Back home safely

Susan picked me up at the airport at 3pm, It had been 36 hours since I left the hotel in Dar and I hadn't managed to sleep on the flights although I watched lots of movies.
It was great to see the family and get that they are all safe and well.
Thanks to everyone who supported me on the trip and followed my blog. I had a team in Tanzania and a team in Canada supporting me and couldn't have done it without them.

Last Day in Dar es Salaam

I promised myself that when I returned to Dar, I would comeback to Coco Beach to sit and relax with a beer. In the City it was 33 degrees; but the slight breeze at the beach was perfect.

Fresh Fruit

I went for a walk in the back streets behind the Peacock hotel and the markets were alive with traders, crafts people, and artists. I love the jumble of fresh fruit for sale everywhere.

Security

Tanzania is a non-violent nation and Mbeya is a very safe town; but the banks still have there own security guards. On my daily walk, I often pass these two sitting on the corner of Karume Avenue and Lupa Way. They are always friendly and actually add to my feeling of safety.

Utengule Coffee Lodge

The District manager at SIDO, Mr Henrick took me out to a lodge 30 minutes out of Mbeya. It was a different world. Settled in the hills with breathtaking views of the valley, they have built a lodge on a coffee farm which attracts visitors from around the world as well as locals who want to get away for a weekend.n He brought his son and nephew and I learned more about local politics than I really need to know.

Roadside Hair Salon

Took this photo from the car window when we stopped to buy carrots. Not sure whether it was a formal session; but they were creating some pretty radical styles!

Solo's family

On the way home today Solo invited me to go to his home and meet his family. he lives about 20 minutes by car from the office but most of it is on dirt roads with huge potholes that a regular vehicle would not be able to navigate.His children were delightful as you can see

Training in Finnacial managemnt

In all, I ended up doing 4 days of training in a classroom setting - 2 in a larger venue  and two this week at the SIDO office meeting room.. There were lots of language and cultural differences that came up during the session; but my message was the accounting is a universal language and in the end they got it. We had a common bond when working with actual numbers on a sample balance sheet or developing a break-even analysis.

The course

I taught again today. I wasn't actually sitting while I taught; but when it was over Humila wanted a picture of me with the flip charts and the boards.

A blessing

We went to visit a soap manufacturer in the market and this little girl was playing outside. When we came out, she was giggling and I asked what it was about. "Did she think the white man was funny?" Humila told me "She wants to touch your head" Apparently, this is a traditional greeting for young children blessing their Grandfathers.

A grand old gentleman

I needed to know how the sunflower oil business works in Mbeya. They don't grow a lot of sunflowers in the area, the costs of seed seems high and the margins are slim. How did they survive? I was taken to Mr S and grand old man working in a dark airless shed, stacked with bags of seed in the middle of an industrial area.
He started by apologizing for his English - he had not spoken it in nearly 20 years; but of course it was flawless. He told me everything, where and when to buy seed, how to sell the "cake" - the seed hulls left after the oil is extracted. It was an honour to meet  and talk to such a grand old gentleman. He reminded me of my father. Then I realised that he is only three years older than me.

Bajaji ride

I wanted to visit some businesses in the industrial area and Solo was picking someone up at the airport. We had to get a Bajaji. I'd seem them on the roads dodging in and out of traffic and was a little worried, especially when I was told there would be 6 of us in it including the driver

You can carry anything on a motor-bike

On the drive down to the lake we saw amazing methods of transporting produce, building materials and everything else necessary for life here. These guys didn't think it strange to carry these baskets, even though everyone had to give them a wide berth.

Lake Nyasa

Lake Nyasa, also known as Lake Malawi is 150 km south of here. Malawi claims that all of the lake lies within its territory while Tanzania claims that the border is the mid=point of the lake. Anyway, I dipped my toe in the lake and perhaps that means I crossed the border!
The photo shows Solo and our guides walking out to the beach

This is a beautiful country