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I can see Kilimanjaro!!!

In the end I was quite sad to leave Bagamoyo, although it's a little quiet for my taste, it was beautiful and laid back and relaxed! I think initially I was sad at leaving Livingstone and all my friends there so didn't give Bagamoyo as much of a chance as I should. I ended up with some good friends there too though!

Last week I went to watch a local reggae performer called Jhikoman at the college as a couple of my friends Segati and Matiga were playing with his band. That was really fun and everyone was up dancing in a style that I can only describe as a cross between Madness (the band), Bob Marley and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai. It was awesome and I shall be using this dance style when at home, so I apologise in advance for the embarrassment this may cause!!!

On my last day I took all my kids to the beach - kids who live at the home or live nearby. When I walked into Terri's to pick them up the kids all screamed my name and jumped down from the tree they were dangling from/climbing and ran over and all hugged me, it was so nice!!! We trotted off to the beach (me and 13 kids - I looked a bit like the Pied Piper or maybe the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe). It was such a hot day, the kids were so happy and splashing around in the water - it was really nice! The water was really warm too!!! Some of the kids peed in it which may have contributed to the temperature, but it was nice regardless!! Really going to miss all of the children.

We had no power or water for the last few days so we were living by candlelight, and washing in the sea - either way not ideal but it was quite fun!!!

On my last night I was sat out with some friends outside our house at the container (like an actual metal container that's a little shop and behind it is where we get our rice and beans and there's a few tables outside), we were listening to some music on a lap top and singing along. Anyway, some guy came over with a guitar and asked me to sing some blues, which I did, and now they want me to go back to the college to do some performing when I'm back in the area in August/September so I may be taking a quick trip back to Bagamoyo at some point which will be nice!!!

I arrived in Moshi yesterday after a very pleasant nine hour bus journey , you'll be glad to know. The bus was nice and was 2 by 2 seats, instead of the 2 by 3 seats like the Zambian buses!! There was even a toilet, which I didn't use but nice to have all the same. I was sat next to a nice Tanzanian lady and we shared some biscuits!! The scenery was beautiful as we were driving up. There's lots of mountains (well technically they look like mountains to me but they're probably not), if you can imagine it, it looks like an African version of the Lake District!!! Then you spot you spot Kili which makes all the others look like hills - it's HUGE!! Moshi seems like a cool place, reminds me a bit of Livingstone!!

The place I'm staying at is great, it's a b&b called Shira Place and it's lovely and clean and good breakfast!! It even had a HOT shower and I hadn't had a hot (or even lukewarm) shower in a month until the last couple of days so I am very happy!!!! Staying there with me is an American family who are volunteering at an orphanage! Last night I went out for dinner with the b&b owner, Michael, the mum, Kathleen and the son Danny which was a nice surprise as I was expecting to eat alone for 2 days!! Had myself a big fat lasagne, which was heaven - gotta feed myself up for the mountain!!!

Today I am pottering around Moshi, just taken some dresses I had made in Bagamoyo in for alterations. You can get some amazing batik material and kanga material here. Kanga is like a sarong the women wear, you can either wear it like a sarong or get it made into something! The dresses I got made are a bit plain for me so want them jazzing up a bit!! Next I'm off to hire any extra equipment I need. Then to the supermarket to buy chocolate and sweets - I need them for the climb, honest!!!

Just met my guide for the mountain, Samson. Not at all like you would imagine a Samson in the Biblical sense - really short and looks about 12! But I've been told he's one of the best and his grandfather (or great grandfather) was the first person to summit Kilimanjaro so I'm hopeful I'm in good hands!! I will be in a big group of... actually, there will just be me. But it's all good as I will have Samson, a cook and 2 porters all to myself. This way I can go completely at my own pace, helping my chances of getting to the top!!! There will be plenty of other people going on the same route and staying at the campsites too if I want to chat to other people!!!

Just debating taking my altitude sickness medicine as the side effects can be a bit annoying, they're a diuretic (but you will be pleased to know that I am over my phobia of African toilets and peeing outside so I'm all set) and they can also make you tingly and mask the symptoms of AMS so there's some debate over whether people should take them or not.

Ok, that's all for me for now!! I'll be heading up the mountain tomorrow!!! Next time I write, I will have hopefully, all being well, had my picture taken on the top of Africa's highest point for ActionAid.

