A coffee house full of people, sitting and drinking coffee to stay out of the afternoon downpour. In Kipare they are arguing and complaining about the delays in getting their World Food Aid. As well sits a man with thousands of shillings in his pockets. Listening to the tales not too worried about food aid or even sure his neighbors need it. Once the rain stops everyone starts to pay for their coffee, bringing the bickering outside where it continues for the 3 days until the next to free shows up. Inside the man with an average Mpare 2 month salary in his pocket attempts to pay and leave. Sparking a new argument. You cant pay 100 shillings ($ 0.10) for your coffee. Eventually compromises buying 2 more cups for another 100 shillings and drinking them alone listening to more issues over the expected and needed near free food.
A bus full of Tanzanians traveling to the big city. Quite and cramped. On climbs 3 whities forced to stand with other's legs and feet between them in a bus that is as tall as their shoulders. The whitie (mzungu) wearing the stars and bars starts pulls out an ipod, starts dancing and getting the bus to laugh and enjoy the ride. "Buffalo Soldier / Stollen from Africa..."
Six people, 5 older folks, 1 young twenty-something. The 5 have made a living of farming. One was even the head coffee planter (Bwana Shamba-literally Mr. Farmer) for the entire Ward (a region of over 15,000 people) when Coffee was still the cash crop. The youngster is attempting to learn how to plant a tree nursery, he is doing this by scheduling a lesson: "how to plant a tree nursery" He takes a jembe (very simple hoe), for about the 10th time in his life, that everyone else uses daily, and uses it to surpiresed congratulations. "He knows how to do it!" Then mixing soiling, adding water, drawing lines and planting seeds. "Okay now, lets plan the others. Ill let you plant these." The elders all plant easily with utmost care for a hopeful crop. Finishing with crongatulations for the town's new Bwana Shamba wa Miti (trees). "He really is a teacher, he can show us how to plant." -Hongera Bwana Miti
Our hero sits at a hoteli (restuarant) eating rice and little pieces of roasted meat -called roasti. The waitresses are very happy with his presence, and impressed that the Mzungu understands Kipare (the local language). They congratulate a little too much. He notices that there are many rooms out the back, only ladies working there, all overly friendly, happy and with a little bit of wealth in a town that is at best a truckstop. The hero wonders why his host brought him to this specific restarunt, and jumps to the assumption that it is a Brothel. Such a fine reward for an acklaimed treasure hunter. But we are here to eat, and prepare for our expedition. At best it is a sign of bontiful rewards if the treasure is reachable. After washing hands and leaving. The 3 mount their vehicle and zoom off into the Masaai Steppe. For a very crowded hour they continue zooming over ruts, around thorn trees and under the African Sun into the steppe. Finally the road runs out and the driver contiunes to further off road it, to stop in the middle of now-where. "Here we are" The proceed to the fabled rock. With the number ~H3/2004-87 mysteriously written upon it. "What does it mean?" and then pointing at the hole that took the other men weeks to unearth "Where is the treasure? We made it to those rocks that were built. But cant find any thing else." Pointing at Sedimentary stone that is several feet under the surface. The hero tries to explain that his fears seem to be true. But with a failing in the local dialect is unable to fully say: "Sedimentary rock is made. It is made by thousands of years of dust settling in one spot, but not by humans -specifically Germans hiding treasure. Furthermore you destroyed a geographical marker." Then he feels sorry for his companions and the brutal work of weeks breaking through stone under the african sun. "I don't think there is treasure here, but I don't know for sure. You said there was another spot?" Off they zoom again, to some unseeable hill, a small rise on the horizon. "Here there was a picture of a bird made out of rocks and put here by Germans. We destroyed it making this hole" Another several weeks of digging, but all in vain again. They dug where it was easy, and not were the rocks made a very poor concrete. But yet again the fabled treasure hunter is baffalled and sorry for weeks of work in vain. "I don't know but maybe if you try here again. Right under the spot of the bird." They accept that with pleasure, but no brothel worthy rewards today. Back in the vehicle they quickly stop. Flat. With the three pushing the vehicle, amazingly within a couple minutes they appear at the first settlement they have seen all day. About a half hour later some Masaai with a machete, glue and bike tire fix the flat. And back to town they ride.
