schaackmobile: Safari Imeanza Mwishoni

One would think that a trip to multiple continents, myriad countries, with the chance to see umpteen friends would result in mucho blogging—but who has time? The last two weeks (could it be that I was in Portland two weeks ago?!?) has been so full, so rich, so delicious, so nourishing in so many ways, I hardly know what to say about it and have had little time to sit down and try. But here I am, at the rooftop bar at the Kilimanjaro Backpacker’s Hostel in Arusha, Tanzania right where I belong. It is evening, the sun is shining and has burnt off almost every last cloud of the waning rainy season save for a few wisps atop Mt. Meru. The bar has a breeze that, combined with the sunshine, makes this the most perfect weather for any activity that doesn’t involve snow. The busy intersection below me offers plenty to look at when I can’t bear to look at the computer screen and work, and the sounds and smells that emanate even when I am not looking are probably what I missed most while away from this beautiful place. But I am skipping ahead too fast. I left Portland and was delighted to find out I had actually booked a nonstop flight to Europe—lucky me! I arrived in Amsterdam, caught a train to Paris, jumped on the metro, grabbed a second train to Poitiers and met my dear friend Clement in what is going to serve as his new hometown. Quite conveniently, it isn’t that far from his old hometown, the one where he grew up, and several other places that one would be lucky to call their home along the SW coast of France and an island just off the coast called Ile de Re

(a view from a cafe in one of the pretty harbor towns). We spent 5 very relaxing days enjoying the good wine and good cheese and good conversation that France has to offer. It was the closest thing to a real vacation I have taken in a while (I even got too much sun and drank champagne) and I am sooooo glad to have had the chance to visit him and forge the beginning of a new chapter of our friendship, not as post-docs in cultural exile (north Texas), but enjoying the more delectable fruits of the new places we have landed. It was my first trip to France for more than a day or two passing through Paris, or dipping down on the French side of the Pyrenees, and I am excited to go back. Delicious.

Another high speed train took me back to Paris, so I could catch a flight to Berlin—a city in a part of Europe that I have never been to and that, to be honest, I knew very little about before arriving. I still don’t know *that* much,

but at least now I know how much there is to know and how much I want to know it. Berlin is spectacular—beautiful, also delicious, interesting, intense, and very different from any other city I have been to on the continent. Although my motive for going was mainly to see my dear friend Britt, the coolness of the city was a huge bonus. As was getting to hang out with other friends at the WIKO (pronounced wee-ko) institute where Britt is based for the year (a very cool think tank-like thing where thoughtful people form disparate disciplines get together for a year to exchange ideas. Yup, that’s it in a nutshell. They *have* to eat lunch together and drink lots of wine on Thursdays, and other than that they are just supposed to learn and discuss and think and write. Doesn’t that sound fun? It is! Even just for 5 days!) In addition to the WIKO fun, my other dear friend GP came for the weekend from Liverpool. We didn't do much touristy stuff, but we did go to a few memorials (like this one at a train station where they shipped Jews off to the death camps-- very subtle but each grate shows the train departure date and the number of people shipped so it really gives you a sense of this terrible time).

Like France, the trip was full of too much awesomeness for the short time I was there, but at least I am glad I got to have a glimpse. Britt also is starting a new job in the fall, and GP just started his—so lots of conversations about how we are all going to pull off settling down, being legit, these kinds of things. Any tips on that, welcome.

I flew from Berlin back to Amsterdam and caught my plane to Nairobi. I sat next to a Kenyan woman the first half of the flight, so got to grease the oh-so-rusty wheels of my kiSwahili before landing. I arrived in Nairobi and caught a taxi to the YMCA—the same place I stayed 16 years ago when I was last here. Happy to report—it hasn’t changed a bit! Except for the addition of a small cyber café, the Nairobi Central YMCA appears to be one of the constants in the universe. Nairobi, on the other hand, has changed quite a bit. Many new buildings, many fewer holes in the road, much tamer matatus, lots more kiSwahili being spoken, and EVERYONE with a cell phone in their hand or held to their ear. These were my first impressions and they were good. I was eager to start walking around and soaking things up—my east Africa battery has been running on empty for a long time (last trip was 2006) and it has been hard to wipe the stupidly happy smile off my face since I got here. More on Nairobi and the trip to TZ overland soon!