Without any specific program or tasks to define our time or activities, we may have finally slipped into simply living life in Arusha instead of constantly experiencing new and unusual experiences. Still, I am always aware of how much I love what we have here: appointments, which almost never occur as planned; an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables; roads which are exciting challenges even to Land Rover-type vehicles; street vendors everywhere with wares from wristwatches to deep fried fish and everything plastic manufactured in China; lovely, lush garden spaces, where one can dine, read, and relax; people of every hue, continent, and life experience; friends who share deep bonds of love for Africa and life here; and, of course, my favorite breakfast of Weetabix and little finger banana slices. There are certainly many more special things which don’t come to mind right now. However, just the constant bustle of people on the streets, the colors and smells of the markets, and the amazing entrepreneurship of people give a zest to daily life here that I don’t experience back in Spokane.
Today, we decided to return to one of places we visit each time we are in Arusha, The Blue Heron. This particular restaurant has an enormous garden dining area, where one can relax while enjoying good food, free wifi, and pressed coffee. It also has a gift shop with very elegant and expensive clothing and other fabric and leather items for sale. (One is not allowed to take photos of these wares.) John was set on ordering the tapas for two meal, so I agreed to that if I could also add a small salad and pressed coffee. Once we had eaten, we sat in the shade and enjoyed the breeze while we read until after 4:00 p.m. It was delightful.
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| John in the garden |
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| Tapas for two |
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| Treating myself to pressed coffee |
Ray came and picked me up, but John decided he would walk back to Kundayo and buy some onions, avocados, and bananas at his favorite market. Because of traffic, I got back only a minute or two before John showed up. Everyone in our area of Arusha knows the mzee mzungu (old white guy) who walks everywhere.
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