Day 5

 I’m a retired scientist/engineer, traveling with my wife Cindy on this trip. The journey to Tanzania was long and tiring, but also fascinating. Our flight took us over Switzerland and parts of Italy, then down along the eastern edge of the Adriatic. The views of the mountains from above were spectacular. We crossed the Mediterranean and entered Egypt just west of Cairo. If not for the heavy cloud cover, we might have glimpsed the pyramids — but c’est la vie.

Our accommodations in Moshi were excellent, and visiting the hospital there was truly interesting. Getting to and from the hospital in a Bajaji reminded me what traffic in the developing world can be like—chaotic but somehow functional. I certainly wouldn’t want to drive here myself, and I have great appreciation for our skillful drivers who somehow got us everywhere safely and without a single scrape. Their precision and patience were impressive. Next stop: Dar es Salaam for an overnight stay.

From Dar, we took the high-speed train—“high-speed” meaning around 75 mph, though capable of 160—to Morogoro, where our next adventure began. The main east–west road across Tanzania is a two-lane highway, thick with truck traffic hauling freight inland from Dar. It was remarkably smooth for the first couple of hours, but as we reached the mountains, things changed. Traffic slowed, and the passing maneuvers—so frequent and daring—became downright hair-raising. Picture narrow, winding mountain roads, torrential rain, vehicles following within ten feet of each other, and constant passing through it all—it was a ride Disney couldn’t dream up!

After what became a very long day, including a two-hour traffic jam, we finally arrived in Ilula. We were greeted with warmth, a delicious meal, and a comfortable place to stay for the next two weeks. 

Today we attended a 2 hour church service all in swahili so we understood almost nothing, but the music was fatastic!

I’m looking forward to visiting the orphanage tomorrow and finding ways to help out—perhaps doing some teaching and learning alongside the kids.

Bob Wilke