Arusha (The Second Test)...

One constant on our Tanzanian adventure was the early wake up call. Unless you intentionally have nothing scheduled, the day starts early. Morning game drives, for example, typically leave at or before dawn, as the early twilight is when the animals are most active. Since dawn is always around 6 am, this usually means a 5 am wakeup. The same was true for our first active day after arrival. The plan was to first head into Arusha to buy some baskets for the vehicle (easy to carry and keeps things like cameras and binoculars from bouncing around), visit an ATM to pick up some shillings to use for souvenirs, and take a quick look around the main marketplace. Once we were done with that, we would head down to Oliver's Camp in Tarangire National Park. This would only cover about 100 miles, but about a third would be on dirt roads, and we were planning to "game drive" once in the park. This would mean lots of slow going and stops, so we needed to make an early start to ensure we could be in camp by sundown.

The drive into Arusha was uneventful. It was early in the day, so the most common sights were groups of children in their uniforms headed to school and women heading out to work in the fields. As we pulled into the outskirts of Arusha, however, the density of people and cars increased rapidly, and the smell of smoke permeated the air despite the light rain that was falling.

If you haven't been to Africa, it may be hard to understand the conditions. The city is crowded. People are living in close conditions with few basic services. Trash collection seems almost nonexistent, and fires to burn trash are common (thus the smell of smoke). Many buildings are in disrepair, and side streets often appear almost slum-like.

I'm not sure this is the side of Arusha that the Tanzanian powers-that-be want visitors to see. It certainly does not indicate modernity and prosperity. On the other hand, these are the conditions in which many, if not most, of the city dwellers live. I don't say this to be critical but rather with a heavy heart. Our experience with the Tanzanian people was wonderful. They were uniformly warm, generous, and welcoming. To see the conditions in which so many of them live is heartbreaking.

The last stop on our list before we left was a quick walk through the central market. I have to say that the variety of foods available was remarkable. At the same time, conditions in the market were, by first world standards, terrible. Dirt floors, no refrigeration or ice for perishables, flies and other insects. It was a real education for us, particularly me, in how much of the African population lives.

That was our brief exposure to Arusha. The emotional impact of seeing the extent of poverty in the city felt like a crushing weight which the rain and grayness of the day only served to amplify. This was Africa's second test for us; could we understand that we, in our simple existence in Seattle, lived lives of wealth and privilege as far above these people as Bill Gates and Paul Allen live above us? And. understanding that, would we show them the same kindness and respect they give to us?

We passed this test, but the memory of those hours in Arusha will stay with me forever.