What's wrong with my underpants?

The other day I put my washing in, yes it would be ready in the evening. Evening comes all done for 0.75cents. But no underpants! Went to reception to be told they don't wash underpants, that is only done by the man's wife. They eventually retrieved them from a plastic bag out the back.

Been a couple of amazing days acclimatising to Tanzania, at last jet lag has gone and I don’t feel like crashing at 4pm (6.5hrs behind Oz).  I am so far off the beaten track,  I have not seen a white face since I left Dar 3 days ago. It does now feel like the silver is ON SAFARI! It is everything I hoped for.

 It’s Friday night in Manyoni and it’s obviously party night every one is out in their finery and there is at least six versions of reggae wafting through the hotel window; charming now but don’t think it will be at 1am. 

Manyoni is just off the main highway it’s a small town of, I’m guessing, maybe 1500 people, all mud brick or besser block buildings covered in grime. There is not a skerrick of bitumen in the place, so all dirt roads generating endless dust and I’m sure none of them have ever seen a grader in their life. No stormwater and forget sewage but they have a water supply of very dubious origins as the supply breaks down and they use wells whic h you guessed it are located next to sewage outfall.

 I am working with 2 charming, ever smiling and helpful geologists called Ryoba and Pascal.  Tanzanian people are very polite though a little reserved, they don’t swear (maybe in Swahili), drinking is not a big habit and surprisingly neither is tobacco.  And that demeanour seems to be the template for the community, at no stage have I felt unsafe despite being the only white face for probably 200km. 

Religion is a big thing here, I think the stats are something like 60% Christian, 40% Muslim living harmoniously , every bus has something about God or Jesus on it and even Manyoni has a couple grand churches no mud bricks or besser blocks for them.  Even Pascal says a little prayer and crosses him self each meal time (as I bog in!!).

Speaking of churches this evening I could here some singing and I tracked it down to a nearby church yard where some 30 women in traditional clothing were practising some sort of song and dance routine – quite beautiful. I crept up camera in hand but was immediately taken by the hand and invited into their midst where I was interrogated about where I was from, was I looking for a wife, how many children did I have (didn’t think I should mention divorced) etc – they were so kind and so hospitable. I then offered to make a donation to the church 10,000 Shillings ($7) well that brought on a formal presentation, applause and handing over of money – wait for the photos a very special moment.

The days have been filled with driving around visiting various mbugas (large low lying areas surfaced with black soil).  I’ve been driven through thorn thickets, long grass and sunflower fields. There is no scale to farming here, I have not seen a single tractor with all work done by hand presumably by individual families.   Today we were out in the middle of this mbuga and some cattle herders wandered past, very traditionally dressed woman with highly polished brass arm covers, and plate round her neck and things through her ear, her face was decorated by what must have been small knife marks with ink in them, she had 5 or so children with her all dressed in the same traditional deep purple robes - it was straight out of the travel documentary.  Later we came across some crazy Masi young men herding cattle, absolutely wildly dressed and carrying spears.

Tomorrow is market day and I have been told it is a site to behold - I have heaps of photos but alas miserable Internet connection.