Back to the Roots

Yesterday, I went on a day trip to Moshi and Marangu falls with the safari group for the last time before James and Lorna leave. (Rahim, Alkarim, James, Lorna, and Rahim's cousin Hussein and his girlfriend whose name I can't spell...) Zuby wasn't able to make. But we picked up a friend we had met on the safari, Ruby, in Moshi. 

So anyway, Rahim had said he was going to pick me up at 1 on Monday...at around 1 he texted me saying he would be there in 20 minutes. When he sent that text, I told my cousin Sabrina "it'll be an hour before he actually shows up." And sure enough after an hour he texts me again saying he would be there in 10 minutes. But that time, he actually did show up in 10 minutes haha. 

So off we go, to my actual Fathaland! On the way there, we tried to see mount Kili but it was covered in clouds. Here is the only picture I could get. 

I'm not even sure if that captured all of Kili...

So after about an hour and a half we arrive in Moshi. I asked Rahim to stop by the old Ismali compound on Agakhan street. Ma and Bapa- We weren't sure which house was number 13 and we tried to ask around but it didn't turn out so well. I took pictures of the entire compound though, just to be sure. Hopefully this was the right place!

If our counting was right, that light one should be number 13. 

That's the whole compound! I hope it's the right one! And if it is, it was cool to see where my father grew up and where my family was originally from. The town of Moshi is probably completely different from what it used to be. It was not as small as I thought. 

We didn't stay very long in Moshi because we had to get to the falls and then drop James at the airport, so we didn't have much time. We picked up Ruby and headed off to the falls. 

As we reached Marangu, Rahim started trying to clarify where we were going. Some guy on a piki piki approached us and offered to take us to the falls, so we agree. 

He takes us all along this dusty road and then there is this sign for some falls that start with a "k". (I can't remember what there were called.) As we are going down this road, we all start getting a bit sketched out. There is no area to park and it doesn't seem as though anyone comes to this side. Also, Rahim was saying he didn't remember this place (because he had been to the falls we were going to before). 

Then Rahim calls over the guy who offered to lead us and chews him out. The guy played dumb. And then decided he would lead us to the right falls after we had been driving for 30 minutes. 

At this point, we realize we won't have much time to swim at the falls because it was already 5 something and we had to drop James off around 7:30. 

So after another 30 minutes of driving we finally make it to the falls!

That's a statue at the top. 

And those are the falls. It was so beautiful. There were evergreen trees and both Ruby and I were saying it looked just like Canada. 

We all took pictures together as well, but I have to get them from Rahim. I'll post them as soon as I get them! 

There were a lot of close calls with almost falling in the water, but it was fun! 

So then, we had to bust outta there and get James to the airport. We were actually on schedule so we are driving and driving. We drop Ruby back off in Moshi and James, Rahim and I head towards the airport. Alkarim, Lorna, Hussein and his girlfriend are ahead of us. 

At one point, Rahim is trying to pass and misjudges so he has to get back into the lane. James, jokingly, says "don't do anything stupid right before my flight home" and I kid you not, 10 minutes later James says "I think we have a flat tire..." We pull over to check and sure enough. The back left tire is completely out. 

Dad- you had always said this was going to happen and it finally did. I was totally prepared to change the tire, but of course. They wouldn't let me because I'm a girl. Hehe. Also, it was dangerous for me to be there. 

But we make James do some of the work. And it was only an hour and a half before his flight would leave. 

There he is trying to change the tire. 

So we call Alkarim and they come back to pick up James and I, while Hussein and Rahim stay behind to change the tire. 

We made it in time for the airport though! And James is hopefully back in the UK by now. 

Also, Rahim and Hussein changed that tire pretty fast and met us at the airport about 20 minutes after we dropped off James. 

Then we all headed back home. It was a very eventful trip. And I definitely could have changed that tire! 

Also, I forgot to mention...on Sunday Sabrina and I attempted to bake a cake with this, if I do say so myself, wierd recipe from BBC. This is how it turned out...

Yummy...haha. 

And I found cultural diffusion in Lipton tea!! Look at this!

Can't get that back home! But I can't find root beer here, so maybe it is evened out. 

Also, here is Poochie. 

Such a cutie!