The plane and therefore the family is in Tanzania. Our flight was simple and straight-forward. No surprises in Qatar and the flight provided no tales or trials.
We stepped into Kilimanjaro airport and filled out our immigration forms. Immigrations was no different than any other country as we waited our turn and then stepped officially onto Tanzanian soil. Customs did not provide a “nothing to declare” line, and everyone was sent into the “declaration” line. We were asked no questions but asked to place our bags on an X-ray scanner. No problems there and we were in.
Next, finding cash. Tanzanian schillings exchange with US dollars at roughly 3000:1. So I traded my $200 US for close to 550,000 TZ. Nothing like a wad of cash to make you feel like a king. We looked briefly for a phone card SIM stand, but nothing appeared available at JRO airport.
Now, with a deep breath we walked outside and there was our driver holding a card simply stating “Robin.” A few queries to confirm we were the Robin he was looking for (“A New Hope, 1978) and we were off to Moshi.
We stopped at the Kilimanjaro Star supermarket on the way into town and bought dinner (pasta, red sauce, bread) and breakfast (cereal, milk) and lunch (peanut butter, nutella) and vitals (beer and wine). No obvious SIM card, but I had the AT&T international plan so no worries.
We approached KCMC – Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center. Our driver discussed various footpaths that we could take to the hospital and a smaller supermarket from our home. I must confess that these directions went in one ear and out the other without any obvious markings of a pathway. We will figure it out tomorrow.
Our driver is married to my contact in the hospital. She will not be at work again until Monday. He does not think I should report to the hospital until Monday (it’s Friday). We pass through some guarded gates, get our keys, and are taken to our house.
We pay the driver $60 US for the drive (it’s at least 40 minutes to the airport) and he departs after confirming the keys work.
Unfortunately as he drives away, we realize there are no lights…
No lights, no power. We find the main panel in a garage, but unfortunately missed the wasp’s nest on the door. I am promptly stung on the head and provided with Benadryl and worried looks, but hakuna matata!
Still without power, we walk to the guard house. He is very polite but speaks poor English. In the meantime I am trying to reach our driver or host – but no answer. My AT&T international plan shows a strong signal but the phone states no internet which renders WhatsApp useless. It’s Friday at 5:15 PM. We start to have visions of a electricity free weekend.
The guard – and a local friend he meets on the way – walk us back to the house. On the path, my hospital contact’s husband calls and states that they will make a call for us for power. We walk into the house and the guard flips the switch… LIGHTS ON.
Now, as an aside, I have remodeled rooms, fished wires through wall, and reworked outlets into many rooms. However, when the local hits the switch and the lights come on, there is absolutely nothing you can say to not appear the village idiot. They explained several times that the lights are on a switch, and demonstrated how the switches work. I was happy to thank them for their knowledge and help… we had POWER, LODGING, and FOOD!
Group unpacking and cooking followed. Pasta and red sauce has never tasted so sweet. We have a list for tomorrow’s shopping – if we can find the paths previously mentioned. Perhaps a local SIM card for the phone is in order too! Kudos to KCMC and HVO – we are in our new home and comfortable.