Day 216- Errands and the Maasai Market
Monday, February 4th, 2019.
Today we met our next Airbnb host at the Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is up the street. Her name is Helen and she got us a good deal on a safari. She arrived in a fancy new safari truck [Gregory's note: these are customized Toyota LandCruisers, with 6 raised rear seats on either side of an aisle and a pop-top roof] and asked us if we would like to use it, instead of the safari company's. Gregory and I happily agreed -- I was expecting an old Jeep. They drove us to the company's office where they explained to us the itinerary. We are visiting 3 safari parks and spending 4 days and 3 nights. Everything looks great, except for the fact that we are camping in the open in the Serengeti.
Gregory showed me some reviews about how close you the animals come to the tents and of course, I'm freaking out. I prayed last night that we don't get sick or bitten by any animal. We paid with a credit card, miraculously it worked, but wehad to pay a deposit in cash. They drove us to an ATM in the big safari truck. Everyone was staring at us. The first place we stopped, the ATM wasn't working so we went to another bank where we were able to get cash. We went back, paid and check the equipment for the big day. Afterwards, they dropped us at the Maasai Market which was highly recommended by one of our friends in Oregon.
The market wasn't that big but it had many little shops full of handicrafts and art, [some of it] handmade from the Maasais. Their work is very well done, the details were fine and I loved everything they had. Everyone wanted us to come in and see their store. They were saying, "Please madame, please sister, come in and see, it is free to look."
We spent about an hour and we couldn't make any decisions because we were so hungry. We did buy a piece of art and a bought a cross but we told them that we wanted to eat first. We went outside and found a little local restaurant. When we walked in, every single face in the room looked at us because we were the only wazungu (white) in the place. The restaurant was full so I asked a lady if we could share the table with them, which was normal. We looked at their dishes and I pointed at what I wanted but it seemed that no one spoke English. The lady who we were sharing the table with got up and ordered for us -- a dish of rice, beans, spinach, and salad.
The food came in a big silver tray, it seemed like a lot but Gregory and I finished almost all. Gregory told me that it was polite to leave some food as a sign that we had had enough. The guy who sold us the painting came in and sat with us, so we treated him! They charged us a little more but that's OK, we are used to being charged more for being the outsiders. [Gregory's note: there are 3 price ranges here: local, rafiki (friend), and tourist. I know we're never going to get local prices, but at least we can get rafiki prices and not pay full fare.]
After eating, we went back into the market and looked some more. We bought a wooden dish and a small dish with zebras for my collection. We were done at that point, mostly because everyone wanted us to visit their shops and kept trying to sell us things. [Gregory's note: it was mentally exhausting, everyone was so kind yet so insistent. And it's heartbreaking to say no -- the place is almost empty, so you know that each sale really makes a difference to the vendors.] We got out and took a tuk-tuk back home. Gregory thought about taking a dala dala which is the public minivan that packs people like sardines, but I suggested the tuk-tuk. Of course, a taxi would have been better but the tuk tuk was much cheaper...
The tuk-tuk ride wasn't so bad in the city but when we got to our bumpy road, it was pretty bad. I almost suggested we walk. The driver passed our home because we told him we were going to the lodge. We got out and walked a little bit back home. We stopped first to say hello to a teacher/shopkeeper Gregory had met. He was so nice and kept inviting us to sit down.
We came home and I took a nap. The kids tried to make a banana milkshake and caused an explosion all over the kitchen. Luckily, I was asleep and they had to "clean" everything themselves. Gregory took them to see another store and the Ilboru Lodge. In the store across from the lodge, they met an Irish guy who lives in Tanzania. They came home and Gregory got ready to go to his Rotary meeting at the Kibo Palace Hotel. He came home at 10:00pm with a big smile and said that it had been a great meeting. Bummer that all the service projects that we could have helped with were happening the days that we will be on the safari or just after we leave.
