Moshi Town

Moshi is the city that we are next to. Homebase consists of two neighboring houses surrounded by a large hedge. The house that I am in s the central house and has the main hang out area and the kitchen in it. This is about a twenty minute walk from the middle of town. Most of the roads are not paved and the mud is slick and full of potholes that can be 2 feet deep. Almost all the citizens here do not have cars but take public transportation, called daladalas to and around town. The rule is that a daladala can not be full. We have seen people hanging off of them, people with the torsos out the window and more than 30 people stuffed in a van meant for 13. This is all quite usual.

The town has about a four block radius that is paved. The bus station is in the middle and there are two round-a-bouts on the outskirts. One is a clock tower and one has a giant statue of a soldier in the middle with a large sign that says "Water is Life" on it. The town is always packed with people. Citizens walk together according to age and sex, it is extremely rare to see women and men walking together. There are many people who have different businesses scattered around, usually in the form of kiosks and blankets on the street. There are a few different buildings that have several shops inside but all sell a limited selection of supplies. The town spreads out from this central part. For the most part, I feel very safe in Moshi. There are a few people who want to sell you crap but most are very friendly and want to help as best they can. It is hard to describe the organized chaos here. I hope to have pictures up soon. I will write more about Moshi as I observe and experience more. I am so happy that I chose to be in the same area for a significant amount of time. I am becoming less and less of a Mzungu (the slang word for foreigner) each day. Yesterday, while at the pool at a local hotel, I discovered how easy it is for tourists to come here and not experience any of the culture or the town. I am so excited to continue to learn more about this city and its people.