Arrived Safely

Just a quick email to let you know that we arrived safely in Dar es Salaam on the 11th.
Having an absolutly amazing experience! Reminds me a lot of the South Pacific, although the people and animals are a little different. I think some of the Canadians are rightfully getting sick of hearing me say "in the South Pacific...." The food, people and environment in UVIKIUTA - where we are right now - is beautiful. We're leaving for a three-week work-camp in Lindi early tomorrow morning (until Jan. 2). We'll be working on building a school in the mornings and teaching children sports and English in the afternoons when it's hotter. Apparently there's a 99% Muslim population there, and I'[m looking forward to wearing one of those long white robes. The heat is often quite nice, although it's sometimes too much. Some of the Canadians are really suffering from it. Went to the beach and museum a couple of days ago. Showers are with buckets, we fetch our water, laundry is by hand, and toilets are squatts, but we're pretty well used to that by now. Usually wake up around 5 am to the sound of cocks crowing, dogs howling, secatas chirping, and Muslims being called to prayer from a local minaret, and we go to bed in the dormatories under our mosquito nets around 9:30 pm. I'm at an internet cafe now with Sean, Edith, Andrea, Suzan and Rahel. We transfered on a pair of cramed (by deffinition) daladalas. As Sarah says, "a glass of water can become full, but a daladala can't." Getting used to being called "mzungu" (white person), but Sally (who's Asian) is having a harder time with that. Internet is cheap here (1000 tsh an hour), when I can get to it. The place where we are is owned by a friend of Rahel's, so she re-impursed my time when my email wouldn't come up. Don't know how much I'll be able to email in Lindi. Anyways, lots happening, and when there isn't we stay entertained by watching the monkeys or playing with the little boys (Alpha and Ima). I'll try to get you an official Missive on schedule, but that depends on whether or not there's easy computer access in Lindi. My Kiswahili is really improoving. Love to hear from you!
Rafiki yako,

Bradley