My time in Bagamoyo is almost at an end! I am heading back to Dar es Salaam on Monday so I can get my bus up to Moshi on Tuesday.

Bagamoyo has definately grown on me a little more. The girls I've been living with are great! There have been 7 of us - Laura B, Laura S, Lauren, Vivian, Ali, Rachel and me. Going to miss them when I leave! Will also miss all the kids! Although I won't miss the minging house. Am hoping that my hotel in Moshi has a hot shower as I haven't had a hot shower for a month!!! We currently have no water at all as the pump broke yesterday! I have been bathing in the sea.

For the last few days I have been in Zanzibar. I went with my friend Skye and then we met another couple of friends there! The ferry ride there was amazing! We were sitting right at the front, glorious sunshine with our feet hanging over the edge! We spotted a couple of dolphins out in front, and then a few minutes later about 20 dolphins surfaced in front of us! I don't know how common it is but it was a spectacular sight! I wasn't quick enough with my camera, even though I had it perched ready from the previous sighting!!!

Zanzibar was good although a little rushed as I was rushing to get back for my meeting with Mwana Arafa. For our first night we stayed in Stone Town. Stone Town has such beautiful architecture and a real sense of history. You can imagine that it hasn't changed all that much in many years. The streets are narrow and cobbled and you can get very lost walking around them (which I did). You ever see the beginning of Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves? When him and Peter are trying to escape from Jerusalem? It looks like that (apart from all the shops, motorbikes, cars etc but it does when all closed down for the night).

For our second night we headed up to Nungwe and just chilled by the beach! We were meant to go on a boat trip to do some snorkelling but the weather was bad so we just hung around, played pool with some Masaai guys. There was this little Masaai girl who was about 4 who was hanging around too and she was adorable! She was clinging on to me all day - I wanted to bring her home!!! Stayed in Stone Town again on the third night, ready to catch the ferry back early in the morning!

So, the big visit to MwanaArafa. I was taken to her tiny village, near Bagamoyo, by the ActionAid staff. It was in the middle of nowhere! When I got there, Mwana Arafa, her mum and two of her sisters were waiting for me. The children greeted me with a curtsy and the word 'Shikamoo' (pronounced 'sheek-a-moh') which means 'Respectful greetings' and is said by a younger person to an older person. I replied 'Marahaba' which means 'thank you for your respectful greetings'. It was so cute! The children were really sweet and shy. I was shown to her school where ActionAid have just built and extra classroom so it was great to know that the money is going on some good projects. At the school the children sang a couple of songs for me and I taught them the Banana Song! I couldn't stop smiling, it was a wonderful experience! I'm going to write a letter for her in Swahili and get some of the photos developed before I leave so I can leave them with the ActionAid staff to deliver.

I am start climbing the Kilimanjaro on 16th July (next Thursday) and it will take me about 7 days up and down. All being well, I should reach the summit early on 21st July. The percentage of people who reach the summit is not that high so I am just keeping my fingers crossed that I will be one of the ones that does!!! I'm really excited!!

I'm coming to the end of my second week in Bagamoyo!

Life here is so relaxed, it's crazy! I took all my kids to the beach today, also took them on Monday! I ended up with 20 kids somehow - I think word spread, but luckily Laura was around and able to help me supervise!!! There was an abandoned, half-sunk boat just moored off the beach so the kids were climbing on it, jumping off - it kept them amused! The Banana Song is also a hit in Tanzania too. Thank goodness for the universal language of song!

I've started using some of the money you guys helped me raise! As you know, I gave a cheque for half the money to the Book Bus. I asked them to use it on supplies and books for the bus. But the other half, I am free to spend here as I like. So far, I have made an art corner in our house, so that when the kids come over they can be creative and I also take the stuff with me for my lessons. They don't often get the chance to be creative so they're really happy when they do!

I also bought some footballs for the local children and they were really happy too! I'm going to buy some medicine for a few of my kids as they have ringworm! There is a little boy called Juma who lives next door to us. He's a lovely little 10-year-old, really loves painting, drawing (and is very good at it) and playing football. He gets really badly beaten by his uncle and grandparents who he lives with so he spends a lot of time at our house hangoing out with us girls. I'm going to buy him some shoes with the money too as his are completely falling apart! I still have quite a bit of money left after that so am going to speak to Terri about how best to use it!

