Yesterday we knew we were in Africa!  We were pleased in the morning to find that the water was back on having stopped running before I'd had a chance to shower the evening before.  I had slept with my feet over the edge of the bed to keep the sheets clean!  I had a shower and we went down to breakfast - pawpaw, dry bread and jam, over-sweetened mixed juice and instant coffee.  Steve, Mark and Abraham went off with our extra luggage to the bus station - it will be sent overland to Bukoba and (we hope & pray) will be there when we arrive on Saturday.  I did the washing of underwear while the big stuff went to the laundry downstairs to be washed and ironed at Ts1000 for each piece (about AUD80c).

Michelle and I went out for morning tea at about 10 am so we would have something in our stomachs before heading off to the training college for pikipiki training.  We went to the little cafe near the hotel.  After all the greetings we asked for chai (tea) and a rock bun for me and a donut for Michelle.  The waiter brought the food and two mugs of hot milk and two sachets of instant coffee!  I explained that, no, we didn't want milk, we wanted hot water and chai thank you.  He took the milk and coffee away ( the milk went back into the thermos flask!) and came back with two tea cups full of hot water and the sachets of instant coffee.  No, I said, chai please! He dashed off to the shop next door and came back with a saucer full of chopped tea leaves.  He put two teaspoonfuls in each of our cups and stirred well!  He put sugar in Michelle's but I said no sugar for me thank you.  It was a very nice cup of tea!  My rock bun was very nice, Michelle's donut not quite so.

At 11 am, loaded up with helmets and jackets, we boarded the daladala to go to the Vocational Education Training College where we will do the pikipiki training.  We had come back from there via pikipiki on Monday having organised when we'd do it, so knew when to get off.  Knowing when and being able to, are two completely different things!  The bus was so crowded by then we had to pass our helmets over head and squeeeeze through.  It was a relief to be off!

We'd had our first lesson on the Monday - all the theory on motorbike maintenance and road safety (lions and elephants are among the hazards!) and also how to do a pre-ride check and then do a kick start.
We arrived at VETA at 12 noon, very early for our second lesson.

We had a picnic lunch on the lawn - fresh donuts from the bakery, mandarines and water.  We chatted to some panel beating students, two of whom were from Bukoba.  The chat was in a mixture of KiSwahili and english.  They also taught us greetings in KiHaya.  At 1 pm, the appointed time, we went to wait outside the instructor's office.  His assistant, who speaks no english, found us some chairs, indicated "Mwalimu" (teacher) was out and about and waited with us.  We tried conversation with limited success.  We tried to ask the teacher's name and thought maybe it was Peter Charman. Others came and went also looking for the teacher - we chatted with them too.  I drew a map to show where Australia is relative to Tanzania and where in Australia we live.

Our teacher appeared at 2.30 pm.  He was with a group of visiting Germans.  He had been told by the college principal that he had to show them around as the person who was to do it was away.  He was very apologetic.  He asked us to chat to the visitors.  I said "Auf weidersen" to them very politely realising only much later that I had wished them "Goodbye" instead of "Hello".  They all politely shook hands.  I talked to a Tanzanian women who was in the group who has a son working for Telstra in Melbourne!  She asked for my e-mail address.  The teacher gave me one of his business cards so I could write it down.  Now we knew his name was Pastor Chami!  He soon went off with the group but was back before 3 pm so we could start our second lesson.

This time we had all our gear - we'd come unprepared on the Monday thinking we'd only be doing the organising of when for the lessons.  The bike was wheeled to a relatively quiet alley and we spent the next hour, sweltering in our gear, riding up and down the alley.  We have been promised more of the same today!

I sent Steve a text at 4.30 to say we were on our way back to the hotel, he said not to hurry as there was no water or electricity so nothing to come back for!  We caught the correct daladala and were squeezed on by the conductors - luckily we had been able to leave the bike gear safely locked at the college!  It took a long time to get back to the hotel as we'd left at rush hour. (Why is it called rush hour when you can only move at a snail's pace?)  The conductors were very chatty so we practised our KiSwahili for the hour it took to return to our hotel at Msasani.  Back at the hotel the power was on but the water was still off.  The big washing was washed but not ironed.  I drank a 1/2 litre of bottled to water to replace what I'd sweated off and after a short rest we headed off for dinner.  Our first restaurant of choice Arca wa Noe (Noah's Ark) was unaccountably closed but Shooter's Bar next door was open, had a reasonably priced menu and cold beer, and was very welcoming.

After a lovely meal we returned to the hotel to find the water back on so after a shower (in the dark as the bathroom has a large window, no curtains and a great view of the bistro next door!) I was ready for bed.

The most important qualities for a volunteer to survive in Africa are patience, flexibility and a sense of humour!  I think you will read many more stories on this blog where all three are needed!

More soon, Jenny

Me, Pastor Chami and Michelle with my bike