Fun times in Moshi

 Kilimanjaro Marathon:  http://kilimanjaromarathon.com/

Having participated in several organized races in Canada I jumped at the opportunity to participate in the Kilimanjaro Marathon in Moshi on March 3, 2013.  Several of us from the Hostel participated in the event;  Tine, Shawn & Jerry completed the half marathon while the rest of us ran or walked the 5km.  It was a very big event and a lot of fun to be a part of it!

 



                                      

 

 

Making "Yummy" cookies at Hostel Hoff:

 

Our St. Patrick's Day celebrations included spending the afternoon lounging at the pool, making no bake oatmeal/coconut/chocolate cookies and for some, going out for beers!  We made the cookies from scratch which even meant using the machete to cut open the coconut for us to grate! 

 

    YUMMY!!!

 

YUMMY recipe:

- 2 cups white sugar (we used cane sugar)

- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup milk
Mix in pot and bring to boil. Stir in:
- 3 cups oatmeal
- 1 cup grated coconut (we used fresh coconut)
- 6 tbsp cocoa
- a ton of LOVE
Drop onto wax paper, let cool, eat and enjoy!

 

Good times with friends:

 

The Party Dala Dala is the main event on several Friday evenings.  The Party Dala Dala is what we would refer to as a Pub Crawl in Canada.  Essentially we rent a minivan and a driver who takes us from pub to pub until all hours of the night.  It's a lot of fun even though some of us (myself) don't stay out until 5 am like most of the group :)

 

 

 

 

 

Volunteer Tanzania Fundraiser Update

It's happening!! I am in Moshi, Tanzania Africa volunteering with children for 2 months from February 18 - April 15, 2013. I am raising money with a goal of $10,000. If you want to support my mission of bringing love, hope and joy to to children and their families in Moshi please contribute via the following link: http://gogetfunding.com/project/volunteer-tanzania-1.

Any amount is appreciated as every dollar counts!!

I am staying with Hostel Hoff (www.hostelhoff.com) - a small organization who focus on independent volunteering within and on the outskirts of Moshi town, Tanzania. Currently the majority of their funds go towards supporting a small orphanage called Hope Village. A portion of all proceeds goes into supporting their registered charity, Path to Africa (www.pathtoafrica.org).

I am volunteering at Kili Kids an orphanage founded by Committee Assist (www.committeeassist.org). Their focus is working with local communities so they are better able to care for all their children - orphans and abandoned children too.

Money raised will go towards my volunteering expenses, The Path to Africa and Committee Assist organizations.   Thank you for your contribution towards my mission!
There is little in the world which brings me as much joy and happiness in my heart than the joy I see in one's face when I give them a gift, something they are really grateful for.  I brought some pencils for the children and jewelry for the women at Kili Kids today (thanks to my dear friend Dina for her jewelry contributions) and they were very happy for their gifts.

 

As much as I am honored and grateful to contribute to their lives, the contribution I am receiving in return is beyond words!  I am blessed to have this time in Tanzania!

With love and gratitude, Giselle Gilliard

Zanzibar Adventures

I decided to take some time to explore the beautiful Island of Zanzibar.  I went alone, however as usual we are never really alone as there are always opportunities to connect with others.  As I share below, the week was full of adventures...

The Flight to Zanzibar
Getting to the airport 1 hour in advance wasn't necessary when flying out of the Moshi airport.  I checked in within 3 minutes, witnessed all of the other guests being checked in, watched the plane land and the bags being loaded and boarded the flight in 10 minutes!



 

   

Moshi Airpot / Coastal Aviation - 14 seater plane (including the pilot)



 Kendwa Rocks

 Kendwa Rocks (www.kendwarocks.com) is a beautiful hotel located on the north coast of Zanzibar.  With it's white sand beaches, warm turquoise blue waters it's the perfect place to relax and enjoy the sea!

