Welcome to Tanzania

Our flight to Tanzania from Ethiopia was scheduled to leave at 9:30 in the morning, and we were suppose to leave the hotel no later than 8, but, like most of the activities so far, everything seemed to be running late. We got on the road to the airport around 8:30. Ethiopian Airlines whisked us through security (the regular line was huge) and we were on our way to Kilimanjaro International Airport for the Summit.

The hotel in Tanzania we were assigned to was Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge. It sits between Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro and has a fantastic view. The whole complex is really nice: swimming pool, health club, golf, gardens, and a few restaurants. The Tanzanian hosts there were extremely helpful and friendly and would drive you around the place in golf carts if you wanted a ride somewhere.

Unfortunately, Tanzania is Yellow Fever and Malaria ridden, requiring the use of high-deet insect repellent and a good awareness of mosquitoes. Our room had a net that covered both beds to prevent mosquitoes from getting in. It's frightening how those little bugs can ruin your health. We don't give them a second thought in the States.

Tomorrow is a free day so we've signed up for a village visit where we can hopefully talk to some Africans about their perspective of African-Americans and some quick and dirty interviews for our documentary.