I'm going to meet Mwana Arafa next Friday, I'm very excited!!!! She lives about 22km north of here so I've not been to see her yet (just hoping it doesn't fall through). I'm hoping to leave here Saturday 10th July and make my way up to Moshi to get prepared for Kilimanjaro. I will need to go to Dar es Salaam first which takes about an hour and a half, then get the bus to Moshi so may stay the night in Dar as I heard the bus takes 11 hours!!

Bagamoyo, however nice is getting me down a little at times. We do sometimes get racist comments 'white people have bad souls' and 'mzungus don't belong here' etc, as well as 'charge them mzungu prices' etc. A couple of the girls are fluent in Kiswahili and people don't realise that they can understand them. It'a shame as it isn't really a touristy place so the only white people here are all teachers at the college or volunteers! So it kind of makes me feel sad that people think like that!

The other day my friend dropped a painting that she had done herself (she'd done a class with Rasti) and this guy picked it up and wanted money to give it back to her. So she offered him a little and he said it wasn't enough. So she said he could have the painting if he was going to be like that. I gave him a piece of my mind and he ended up just giving her the painting! I know that people are poor, but it's so disappointing. They thing we have endless amounts of money!

I'm actually also missing my tent! Despite the bad back I got on occasions, the tent was great as there were no bugs (except for the spider)! The other night, I hadn't tucked my mosquito net in and there on my bed were 2 cockroaches running around having a whale of a time - nice!!! We also have all these weird little creatures coming out of our shower drain!

I went to the opening of the new AIDS wing at the local hospital the other day. It was all in Swahili but it was really sad when this little boy who has AIDS came up to talk about his life. Terri, translated for us. The little boy started crying and half the audience were in tears! Two of the little boys I teach are ill, one with HIV and one with AIDS and it's really sad. I just want to hug them and tell them it will be alright even though I know it won't. But they are lucky that they have someone as good as Terri looking out for them as many children don't have that.

I am SOOOOO sick of rice and beans!!! I am actually starting to npot be able to eat rice and beans as it's making me feel nauseous. I am losing weight. We did make an odd meal the other night of boiled curried cabbage, jam and peanut butter sandwiches and olives. It wasn't that great but at least it wan't rice and beans!!

Went to watch Miss Tanzania the other night! It was pretty bad! Was meant to start at 8pm (when we got there) but actually didn't start til 11pm (African time). They were playing a few power ballads and we were singing along (best part of the evening) and we were drawing some strange looks - oddly enough from the woman sat next to us who had a tampon stuck up her nose!

Settled in to my new home in Tanzania now. Bagamoyo is an old fishing port and I think it used to be the capital. Now the capital is Dodoma (I thought it was Dar es Salaam but apparently not)! It's sooo much hotter here than in Livingstone. I'm volunteering at an orphanage called The Baobab Home, who run lots of different projects in the local area. I chose Bagamoyo to visit as I sponsor a little girl called Mwana Arafa through Action Aid and she lives nearby.

I'm finding the locals here look at you initially with a bit of a distrustful, harsh glare on first, but when you greet them in Swahili (and you literally greet everyone) they break out into big smiles and really appreciate the fact that you're trying! Sometimes I will here 'mzungu' shouted from somewhere (kids mainly) so I say back in Swahili 'Jina langu ni Helen', which means 'My name is Helen' and people are always surprised by that and laugh!

I'm sharing the house with two girls called Laura, Vivian, Rachel and Ali (the last two just arrived today). They're all 21 and 22 and American! They find me really funny when I say things like 'me mum' or 'butties' and I do have to repeat myself a lot as they don't understand the accent!! They're getting used to it though! I actually said yesterday 'does anyone want a soda?' and 'tomayto'. So American, but it helps them understand me. So far they're all nice and we're all getting on really well. There is another volunteer group here called Cross Cultural Solutions (African Impact Part 2 - they have a volunteer house with a cook and a maid - wimps! Actually I am ver jealous!) their house is nicknamed the Mzungu Prison as they're not allowed out after 10. Probably safer, but much less fun!

