Chapter 12: The Safari Team
I finally landed in Tanzania, excited to meet Moshi again and the rest of the safari team.
I finally landed in Tanzania, excited to meet Moshi again and the rest of the safari team.
With the Cheku well confirmed to be real, the time had come to return to Vancouver.
We drove up the long road dirt road to Cheku village and finally saw the well that had taken so many years.
Before making our way to Cheku, we visited many of the surrounding Irangi villages first.
Like sardines in a can, we crammed onto a bus bound for Kondoa. We found our seats as more and more people boarded, and then—just when I thought we were as full as can be—they let a few more people on.
Fast-forward six years, and once again, Tanzania stood before my daughter and me.
After spending so long in Africa, the time had come to return to Vancouver. In the fall of 2007, Zoe went back to Queen Victoria School on Vancouver's east side and life returned to normal—for just a little while.
The sound of Muslim prayers echoed from the speakers. The smell of smoke from the meat stands filled our apartment. Spices lined the streets. Fresh orange juice lingered on our tongues. Exotic smells became familiar. We were not ready to come home and rented a place in Marrakesh, Morocco after we left Zanzibar.
We made our way to Zanzibar island tired and dirty. On the way, we passed tiny dhow boats that looked as though they were going to sink under the weight of the fishermen and their passengers.
My family went their separate ways and Zoe, Loc, and I hit the roads of Tanzania. It was raw and wild. If you moved outside of the paved roads of the northern safari circuit, you’ll see the real Tanzania—thirsty but full of life.