Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friends in Christ,
I had my alarm set for 5:40am so I could ready and waiting for Charles when he arrived at 6:00am. I didn’t need it. Russ woke up at around 4:30am and couldn’t sleep so he read for a while. I awoke as well, but went back to sleep. About an hour later I woke up again and saw it was about time to get up. There was no sense trying to go back to sleep. I got up and went down to the lobby from our second story room to wait for Charles in the lobby. All the lights were still off, but people soon began to appear. A young woman materialized at the front desk, and a light flickered on back in the dining room. A young man began hosing leaves off the front side walk while an older man carried chairs and tables out front to get them set up for the days activities. Ah, the beginning of another day at the Southern Blue!
Charles arrived just a few minutes later and arranged to have me taken to the bus terminal to get our tickets to Arusha. I stopped to exchange some money, and then headed to the bus station. Two men greeted us as we pulled up, and were all too eager to help. I told them that I wanted three ticket to Arusha and asked about the price. They told me they were 18,000 shillings and I told them that was much more than last year and I wouldn’t pay that much. “I’ll find another bus to take me” I told them. Then one of them said he would give me a deal. “How much?” I asked. “1,200” he responded. After some quick calculations (1,200 Kenya Shillings would be equal to about $16.50) I told them I’d take them. (After reflecting on this on my way back to the hotel I came to the conclusion that I had misunderstood him the first time, and he probably said 1,800 shillings, and not 18,000 shillings! I had bargained down the price and bartered a better ticket price quite by accident!) It was a good deal, but the bus left at 8:00am and Russ and Larry didn’t know we were leaving that soon. We had to hurry to get packed up, eat breakfast and get back to the bus station for boarding at 7:30am.
Friends in Christ,
I had my alarm set for 5:40am so I could ready and waiting for Charles when he arrived at 6:00am. I didn’t need it. Russ woke up at around 4:30am and couldn’t sleep so he read for a while. I awoke as well, but went back to sleep. About an hour later I woke up again and saw it was about time to get up. There was no sense trying to go back to sleep. I got up and went down to the lobby from our second story room to wait for Charles in the lobby. All the lights were still off, but people soon began to appear. A young woman materialized at the front desk, and a light flickered on back in the dining room. A young man began hosing leaves off the front side walk while an older man carried chairs and tables out front to get them set up for the days activities. Ah, the beginning of another day at the Southern Blue!
Charles arrived just a few minutes later and arranged to have me taken to the bus terminal to get our tickets to Arusha. I stopped to exchange some money, and then headed to the bus station. Two men greeted us as we pulled up, and were all too eager to help. I told them that I wanted three ticket to Arusha and asked about the price. They told me they were 18,000 shillings and I told them that was much more than last year and I wouldn’t pay that much. “I’ll find another bus to take me” I told them. Then one of them said he would give me a deal. “How much?” I asked. “1,200” he responded. After some quick calculations (1,200 Kenya Shillings would be equal to about $16.50) I told them I’d take them. (After reflecting on this on my way back to the hotel I came to the conclusion that I had misunderstood him the first time, and he probably said 1,800 shillings, and not 18,000 shillings! I had bargained down the price and bartered a better ticket price quite by accident!) It was a good deal, but the bus left at 8:00am and Russ and Larry didn’t know we were leaving that soon. We had to hurry to get packed up, eat breakfast and get back to the bus station for boarding at 7:30am.
Everything went smoothly, and we left right on time. It was a 7 hour ride to Arusha. We rode south across the wastelands of southern Kenya, crossed the border into Tanzania, and passed even more desolate land there. It was very dry, and reminded us of what things must have been like in Midwestern states during the dust bowls era in the 1930's. You would have to see it to believe it. As we neared Arusha, which sits at the foot of Mt. Meru, things began to change. It rained (we drove through the rushing water that was the result of a short, strong burst of rain which must of passed just before we got there) and the landscape turned from brown to green. It is amazing to see what a difference the mountain makes in the climate of an area!
We were the last to get off the 30 passenger bus, and they dropped us off right at the Eland Hotel. We checked in to a “triple” which was really double with three beds. (I walked into our room and told the man that this was a double not a triple and he responded “I get you another bed.” He then proceeded to take the chairs, table and TV out of our room and replace it with a third bed. It was tight quarters, but it worked!
We unpacked and prepared to go out to get some money exchanged and get something to eat. As we were walking out the front door of the hotel, Pastor Malyi arrived to meet us! We visited with him for about half an hour and Pastor Jeremiah arrived as well. We caught up on how things have been going in the Arusha and Moshi districts here in Tanzania, and went over the schedule for the week.
After settling up with the hotel and discussing the cost of the conference here on Tuesday, we sat down to finally get something to eat. It was about 7:30pm and we hadn’t had anything to eat for 12 hours - since we had breakfast in Nairobi. We were all hungry! Both Russ and Larry abandoned their African food staple of chips for something more hearty on this night (usually they both order a plate of potato wedges). Russ ordered pepper steak, Larry ordered the fish fillet, and I ordered Spaghetti bolognaise. Each meal was very good, and cost about $5.
After supper we retired to our room. The Eland is a bit more expensive than other places we have stayed because of the Arusha area, but Pastor Jeremiah and Malyi both insists that we stay here for safety reasons (they are concerned that we might get robbed if we stay somewhere else). It isn’t our favorite place to stay, but we usually don’t stay here very long. This year we will stay in the Eland a total of five nights. We are looking forward to going to Moshi area tomorrow where we will be staying in one of our favorite and least expensive lodging places in East Africa. More about that tomorrow...
In His service,
Nathanael Mayhew
Jesus said to His disciples: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
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