Arusha, Tanzania

It's hot here (70-85 degrees) in Arusha as we are just below the equator. It also rains quite a bit which surprisingly I like as it keeps the place cool and the dust away.



I'm living with a host family just outside the city limits and it is a sight to see. The paved road leads to a dirt road which even the 4x4 vehicles have a hard time negotiating. There are many street vendors that sell everything from vegetables, fruit, roasted meats, beer, and anything else you can think of. The open drains are filled with garbage and things too gross to describe. The unemployment rate is quite high here as well so there are always young and old milling around the streets doing nothing.

The home I live in is a cinder block building with sheets of tin for a roof. It's about 1000 sq ft with a courtyard in the middle taking up 1/2 the space. The building houses my host family of 5, their 8 tenants, and myself. Everyone is very nice and respectful of each others privacy which is good. I think the biggest complaint I have is the rooster that seems to be directly outside my window and wakes me up methodically around 4:30AM every morning. The call for prayer from the mosque at 5am isn't so bad as it usually dies out after 15 minutes or so.