Two dudes. Sitting out enjoying the day after Thanksgiving. Talking about the food that soon will ensue again -although with more anticipation due to the lack of an amazing feast on the day before. Enjoying the outside air, cool. Then they ready themselves for the moment. Soap up. And run down the slip and slide. Oh Black Friday, trampling running and bruising all in the name of Slip and Slide.
Six people, 5 older folks, 1 young twenty-something. The 5 have made a living of farming. One was even the head coffee planter (Bwana Shamba-literally Mr. Farmer) for the entire Ward (a region of over 15,000 people) when Coffee was still the cash crop. The youngster is attempting to learn how to plant a tree nursery, he is doing this by scheduling a lesson: "how to plant a tree nursery" He takes a jembe (very simple hoe), for about the 10th time in his life, that everyone else uses daily, and uses it to surpiresed congratulations. "He knows how to do it!" Then mixing soiling, adding water, drawing lines and planting seeds. "Okay now, lets plan the others. Ill let you plant these." The elders all plant easily with utmost care for a hopeful crop. Finishing with crongatulations for the town's new Bwana Shamba wa Miti (trees). "He really is a teacher, he can show us how to plant." -Hongera Bwana Miti
Our hero sits at a hoteli (restuarant) eating rice and little pieces of roasted meat -called roasti. The waitresses are very happy with his presence, and impressed that the Mzungu understands Kipare (the local language). They congratulate a little too much. He notices that there are many rooms out the back, only ladies working there, all overly friendly, happy and with a little bit of wealth in a town that is at best a truckstop. The hero wonders why his host brought him to this specific restarunt, and jumps to the assumption that it is a Brothel. Such a fine reward for an acklaimed treasure hunter. But we are here to eat, and prepare for our expedition. At best it is a sign of bontiful rewards if the treasure is reachable. After washing hands and leaving. The 3 mount their vehicle and zoom off into the Masaai Steppe. For a very crowded hour they continue zooming over ruts, around thorn trees and under the African Sun into the steppe. Finally the road runs out and the driver contiunes to further off road it, to stop in the middle of now-where. "Here we are" The proceed to the fabled rock. With the number ~H3/2004-87 mysteriously written upon it. "What does it mean?" and then pointing at the hole that took the other men weeks to unearth "Where is the treasure? We made it to those rocks that were built. But cant find any thing else." Pointing at Sedimentary stone that is several feet under the surface. The hero tries to explain that his fears seem to be true. But with a failing in the local dialect is unable to fully say: "Sedimentary rock is made. It is made by thousands of years of dust settling in one spot, but not by humans -specifically Germans hiding treasure. Furthermore you destroyed a geographical marker." Then he feels sorry for his companions and the brutal work of weeks breaking through stone under the african sun. "I don't think there is treasure here, but I don't know for sure. You said there was another spot?" Off they zoom again, to some unseeable hill, a small rise on the horizon. "Here there was a picture of a bird made out of rocks and put here by Germans. We destroyed it making this hole" Another several weeks of digging, but all in vain again. They dug where it was easy, and not were the rocks made a very poor concrete. But yet again the fabled treasure hunter is baffalled and sorry for weeks of work in vain. "I don't know but maybe if you try here again. Right under the spot of the bird." They accept that with pleasure, but no brothel worthy rewards today. Back in the vehicle they quickly stop. Flat. With the three pushing the vehicle, amazingly within a couple minutes they appear at the first settlement they have seen all day. About a half hour later some Masaai with a machete, glue and bike tire fix the flat. And back to town they ride.
Two dudes. Sitting out enjoying the day after Thanksgiving. Talking about the food that soon will ensue again -although with more anticipation due to the lack of an amazing feast on the day before. Enjoying the outside air, cool. Then they ready themselves for the moment. Soap up. And run down the slip and slide. Oh Black Friday, trampling running and bruising all in the name of Slip and Slide.
