The other side of Arusha

Mambo Vipi Rafiki’s

My trip may be narrowing down but the new experiences and adventures continue. This past week I have been exposed to a new side of Arusha. We met a local mzungu (white person) named Lupo who introduced us to the whole community of local white people… as strange as that sounds it has been really cool. The first night we went to a restaurant where one of his friends was playing with a band. The whole place was a hidden paradise that, although seemed somewhat out of place in Arusha, was amazing. The music was fantastic and the company was interesting. The next night he invited us to an open mic night at his friend’s music school, there was once again awesome music and we met some great people with interesting stories. It has been crazy to be exposed to such a different side of Arusha especially after being here for so long, it has really shown me what life would be like if I were to live here for a longer period of time. There is quite a mix of interesting people that have gathered together from all corners of the world. I met one girl, Liza, who is 26, grew up in the United States and moved here when she was 22. She is a professional violinist who opened up ones of Arusha’s only music schools and teaches underprivileged children to play a variety of instruments. She goes back to the states each summer to tour for a couple of months and make money for herself and her school; it was amazing to see what she has done here, and neat to hear her story… I can almost guarantee that every local white person has a pretty interesting story about what brought them to live in Arusha, it takes a certain person to be able to pick up and move to Tanzania and it has been cool getting to meet some of them.

In other news… another new group of volunteers have arrived and are going through orientation, they of course seem great and look like they will fit in well. It is always fun to see a new group arrive and watch them adjust and fall in love with the city… it doesn’t take long to love this place. I have a mere 2 weeks left until I fly down to Cape Town and am trying to pack them as full as possible. This weekend we are heading back to Magi Moto hot springs, next weekend is Uganda, and I am trying to fill my afternoons with whatever I can.

Can't wait to catch up with everyone in person!
xoxo love from Arusha