Last days in Tanzania

I keep meaning to post about the last days we had in Tanzania. 

So here it is..

The Wednesday before we left, I walked with my friends for the last time. When we approached my house, I'd asked Michael to fetch my camera from my desk and to take photos of us. 

Moi, Marita and Tilla

Me and Tilla

Marita and me

Marita and I started walking together on 12 October, 2013. We eventually increased our distance from 5km a day to 8.5km. And we talked about everything under the sun while walking! Tilla had walked with us until she had to go out to SA for an operation on her hand. This particular day she joined us for the last time. 

I've already posted about the very precious farewell the Client gave us the night before we left Mwadui. Marita was en route from SA and in Dar when she heard we were leaving. She immediately bought me a pair of ethnic pictures, framed and glassed. When she presented them to me, she said she knew I'd already packed my suitcase and it was full to bursting. So she said I'd have to carry them in the gift bag. 

Which I did...

One of the beautiful pictures which Marita chose for our farewell gift. I carried then across Tanzania all the way home to Marquard in the bag visible in the photo

Reading a message from my friend, Amanda who was out on leave at the time

Grant was presented with a personalized bottle of wine with a WDL label. Looking at the funny  expression on my face you'd never guess that I'm actually tee-total! 

My sweet friend, Tilla and I share a last joke 

A photo of  the four "oldies" on site: Grant and Wessel with me and Tilla

The next morning early we departed by car from Mwadui for the last time. Our driver, William dropped us off at the Mwanza airport; we boarded the plane for Dar and by mid-morning we were in the city. Our driver, Mohamed collected us from the airport and drove us to the New Africa Hotel. We'd last stayed at this hotel on 1 February 2012, when we flew in from Nairobi, for Grant to start his contract with the new company. We'd come a full circle! 

The view from our hotel room was over the Dar harbor

We also had a view over a church. That Saturday we witnessed a wedding that had already taken place. The wedding entourage was waiting in the shade of a large tree for the bridal car to arrive

Finally the car arrived and the bride and groom climbed in and pulled off 

We watched enthralled as the cars left the church yard to another venue where the reception was obviously being held. While we watched, we saw another wedding entourage arriving at the church, complete with a priest (a woman at that) at the head of the procession. 

A second wedding procession appeared in the church yard as we watched the first one departing! 

Guests arriving for the second wedding (the garbage and cleaning materials at the church entrance, were eventually taken away!) 

Finally that wedding was over and the group posed on the steps for photos!

As this wedding group dispersed, I focused on the harbor and ships again

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYBODY!