Answer: share with friends or take it to the dump.)

Although the To Do List seemed to grow in such a crazy way at first, it is now much shorter. Whew! We are getting there. It's a good thing too because we move everything into storage on May 8. We will spend the following six days sitting on borrowed lawn chairs and sleeping on air mattresses. Then we are off to Barrie for Victoria Day weekend to attend a wedding and spend time with family. May 18th we will take off for Africa!

Hmmmm, what should I make for supper? I have pea soup, clams, green chilies and chocolate sauce in the cupboard and fish, Italian sausages, raspberries and bagels in the freezer. Could be an interesting meal.