Ruaha... Here we come!

I’ve taken the hike to Gangilonga (the flat lookout point that the famous Hehe leader, Chief Mkwawa did much of his soul searching) twice now, but I think that even if I do it a hundred times it will continue to give me a sense of exhilaration that I (again) cannot put into words. Soul searching is inevitable. The climb to the top requires you to wedge yourself up a crack in between two boulders in order to get the full view of Iringa town. It’s covered in local graffiti (which I usually dislike), but it strangely adds a bit of character. Maraji, who took me up there the first time, was telling story after stories about the names tagged on the big rock.
The second time that we trekked up to Gangilonga we barely made it back in time to catch our ride to Image Secondary School. Image is about 50km from Iringa but a two hour very bumpy drive. Image’s village has no electric or modern amenities, but it has more character than you could believe. Surrounded by mountain, it is almost completely self-sufficient on its own farming. It get’s its water supply from a distant mountain and produces large amounts of sunflowers. We were greeted with a warm welcome much like Lugalo. Students performed skits, martial arts, gymnastics, and sang songs. We danced! Before we took a tour of the beautiful school, we had a delicious meal and had wonderful conversation with the faculty.
Image has about 50-60 students per class. They have a computer lab that runs off of solar power thanks to Global Outreach. The students are boarded there and have assigned duties that keep this “school in the bush” tidy. It was a phenomenal day. Jan, Jim, Shaina, Sunita, and I were elated with joy. We all agreed that one reason that Stan may have sent us out visit the school was to understand that people can do with what they have. We spend too much time and money on “things” that others happily go without. “Make due with what you have and never take what you have for granted” was the lesson for the day. When we left we stopped in the village to talk to the children. I got to play a little football (yes… I’m talking about soccer) and we handed out some of the sugar cane that was given to us.
The next day, we woke up and drove to an archaeological dig, called Isimila. Thousands upon thousands of tools can be found near the dry river beds. The tools date back an estimated 60 to 100 thousand years ago. Stone Age slingshots, axes, and other tools can also be found. The area resembles that of Colorado with its sandstone columns that tower the bygone river. That night we all went to Maraji’s house for the best and most filling meal I’ve had yet. He has a wonderful family! It seems as if each day here proves itself to be better than the last.
We will be doing most of our souvenir shopping today before we head out for the weekly Saturday volleyball and tea picnic at a nearby farm. Tomorrow we head out to the great Ruaha National Park. This will probably be my last blog until I return. So take care rafikis, and take a look at the good things all around you. They’re a lot more precious than you think…