For pictures please click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Eo4YcKjFiGMavZQK7
Today we met our next Airbnb host at the Arusha Coffee Lodge, which is up the street. Her name is Helen and she got us a good deal on a safari. She arrived in a fancy new safari truck [Gregory's note: these are customized Toyota LandCruisers, with 6 raised rear seats on either side of an aisle and a pop-top roof] and asked us if we would like to use it, instead of the safari company's. Gregory and I happily agreed -- I was expecting an old Jeep. They drove us to the company's office where they explained to us the itinerary. We are visiting 3 safari parks and spending 4 days and 3 nights. Everything looks great, except for the fact that we are camping in the open in the Serengeti.
Gregory showed me some reviews about how close you the animals come to the tents and of course, I'm freaking out. I prayed last night that we don't get sick or bitten by any animal. We paid with a credit card, miraculously it worked, but wehad to pay a deposit in cash. They drove us to an ATM in the big safari truck. Everyone was staring at us. The first place we stopped, the ATM wasn't working so we went to another bank where we were able to get cash. We went back, paid and check the equipment for the big day. Afterwards, they dropped us at the Maasai Market which was highly recommended by one of our friends in Oregon.
The market wasn't that big but it had many little shops full of handicrafts and art, [some of it] handmade from the Maasais. Their work is very well done, the details were fine and I loved everything they had. Everyone wanted us to come in and see their store. They were saying, "Please madame, please sister, come in and see, it is free to look."
We spent about an hour and we couldn't make any decisions because we were so hungry. We did buy a piece of art and a bought a cross but we told them that we wanted to eat first. We went outside and found a little local restaurant. When we walked in, every single face in the room looked at us because we were the only wazungu (white) in the place. The restaurant was full so I asked a lady if we could share the table with them, which was normal. We looked at their dishes and I pointed at what I wanted but it seemed that no one spoke English. The lady who we were sharing the table with got up and ordered for us -- a dish of rice, beans, spinach, and salad.
The food came in a big silver tray, it seemed like a lot but Gregory and I finished almost all. Gregory told me that it was polite to leave some food as a sign that we had had enough. The guy who sold us the painting came in and sat with us, so we treated him! They charged us a little more but that's OK, we are used to being charged more for being the outsiders. [Gregory's note: there are 3 price ranges here: local, rafiki (friend), and tourist. I know we're never going to get local prices, but at least we can get rafiki prices and not pay full fare.]
After eating, we went back into the market and looked some more. We bought a wooden dish and a small dish with zebras for my collection. We were done at that point, mostly because everyone wanted us to visit their shops and kept trying to sell us things. [Gregory's note: it was mentally exhausting, everyone was so kind yet so insistent. And it's heartbreaking to say no -- the place is almost empty, so you know that each sale really makes a difference to the vendors.] We got out and took a tuk-tuk back home. Gregory thought about taking a dala dala which is the public minivan that packs people like sardines, but I suggested the tuk-tuk. Of course, a taxi would have been better but the tuk tuk was much cheaper...
The tuk-tuk ride wasn't so bad in the city but when we got to our bumpy road, it was pretty bad. I almost suggested we walk. The driver passed our home because we told him we were going to the lodge. We got out and walked a little bit back home. We stopped first to say hello to a teacher/shopkeeper Gregory had met. He was so nice and kept inviting us to sit down.
We came home and I took a nap. The kids tried to make a banana milkshake and caused an explosion all over the kitchen. Luckily, I was asleep and they had to "clean" everything themselves. Gregory took them to see another store and the Ilboru Lodge. In the store across from the lodge, they met an Irish guy who lives in Tanzania. They came home and Gregory got ready to go to his Rotary meeting at the Kibo Palace Hotel. He came home at 10:00pm with a big smile and said that it had been a great meeting. Bummer that all the service projects that we could have helped with were happening the days that we will be on the safari or just after we leave.
For pictures please click here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Eo4YcKjFiGMavZQK7
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