Our new home – MONDULI – A photographic essay.

There is a beautiful walk down the hill to the main town from the volunteer house we are currently staying in- beautiful unless it is raining or has done in the last 12 hours or so that is. After rain it is a quagmire but that’s why we have gumboots! This place is known as Pastor Justin’s House or Pole Pole Palace depending on how much local savvy you have.

We are sharing with 

Sara and 

 Ellie.

 At the lower level the track down is jacaranda lined and I can hardly wait until that avenue is in bloom in October or so!

 Further up there are coffee bushes with both blossom and berries in the current season.

 As we reach the tarmac we see the first of the “town houses” and this one immediately caught our attention and we dubbed it the “garden villa” for obvious reasons.

Every school day we walk to Tumaini’s Store and sit on the bench out the front to wait for the Land Rover to arrive and pick us up for the run to school.

Usually it is covered in mud and often there are tales of it having to be push started as our volunteer colleagues tumble out of the interior to buy a few snacks, before we all cram in for the ride to school.

Just as short walk down the road (as opposed to along the main drag),

there is the regular market the location of which is not to be confused with the Thursday or Sunday markets.

 They are both nearby but both have separate zones and all are definitely afternoon not morning events!

We pass a proliferation of bars, barbers, general stores, kanga traders, stationery and printing outlets and grain shops as we head out of town towards Orkeeswa. We are gradually becoming more familiar with their wares and have found a few that we like to frequent at this early stage.

 Often on the track coming up or down or waiting outside the T-shop meeting point, we see Nuru, the motorcycle taxi (boda boda) driver who is incredibly friendly and very enterprising it would seem, considering the number of trips we always see him doing.

As we get to the outskirts of town the view opens up to this kind of vista

 but once we leave the tarmac the journey to school is a feast of bomas,

 and candelabra trees.

With a bit of luck and a fair wind soon we will be moving to this residence, locally referred to as the Doll’s House for obvious reasons! The walk will be slightly different, when we don’t set off in the ‘Landy’ or pushing it that is, and we will no longer have housemates, but the town and its growing familiarity will remain the same. 

oNe PhOtO a DaY fOr MaRcH

The prompts for the month!

1. L IS FOR …… legs using the public transport today at the Rundle Mall stop at peak hour in Adelaide.

2. I MADE THIS: spicy lotus root salad today.

3 KEY : My keys to the house we own and the possessions we have in storage in our hometown where we rarely are but were today.

4 LUCKY: a few of the lucky letters/ charms /symbols I wear because I believe they bring me luck.

5 UNDER: a London Plane tree in Adelaide Botanical Gardens

6 CHAIR: the dentist’s chair always induces fear and loathing.

7 FEAR: We are currently living in fear that this huge pile of luggage is going to exceed our allowance when we fly on Sunday.

8 FAVOURITE: My favourite place in my hometown and my favourite market in the world- Adelaide Central Market.

9 FACELESS SELF PORTRAIT: at WOMADelaide and preparing to go!

10 I WANT : We so want to see this mountain of luggage when the journey we started today ends in Africa.

11 IMORTANT: - It is important to me to lead the life I want to lead and be the change I want to see in the world. (photo not taken today but in LA in Jan 2013)

12 IN THE DISTANCE: Africa is still in the distance for us. As we look at the view from our hotel room in Bangkok today we find it hard to believe that tomorrow we will be in Tanzania.

13 SOUND: sitting in Nairobi Airport, I heard the sounds of so many different languages, few of which I could identify.

14 TASTY: Our first tasty trip to the wonderful Monduli Thursday Market this morning.

15 EXPLORE: After being caught in the monsoon rains on my first exploration of the route between school and home.

16 9 O’CLOCK: The scene on the local bus to Arusha at 9 o’clock.

17 GREEN: One of the exquisite green kanga patterns from the market today.

18 SHOES: standard Maasai footwear- made from motorcycle tyres of course.

19 A SIGN: on the kitchen wall of Orkeeswa Secondary School and one of the first things I noticed when we arrived there exactly a week ago. Inspirational!

20 CLEAN: the things we currently use to keep clean with bucket baths.

21 WORKING: in the kitchen at Orkeeswa Secondary School

22 ABOUT YOU: My birthday March 22^nd celebrated in our new school in Tanzania.

23 WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN: Visit the markets and try to interact with the locals.

24 UP: The slaughtered and butchered goats all standing up being roasted Maasai style around an open fire at The Orkeeswa staff farewell celebration for Seth and Lisa.

25 IN YOUR DRAWER: the text books, my iPad with the answer sheet and the things I need to mark my exams in a drawer at school.

26 SOMETHING YOU DID: drew up the seating plans for my classes so I can learn all their names faster.

27 PAIR: Beans and corn grown locally as a paired crop

28 IN THE MIRROR: reflected in the mirror finish of an unfinished house in the town of Monduli- no mirrors to speak of at home!

29 GOODNIGHT: “ Goodnight Michael” The night watchman who sits outside our front door every night providing us with security and safety – but from what I am not quite sure.

30 RELAX: Time to relax with a couple of Killis!

31 STUFF: just some of the stuff we regularly see being carried on heads.


Seeing the photos all together like this has made me realise what a huge change has occurred in or lives in the last month. Finally some photos of Tanzania have made it out due to the improved Internet available in the big smoke of Arusha.  


Please feel free to comment on favourites or impressions!