I'm not going to cook it but I'll order it from...

8:30 AM, Zanzibar, Internet Cafe on computer with non-functioning space bar

Since I last posted (the space bar thing is going to drive me crazy) I've come to Zanzibar, a small island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. I spent a couple more days around Arusha. The first was spent with a friend of a friend of a friend. Kiware, an Arusha native, took me to a few local places. The idea was that he'd introduce me to a fewlocal projects in need of help (aka funding) and I'd take note of them and possibly help him to define a fundraising plan for the projects. First we visited a local hospital. It's amazing the difference between African hospitals and anything I've seen elsewhere in the world! It was dirty, small, old...the technology (with the exception of a few machines donated by the CDC through Bush's emergency plan) was ancient. They definitely need to expand. The infectious disease ward is in something akin to a barn...the HIV patients were sleeping in rooms with holes inthe walls and roofs, doors that don't close...very,very sad. The whole AIDS situation in this country is staggering. It was staggering stateside, but here, experiencing the culture firsthand -it's almost unfathomable. I also spent some time in the orphanage connected to the hospital. Turns out that mostchildren are orphanedhere not because their parents die, but because theirparents can't afford them. They keephaving child after child...and half of their children end up living in the streets or,ifthey're lucky, in anorphanage. If the child is HIV positive - many orphanages don't taken them...which means theylive alone, with not healthcare, in the streets.

After the hospital, wevisited Molala primary school,which is up in the mountains at the base of MT Meru. The school has 610 students. There are about80 to a classroom - whichis basically a concrete room with a tin roof thatdoesn'tentirely cover the room. The bathrooms are a shack with holes in the ground- no water to wash, no doors on the stalls...generally no hygeniene or privacy whatsoever. The school needs another room and clearly toilet facilities. I was taking pictures ofthe kids playing and suddenly there werea bout 400 kids crowding around me trying tosee themselves in my camera. Definitelysomething I won'tever forget!

Afterthat,Kiware opened his home to me as an honored guest. They presented me with kigare (notsurehow to spellthat) which is traditional fabric women use to make garments. There was also a feastset up - I was invitedfor tea, but was taken very seriously as the honored guest.

The day was exhausting, eye opening, and notsomething I'd like to repeat anytime soon...but I definitelylearned fromthe experience and have some workto do back home to tryto help the people thatwere so kind to mehere.

The next day,I went on a safari to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro crater. Running out of time - so to put it simply - I sawjustabout every animal one could hope to see in Africa: lions, wildebeasts, baboons, monkeys, hippos, rhinos, giraffes, zebras,etc etc etc. It was completely surreal. Ithink the monkeys and elephants were my favorite- but Ihave to admit, giraffe's are freakingcool, too. Really weirdwhen you actually think about an animalwitha neckthat long!

I'm now in Zanzibar, about ready to go diving. The spacebaris driving me bonkers so going tosign off - but needless to say,Zanzibar is amazing. Ithink I was meant tolive on an island. The weatheris beautiful, the beaches are beautiful - even the architecture is interesting. I'll be here until Saturday, when I flyto Joburg S Africa fora few days before coming home. Vacation's almostover!

Hope youallare well and have functioning spacebars,wherever you may be.

Cheers!
G