 

 

 

 The beach / lounge area at Kendwa Rocks / My cozy room at Kendwa Rocks 

 

Snorkeling Trip

I joined a group enjoying a half day at sea.  We saw dolphins playing near the boats and snorkelled in two areas enjoying beautiful, colorful sea life including fish, sea urchants and coral.

 

The crystal clear sea / our snorkeling group  

 

Friendships

I had the opportunity to have some conversations with some of the locals up at Kendwa.  We chatted about the culture, how they live, how relationships, marriages and family work as well as how it would work if they were to marry someone from another country.  I really enjoyed meeting Mow, Captain Joseph and having some really insightful conversations with them.

I also got to know, Said one of the waiters at Kendwa.  He lives in Stone Town and he showed me around on one of his days off. 

I met a group from Norway and spent some time with them in Kendwa as well as Stone Town.

My new Norwegian friends, Eskel, Lena & Richard

My new Tanzanian friend, Said 

 

Stone Town
I spent a few days in Stone Town shopping in the markets and exploring the town and restaurants.

Stone Town is the cultural heart of Zanzibar and little has changed in the last 200 years. The narrow streets and winding alleyways are lined with grand houses as the original Arab owners vied with each other for the most extravagant.  

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Over 500 examples of handiwork are reflected in the brass-studded, carved wooden doors. The majority of homes in Stone Town were built in the 19th C when Zanzibar was one of the most important Swahili trading towns in the Indian Ocean. The trading activity between Asia and Africa is evident by the architecture and urban structure of Stone Town.

As the world's oldest functioning Swahili city, many of the landmarks in Stone Town are being restored to their original glory. Coral was used in most of the buildings but has easily eroded leaving most of the houses in a poor state of repair.

Exploring Stone Town and the markets

 

 

Prison Island

Richard and I took a boat over to Prison Island exploring the Island and spending time with the turtles. 
Prison Island or by another name Changuu Island is the middle islet of the three visible from the Stone town, it takes approximately 30 minutes to get there by a wooden boat powered by and outboard engine.  The prison on this island was built in 1893, which was later used as a Quarantine Hospital, it has a frangipani-lined path around the island where the former patients took their evening walks.  Apart from the Prison ruins you can also see the beautiful peacocks and the enormous giant tortoises some of which are over a 100 years old. Sultan Said brought these tortoises here from Seychelles in the 1820′s.

 

 

Prison Island / Hanging out with the turtles

 

 

Spice Tour

I really enjoyed going on the spice tour, learning about local spices and fruits. 
The history of Zanzibar would be incomplete without the cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices which are essential ingredient in a Zanzibari’s everyday life, it is the island’s connection to spices and herbs. Zanzibar and Spice is a romantic entanglement that dates back to the 16th century. Apart from being an important commodity on the trade routes. They can be seen in the plantations just outside Zanzibar town, this is also  a fantastic opportunity to see the countryside and rural areas of Zanzibar and also connect with local people.

They have developed a special Spice Tour with in-depth information not only about spices, but also organically grown herbs and detailed descriptions about their uses in traditional dishes, as cures for ailments and even for dyeing traditional ceremonial outfits for weddings and festivals. They have knowledgeable guides trained by a famous herbalist in Zanzibar Mr. Madawa.

 

Nutmeg / Vanilla Bean / Cinnamon Tree / Coconut Tree climber / My spice tour guides

 

Dolphin Swim/ search

We traveled to Kizimikazi in the south - it has the largest number of pristine white sand beaches on the Island and dolphins live in the waters nearby.  We spent 2 hours at sea searching for them, however the dolphins had other plans for that day.  It was a beautiful day to be on a boat with friends enjoying the lovely weather and clear waters.

 

 Heading out to sea / A group of men coming back from sea / the beach

 

Jorzani Forest
We visited the red colobus monkeys at the Jorzani Forest.  They were extremely friendly, tame and so cute!

The monkeys!

I thoroughly enjoyed my week in Zanzibar.  I had so much fun on the different excursions, had some great conversations and enjoyed the company of new friends!