Scholarships For Bell's Palsey

One week holiday

After a short but in my opinion, a well-earned holiday has me in the everyday Lugala again. Long I had been looking forward to Claudia's visit, then almost three weeks with her gone by. Until the last day of their departure from Germany, we did not even know if they would actually come. With our operations here in Lugala we were of course very limited, had to turn out cycling through the bush villages and our planned hike through the rain forest Udzungwa Mountains. But was important above all that we could spend time together. Also, I was here anyway even a duty, as quarterly statements had to be done und wenn wir in Lugala anwesend sind, sind wir sowieso immer im Dienst - vor allem Peter, der auch schon mal nachts aus dem Bett gerufen wird, weil das Hospitalauto mit leerem Tank abgestellt wurde, man aber dringend einen Patienten holen muss. So hat Claudia eine ganze Menge Hospitalalltag erlebt.

Mit Charles als stolzem Chauffeur waren wir auf Spazierfahrt am Furua. Allein hätten wir uns in dem weitverzweigten Wegenetz durch die – jetzt trockene – Sumpfebene wohl hoffnungslos verirrt. Es ist ein idyllischer Platz und Charles meint, abends kämen Elefanten zum Fluss.

mit Charles am Furua

Our onward journey began a bit adventurous. Peter took us to Ifakara and wanted to go to our train ride the next morning along with a money courier and much-needed return to Lugala tires. Elisabeth Rotzetter, director of solid Armed offices in Ifakara was still usable tires, our "skinheads" to replace the time being. An unusually long line of cars at the Kilombero made us suspicious, soon after, the certainty - the ferry is broken. When she would again be operational, no one knew was repaired for some time. The fishermen took advantage of course, the opportunity and put the people against a multiple of the ferries with their canoes over.

is all about in the dugout at the Kilombero

not, there are crocodiles and hippos, but where was the excitement that day probably too large. We have seen in any event no. We ended up staying no choice but to cross the river as well, we wanted to plan the TAZARA (Tanzania-Zambia-Railway) in the morning drive to Dar Es Salaam. The train runs twice a week, you will be taken only with space reserved tickets. For a place in one of four 1st class carriages in the style of DR 80's and quite worn, should be the ticket buy at least 14 days in advance, you do not want to sweat in the crowded second class seats between humans, chickens, rice sacks and other oversized bags and bundles.
was quickly agreed with Elisabeth, money man and tires are brought to the shore, on set with Peter dugout and goes back with two / m. The idea that Peter runs into the darkness with his precious cargo through the wilderness after Lugala was scarier than me at the end but very quiet river crossing in the dugout.
Claudia and I had at the Ifakara page for a while on the solid-armed car waiting, was finally the weekend, drivers money man and not prepared for this use. Meanwhile, the ferry was actually going again and Peter was able to queue jumping and clever reference to his patient to be transported from the hospital Lugala with the second crossing to the other bank's to come. to the dugout on crutches with a set Mzungu could, of course, remind everyone.

on the delay of the TAZARA the next morning we were set, sometimes there are sometimes 20 hours. This constitutes nothing to anyone, because if we here in Africa and not much else has the time all have. Nevertheless, we were of course on time at the station, denn verlässliche Informationen gibt es nicht. Auf teilweise landschaftlich sehr schönen Strecken geht es recht gemächlich in 9 Stunden nach Dar. Allein der Abschnitt durch den Selous Nationalpark lohnt diese Fahrt, denn hier erlebt man sozusagen eine „Safari for free“.

Auf Sansibar gab es dann Erholung, wie man sich das auf einer exotischen Insel vorstellt: Sonne, Strand, Indischer Ozean, entspannte Menschen, reife Früchte im Überfluss, gutes Essen, für mich guten Wein – Claudia blieb bei ihrer Brause- ein bisschen faulenzen und lesen, auf Sansibar natürlich ein Bummel durch Gewürzplantagen und durch die verwinkelten Gassen der Stone town.

cloves just before the harvest

After a week climbed Claudia her plane to Berlin and me went there by ferry to `s mainland to Dar, the taxi bus and back into the bush. Peter picked me up half way and already waiting eagerly - see last post.