How to summarize the past week and a half?
On Tuesday, our group did a ‘coffee tour’. We visited a local coffee farmer who had us pick, peel, dry, roast and grind coffee beans grown right in his backyard. The whole process was fascinating and the coffee was absolutely wonderful. I got a little carsick on the ride back down, though. It’s not so much that the roads are unpaved – it’s that they’re not really roads. That night, Katie taught me how to play casino.
On Wednesday we drove over to Arusha, only to learn that the Rwanda Criminal Tribunal Court (which we had come to see) would be in recess until mid-August. While in Arusha we went to a Masai market, a bookstore and a restaurant called McMoody’s, where we ate hamburgers and drank milkshakes. It was a pretty good day, all things considered.
On Thursday night, we went over to The Watering Hole, a local bar and restaurant run by expats and catering almost exclusively to foreigners. They show movies every Thursday night, just 3000 Tsh for admission and a free drink. We ate dinner there – quesadillas, ooh la la – and watched Waltz with Bashir, an excellent but unbelievably heavy movie. On Friday night we went back to The Watering Hole for one last group excursion, where they were showing the Live Aid concert from 1985. It was kind of strange to be in Africa watching The Beach Boys, Elton John, and Freddy Mercury singing to raise money for Africa.
On Saturday, a few of us went to Arusha National Park for a ‘walking safari’, which is a bit of a misnomer, as it involved absolutely no walking. But I’m not complaining – we saw giraffes, zebras, warthogs, hippos, water buffalo, birds and monkeys. When we got back, there was a new group of volunteers at the home base, and by Sunday night, all but five of our group had gone home. I miss them all so much, but I know I’m going to be even more of a wreck when it’s my turn to leave in just a few days.
Ten boys were brought to Juvi last night, bringing the grand total to thirty-three kids (thirty boys, three girls). It’s overwhelming to say the least, especially for the new Juvi volunteer who started today. I know she’s feeling nervous but I know she’ll be great and the boys will absolutely love her. I told them today that I would be going to America on Saturday. They just stared and didn’t say a word, and I felt like the world’s worst human being. I love these kids. I love this place. I have so much more I want to tell you, but the words aren’t adequate. Not yet.