My volunteer duties have started now! In the mornings I do an arty class (I am going to mix between art and crafts, drama and music - it's all very informal). I go to one of the local schools (the kids are on break at the moment) and teach about 10 kids. Some are from the home, some aren't and they're all aged between 3 and 13. Justis who is the son of Terri who runs the home (she's an American married to a Tanzanian) comes to my class too. He is 4 and the cutest child I have ever seen in my life!!! He also translates when I'm having difficulty. The kids have taken really well to me, especially the younger ones who just want to sit on my knee or be close to me all the time. The kids call me Auntie, Sister, Helen, Alan (well that's what it sounds like sometimes) and if they forget sometimes mzungu but the other kids usually shout 'no Helen, Helen'. At the end of class today the kids showed me some drumming (using pencil and their hands on upside down paint pots) and dancing, then we played on the swings! I've promised them a football for tommorow so I'll be off to the market soon! We're going to play football and netball so that will be good fun.

I have been going for a run down the beach at around 7am each morning! I say run, but really I mean fast walk with a bit of running in between! However it is better than nothing, it's my Kilimanjaro training. I'm enjoying going for swims at around 5pm too as the Indian Ocean is calling me!!! It's so warm and nice - like a warm kiddie pool without the wee! The pace here is so slow and I am trying to adjust to it - even slower than Zambia! The town is beautiful and the beach is gorgeous. Each day fisherman are down at the beach selling their catch! Most people are Muslim place so we dress appropriately as to not cause offense (keep knees covered except for on the beach).

My meals every day consist of a banana or chapati for breakfast. No lunch. Rice and beans or rice plantain for dinner. Drinks are water, chai or Coca Cola and Fanta which can be found in great supply here. We don't have a fridge and our kitchen is revolting so we tend to nip to the container next door to the house for food. Some of the local guys can be a bit of a pain and try to chat you up all the time. It's quite exhausting and boring as you end up having the same conversation all the time about nothing! There is even a Swahili name for these guys 'mamba' which means 'crocodile'. They're harmless but I don't think they realise that we know exactly what they're up to.

I went for dinner at my new friend Rasti's house the other night! He's a Rastafarian and Laura has been learning to paint (he's a local artist)with him and he invited us over! He showed us how to make coconut rice with beans and cabbage. We went to the local market first and bought all the ingredients. His 'house' is a room off a courtyard he shares with lots of other people. We cooked on the ground in the courtyard using a little gas stove, all sitting round to chat and cook together. The meal was delicious and made a (slight) change from just rice and beans.

It was Day of the African Child on my last day in Livingstone. All of the children were marching through the streets, dressed like majorettes and scouts etc, brass band blaring! Awesome!

I arrived in Lusaka at 15 hours (they work on a 24 hour clock only here so 2pm is 14 hrs etc - they don't use am and pm so you need to be careful ordering taxis) after a 7 and a half hour journey!

Grubby ran me to the bus station and Marjorie, Kelly and Kate came too, to see me off. I went to put my stuff on the bus and there was a preacher (like you see in the movies) going crazy at the front (apparently common before the buses depart)! So I ran off the bus as quick as I could as I thought I had just interupted a sermon! Anyway, after a tearful goodbye (and a rendition of the Banana Song - much to the amusement of the passing banana sellers) I got on the bus and took my seat. The preacher was still at it as we left Livingstone and I just when I thought I might go mental, the bus stopped at his church and he got off (phew)!

I introduced myself to the big, Mike Tyson-esque guy sitting next to me whose name was Elvis! We became good friends when I gave him the vanilla cake and juice they handed out to us (I like to be prepared so I had of course made my packed lunch in the morning - consisting of cheese butties and some orange juice). I was sat next to the window so was pretty much squished in for the entire journey - going between boiling and cold and blown to pieces depending on whether the window was open or closed. Elvis had a jumper on, I don't know how they do it here, everyone wears winter clothes and it's roasting!!! The TV on the bus was blasting out some weird Nigerian films (really really strange). Anyway, I didn't mind being squished and temperaturely (that a word?) challenged, I had my iPod (something quite cool about listening to Bob Marley as you whizz through the African countryside) and the view was amazing! Zambia is a beautiful country! There were kids flying makeshift kites, villages and scenery to keep me occupied. We almost had a run-in with a herd of cows on the road and the driver had to slam on his brakes! The buses go as fast as they would on an English motorway so it's pretty scary when lots of the road is not tarmac but dirt and there is no central reservation to keep you from the lorries going at the same speed as you the other way!

