Blog from Reed & Paiton
Our week of student directed travel started early: at 5:00 AM as we boarded a public bus from Njombe to Songea. The purpose of student directed travel is to give students the opportunity to learn, on their own, travel without training wheels (Adam and Mary). We, the students, had to plan what we did, where we slept, how we got there, and how we managed our money for the week. Jada and Brent, our glorious leaders, led the charge as “Mufasas”.
Songea was a small, but lively city; the day was spent exploring, chatting with locals and reconnecting with our homecountry via the internet. Even though Songea wasn’t massive nor a city geared towards tourists, everyone found plenty of adventures and new experiences to embark upon. Reed and Rory boarded a large open bedded truck blaring an eclectic set of music and danced alongside their newfound friends as it drove around Songea advertising piki-pikis (motorcycles). Max purchased traditional Muslim garb and had the awesome experience of being shown how to pray at a Mosque. Everyone reconvened after getting dinner to discuss plans for the following days and our transport to our destination of Liuli on Lake Malawi. Mary gave us the idea of Luili based on her own experiences in the Peace Corps when she would relax there with her friend Ben who showed her this hidden gem.
We awoke the next morning, got breakfast and climbed aboard a private Dala Dala around 9 am. After winding up and down the lush mountains of Southern Tanzania for four hours, we took a snack break in Mbamba Bay, then continued to Liuli. Finally we arrived at a picturesque crescent beach and met our host Joseph.
Joseph was a Rasta type of dude, and Mary greeted him like a long lost brother. He showed us around the camp which was scattered with topical looking straw roofed huts. Everyone decompressed, swimming, slack-lining, and relaxing on the beach. While we soaked up every aspect of this paradise, Joseph prepared a scrumptious dinner for us. We were served chips, papaya fresh from the tree, and fish freshly caught from Lake Malawi. At dinner, we continued the tradition of expressing our gratitude (which we adopted at Ohana Amani). That night, after sitting around a fire with Joseph, some of us elected to sleep on the beach under the twinkling stars. The sound of the waves lulled us into a comatose-like slumber. The next morning we awoke to the sun’s rays against our faces. Some members of the group participated in a revitalizing session of morning yoga. After another delicious meal prepared by Joseph we took a boat out to a peninsula of massive boulders. Joseph jumped, ducked, and bounded across the boulders and led us to a cave where waves lapped and frothed around us. Then everyone leapt into the water and we passed snorkeling equipment around exploring the crystalline waters. Aiden, the fish, discovered an underwater passage way which many of us held our breath long enough to flutter through. Then we basked in the sun and devoured another of Joseph’s delectable meals, while scattered about the rocks.
In the subsequent days, we all embraced the, “pole, pole” (slowly, slowly) way of life. We played board games, embarked on little adventures in a dugout canoe recently carved by Joseph, and read our books in the plethora of cozy spots throughout Joseph’s camp. At one point, Paiton spotted a 20 pound, African boy soaring through the air. Intrigued, she departed from the communal hut to get a closer look. There she realized that it was Reed who was launching the child into the air. In fact, there were three children ecstatically relishing in their time with him. Many of us often ventured into the nearby village and embraced some time with locals.
When our time came to leave this surreal spot, we boarded a dala dala with mixed feelings: resistant to leave, but eager for the remainder of our itinerary. We arrived in Songea and Max brought Paiton and Reed to where he had bought his Muslim garb, so they could pray in a Mosque. It was interesting to experience how a simple change of clothes could transform the way so many people regarded you. Paiton (being required to cover every part of her body except her hands and eyes) gained a deeper understanding of the cultural differences between her own reality and that of Muslim women in East Africa. Paiton, Reed, and Max then proceeded to follow two men and a kind hearted lady into the Mosque. The mosque was separated into two separate quarters: one for men and one for women. Before praying, all of us had to engage in the ritual of cleansing our feet, hands, arms, face, and mouth. We then proceeded to pray touching our foreheads and hands to the ground.
The following day we had the treat of visiting Mary’s village that she served at in the Peace Corps. It was a small village a short drive outside of Songea. During Mary’s time in the Peace Corps the village became Mary’s home and its residents her family. It was heartwarming to see Mary embrace her Mama Belga and witness her return, “home”, for the first time since her service. Mary’s Mama welcomed us into her home and served us some hard boiled eggs and chai. We then toured the village visiting the school and local clinic. After a delicious picnic style lunch, we returned to Songea.
Directing our own travel was an interesting and enjoyable experience that at times was stressful, but in the end extremely rewarding. After the fact, I feel more prepared for traveling solo and navigating myself safely through a foreign country.
Signing off- Reed & Paiton!