I just recently realized I missed being able to just take off and drive by myself, where I want to go, take as long as I would like, and just spend time "viztin". I move around Babati with a great deal of independence, but not out to villages, to and from Arusha and places between. The primary reason is because of the road conditions, even the best of vehicles are known to break down in the most inconvenient of places.
So you can imagine the excitement when I was given the opportunity to drive the 120 miles from Arusha to Babati on my own. Ed was going to be about an hour behind me in another car. We both had our cell phones with good reception the entire route. We decided I would visit one of the OMEGA projects about 60 miles out and 7 miles off the pavement. By the time I finished business there, Ed would be close and we would travel the remaining 60 miles of dirt road together.
I had a wonderful time talking with the folks at Mswakini Juu and headed out as planned. However, when I got to the pavement, discovered that Ed was delayed and was further behind me that we thought. Loving the feeling of "independence", I struck out on my own and continued on toward Babati.
Upon reaching Magugu (about 20 miles from Babati), I stopped to call Ed and check in. The car died and wouldn't start. Waited a while and it still wouldn't start. I gave 2 Tanzanian boys the equivalent of $2 to give me a push and I would try the old trick of starting in 2nd gear and popping the clutch. He took my 2,000 (t-shillings), gave me a quick push, and told me in Kiswahili there was a problem with the car and ran off. Feeling the rush of independence slipping away, I called Ed and found he was a mere 45 minutes away. Getting out of the car, I heard a "sssssssss" sound and found that the tire which had been repaired twice in the last two days was going flat. My next call to Ed was, "Just so you know, the tire will be flat by the time you get here." I waited on the main street of Magugu.
We spent the next 2 hours getting re-started and having the tire repaired "again".
I am truly a "kisasa" (modern) woman and I love my independence in Tanzania, as long as Ed is about 45 minutes behind me.So you can imagine the excitement when I was given the opportunity to drive the 120 miles from Arusha to Babati on my own. Ed was going to be about an hour behind me in another car. We both had our cell phones with good reception the entire route. We decided I would visit one of the OMEGA projects about 60 miles out and 7 miles off the pavement. By the time I finished business there, Ed would be close and we would travel the remaining 60 miles of dirt road together.
I had a wonderful time talking with the folks at Mswakini Juu and headed out as planned. However, when I got to the pavement, discovered that Ed was delayed and was further behind me that we thought. Loving the feeling of "independence", I struck out on my own and continued on toward Babati.
Upon reaching Magugu (about 20 miles from Babati), I stopped to call Ed and check in. The car died and wouldn't start. Waited a while and it still wouldn't start. I gave 2 Tanzanian boys the equivalent of $2 to give me a push and I would try the old trick of starting in 2nd gear and popping the clutch. He took my 2,000 (t-shillings), gave me a quick push, and told me in Kiswahili there was a problem with the car and ran off. Feeling the rush of independence slipping away, I called Ed and found he was a mere 45 minutes away. Getting out of the car, I heard a "sssssssss" sound and found that the tire which had been repaired twice in the last two days was going flat. My next call to Ed was, "Just so you know, the tire will be flat by the time you get here." I waited on the main street of Magugu.
We spent the next 2 hours getting re-started and having the tire repaired "again".
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