We are in our new house!!!!!!! I am really pleased to report that whilst it is very simple, it is far nicer than I remembered and we are really happy. I think when the agent showed us through, the owners had been away for a while so it was a bit dirty and unkempt. They did a lot of work to get it ready for us and its all spick and span now. After electricians and locksmiths finished today almost everything works (not the oven unfortunately or ...more devastatingl...

Last night immigration officials did a raid at out hotel to check peoples' visas in the middle of the night!!! We didn't get checked thank goodness as I think I would have had a heart attack if someone knocked at our door in the wee hours! Can't believe they do that. Now doubly relieved that all our visas in order... not that we were here without one- just not supposed to be volunteering. Yesterday I saw my first adult hands patient at the hospital clinic which ...

Very relieved to have 2 fresh stamps in our passports to be able to officially volunteer. An amazingly efficient man came to our hotel only a few hours after I called him & within 4 hours had returned with our passports & stamps. Talk about door to door service! We had heard horror stories of visas taking 6 months but it seems to be who you know (& a tip!) can help immensely! Things all seemed to go our way yesterday... Firstly the visas, then we fou...

We headed to the nearby hospital (Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre) yesterday to meet up with the staff I hope to be volunteering with whilst here. They were very keen for Zoe, Zac & Adam to come to visit the outpatient rehab centre too so we all piled into a 4wd & bumped & lurched our way to the centre. Zoe & Zac thought the dirt roads were lots of fun & laughed the whole way. The rehab centre, called Plaster House, is a centre where children ...

After arriving in Tanzania only yesterday our heads are still spinning with the culture change. Feeling full of mixed emotions. Very sad to leave all our wonderful relatives & to say goodbye to the school friends, teachers, neighbours & kindy staff that we became so close to. Trying to think of it as only a 'see you soon'. I really felt the italian in my blood & living in italy & speaking italian every day (or at least trying to!) was a dream come...