Family Visit

The Family Visitors from L to R: John, Maureen, Me. Mom, Luis

Right after my Kilimanjaro climb, I was fortunate enough to have my family visit from the U.S.!  After 8 months of being away from your close friends and family, it’s great to have the ones you love come to visit and also have an opportunity to show them the great culture of Tanzania, my home and schools and give them a view of what my life is like living and teaching here.

After decompressing for a couple of days following my trip up Kilimanjaro, I traveled to Zanzibar where I met up with my mom, her fiancée Luis, my aunt Maureen, and her friend John O’Connell.  They had just finished a Safari through the Serengheti and we were going to spend a few days together in Zanzibar, so they would see the all of the best that Tanzania had to offer!  We stayed at a really nice hotel in the heart of Stone Town called The Chavda House Hotel, which had a great Zanzibar atmosphere in addition to a convenient location.  Being in Zanzibar with my family this time was great, since I was already familiar with the island after traveling there a couple of times previously.  This trip, however, even I still got to be a tourist for a few days and experience some of the sights that I hadn’t seen in my previous trips. 

Relaxing in Zanzibar

Besides exploring all of the great culture of Stone Town, we also took a day trip to experience a Spice Tour excursion, which was a lot of fun.  Zanzibar is known for its extensive cultivation of various spices, so taking a tour of one of the spice farms is a common tourist activity.  The tour included a guide walking us through a spice farm, and along the way stopping at many plants and trees where spices, fruits and vegetables common to Zanzibar grow.  It was quite the sensory experience as we got to taste and smell all of the exotic spices and fruits that are grown throughout Zanzibar. 

On the Spice Tour

Our Spice Tour Guide

Following the spice tour we traveled to Jozani Forest, which is known for its population of Colobus monkeys.  That was a fun experience because as we walked through the forest, you could get pretty close to some of the monkeys and there were times when we were completely surrounded a multitude of Colobuses. 

Other than being a tour guide/tourist in Zanzibar for a few days, it was a lot of fun to relax with my family and catch up with everything happening at home.  We even got to celebrate my mom’s birthday, which was great to be a part of while being away from home.

Birthday Celebration in Zanzibar!

When our trip in Zanzibar was finished, we all traveled to Morogoro, where I could show my family my schools, home and my temporary hometown.  It was a chance for them to see what my daily life was like, and an opportunity for them to experience the “real Tanzania.”  When we arrived at Dar es Salaam after taking the ferry from Zanzibar, my family was already a bit overwhelmed by the chaos of the city and the people of Dar.  It can be a bit chaotic for foreigners, so luckily I was there to help navigate my family though the craziness.  We were picked up at the ferry by a driver and took the beautiful drive to Morogoro, which was lush and green since we’re in the midst of the rainy season.  Once we were in Morogoro, I was able to show my family the main town and some of my frequented “hotspots.”  

The next day we drove up to Mzumbe, where my family got to see both of my schools and my house.  I have spoken to them at length about my house and what my schools are like, but it’s one of those things where you have to actually see it to get a true sense of what it’s like here.  It was fun to see their reactions to what my surroundings are like, and give them an idea of how different things are here.  They even got to meet some of my neighbors, colleagues and one of my school’s headmaster! 

Touring Mongola Secondary School

The following day my family got packed up and were driven to Dar es Salaam for the long trip back to the States.

Having my family come to visit was great because no matter how close you may get to people here, it’s not the same as having family nearby.  It was sad to see my family go but since I only have a handful of weeks left, it felt like a good boost of motivation because I have getting back to my friends and family to look forward to.  I was proud to share with them all of the culture I’ve been fortunate to experience and become accustomed to and also to show them how far I’ve come as a teacher and resident of Tanzania.  As I said, it’s easy to talk about what this experience is like, but you can never truly understand it unless you get to see it for yourself.  I’m glad that part of the memories that I will have when I leave Tanzania will include sharing it firsthand with the people and the family that I am closest to.