Tanzania
In 1994-95 I spent a year living in the Bush on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Since that time I have often recommended that if you are offered the opportunity to visit East Africa, don’t think – just go. The reason is you will always find perfectly reasonable and rational reasons not to go, and talking yourself out of such a trip is a mistake.
Tanzania – and Kenya to a much lesser degree – is one of the true treasures of the world. In a country the size of France you will find hospitality that rivals that of the American South, a land teeming with truly wild animals of all sizes and shapes, and birds so beautiful that it almost hurts your eyes to see them.
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries on Earth and overcoming Western Guilt is a challenge, but doing so frees you to experience one of the sweetest and most vibrant cultures on the planet.
I mention this because The Wife was just presented with an opportunity to go back to Tanzania for 2 weeks this autumn, and even though I have serious, rational concerns (the trip will cost $3000 and where that money will come from I have no idea) I immediately offered my support for the trip. She will be visiting a rural clinic and one of the country’s largest hospitals, and Tanzania is one of the reasons why she went to med school.
It has been 10 years since I was there, and I have spent much of that time holding back my feelings and memories about that place since most people don’t want to hear my stories. Consequently it’s hard to feel the rush I once felt whenever I thought about Tanzania, but deep down it’s still there.
Na taka kuenda Tanzaniani. Na penda Watanzania .