One thing to note about Zambia. You can be in the middle of nowhere and there is always somewhere to buy a mobile phone top up.

The second I stepped off the bus I was bombarded with 'Taxi Madame' and people trying to carry my bags for money. I had previously been warned about the aggresive touts so I just ploughed through everyone shouting 'No, no, no!!!!!' It seemed an effective tactic to make them back off! I was the only Mzungu on the bus so I was prime target! I was picked up by a taxi guy called Ben, whom Marjorie met when she was here so he came and found me and whisked me away.

When I first arrived at the hostel I was really nervous, and sat writing my journal by myself! But then I met some of the girls in my dorm and we got chatting! I made friends with a Swedish girl called Lisa who is an intern with the UN and a group of English guys who have driven from London and continuing down to Cape Town as part of a charity football project! Ended up having a few beers with them and agreed to sing at a Welsh music festival!

The next morning I got up early and made myself look presentable to go to the Tanzanian embassy to get my visa! Booked my bus to Kapiri Mposhi (pronounced emposhi and is about 2 hours north of Lusaka), and from there I'll catch the Tazara train to Tanzania. I only managed to book 2nd class as they'd run out of reservable 1st class but they said if I go early I may be able to upgrade! The difference is 4 beds or 6 beds to a carriage. They also don't count kids as passengers so I am hoping that I am not stuck in a carriage with a load of women and all their kids! I have ear plugs just in case!

I've picked up a habit of saying 'aswell' and 'is it' at the end of my sentences as they do over here!

I arrived in Dar es Salaam after a 64 hour train journey! Was a day later than expected. As we were so late, we went through the Selous Game Reserve at night so couldn't see anything - gutted!!! The train was a bit of an adventure to say the least! I left Lusaka early Friday morning for the 3 hour trip to Kapiri Mposhi. At the train station we waited about 5 hours and I met 2 Canadians, an American and 2 British people. The American guy and I ended up sharing a cabin as initially they wouldn't let me get on the train as they said that I couldn't go in 2nd class as I would be harrassed. I was stood almost in tears on the platform, when the American ran back and convinced the conducter to let the two of us share an empty first class cabin. A Scottish couple joined us after the first day.

The train was really old and rickety! Every so often the carriages all seemed to bash into eachother and it felt as though the train was going to derail - it was terrifying at night! Even when stationary we would lurch forward for no apparent reason! I didn't sleep much or shower for 3 days!!

I was lucky that I was able to get upgraded to first class, although there was nothing first class about this train. The beds were rock hard, the smell of warm, stale wee drifting down the corridoors and little cockroaches in your cabin. I can't really complain though! I didn't see 4th class but I can imagine it was pretty gruesome! Even worse when 400 scouts on their way home from a jamboree got on last night at one in the morning and all had to pile in to the already full train!

I did spend a lot of time alone though and I did get hassled a bit. There were quite a few drunk people on the train and they all wanted to speak to me. It was a little bit annoying at times, other times it was fun. It depended on the level of drunkness and how much they tried to grab me!

The food was interesting. On the first morning I ordered breakfast. The menu just had on it spaghetti and omelette so I ordered that. And that's what it was... plain spaghetti and plain omelette. An unusual breakfast combo but when in Rome...). They began to run out of food as the days went on and the choices got less and more random. I think next time I'll take a packed lunch!

At every stop (and there were many) there were children shouting 'm'zungu, give me money!' and people selling things (yes mobile top ups included). I jumped off the train a couple of times to chat to the kids and it was great waving to all the people as you go by on the train and seeing the villages! At every stop there were people everywhere, kids lying with their heads on the nearby train tacks, all hanging around waiting for the train which is obviously a highlight of the week! The landscape changed dramatically as we entered Tanzania. Where Zambia was flat and a golden green colour, Tanzania was really hilly and vivid green. When we were going round corners, through the hills, if I squinted, I could almost pretend I was on the Hogwarts express!!! It was really spectacular!! A crazy experience but one that I wouldn't change for the world and can't wait to do it again!