Trip to nowhere: Updates- NYC, London, Amsterdam, Tanzania

Back Story

So its time to set up and get this blog up to date! Here are the back stories leading to today. Well most of them anyway. A slight back story. So through twist and turns of fate I ended up moving from Westchester, NY where I was born and raised to Tampa FL for 9 months then decided to sell pretty much everything I owned and to travel around the world so here we go.

You can see where I am in the world real time 24/7 at the bottom on the page. Its tied to my cell's GPS.

March 29th 2009 NYC, NY

Its March 2009 and I’m in NYC. I’ve said goodbye to most of my friends in Tampa and NYC. I’m on the plane with my whole life packed into one backpack. I’ve gone through the bag a few times seeing if I have enough clothes and not to much weight. I’m off to London to see my parents for about a week before I head to my 1^st stop in Tanzania. I’m excited and a lil be scared but I know it will all work out. After all it doesn’t matter where I am somewhere!

March 30^th- Detained in London

What would a trip be without a little spice? So since I am a poor planner to say the least I arrive in London and at customs. The agent ask standard questions but since I hadent booked my ticket tout of the UK. Not smart. So I’m detained. All my bags searched, confiscated my journal and any documents I had the read through. I’m shitting my pants but a few hours later it all worked out. I guess going where the wind takes you has a few draw backs. I’m released, meet mom with a big hug and Ello’ London!

I spent the rest of the day booking my around the world ticket. Booking it in the UK was about $3k cheaper. I’m traveling by plane, road, rail and boat on this journey. First stop is Tanzania. I had spent a month living in Tanzania 2 years ago doing volunteer work where I meet Kimmy who I am staying with. She started a charity that she now runs in Tanzania and Kenya called Knock foundation. Now its off to explore London, get my visa’s and spend time with the fam before I leave next week!

Today is also the LAST time I shave my head or my face till I get back :o)

April 6^th- Bye Bye London Hello Amsterdam airport hotel

I get to Amsterdam LATE. I was gonna rough it but caved and stayed in the hotel in the airport. It was crazy. It was like staying in a space shuttle. It was very futuristic and the room was tiny to say the least. It was maybe 5 by 5 and I slept in a capsule like bed. The room had a shower, TV and everything but I could touch all the walls and I'm short to start with. It killed me to spend the money especially cause I knew where I was going and the cost of living difference but it was an experience. I woke up and off I went downstairs to my gate.

April 8^th Moshi, Tanzania

I got in late and once again get stopped at customs. I’m on a roll. So after a minor, compared to last time, I get out and see Kim and Edward and could not be happier :o) Kim and I haven’t got to see each other much except NY last year for dinner but shes the best. Her and Edward meet here 2 years ago when we first came and have been together since. He’s a local and his mom, Mamaa Grace, runs the program we came with originally.

We are driven and get stopped. Police checks are really common. You see a guy with an machine gun and forget it’s the norm. The hassle Edward but let us go. We get to Ru which is the village in Moshi I am living in while I am here. Its very very poor compared to US standards. Roads are also crazy! They are dirt off any main road and extremely bumpy. We have cows on our road every morning and evening we walk on to get to Dala Dala which are mini vans with 25+ people in them. Not kidding.

We get to the house Its nice. Very basic but high end by local standards. Most homes here don’t have electricity or running water. We have both. The main thing is we have nets! I’m not takin anti-Malaria meds. One they don’t always work and they cost around $800 for the good ones, its $3 to treat it . I’ll take my chances. We sleep with the house locked with pad locks on every door. Screwed if we have a fire but makes you feel safer. Kim sleeps with a machete next to her bed and I have my knives. Don’t get me wrong it is safe by the old volunteer organization was attacked a few years back so better to be safe then sorry.

Bed calls and I’m answering!

Kim and Edward