Today was my kind of day.  We drove around the Moivaro area, announcing through the loudspeaker that we were in the area, vaccinating dogs and cats for free.  Then we parked in a residential area and went door to door, meeting people at their homes to vaccinate their pets.  This allows us to walk through all the pathways and trails and alleyways in Arusha, seeing how the people really live.   

We met some nice people and some nice dogs, including this one very sweet dog with a snaggle tooth. 

 The tooth wasn’t loose; it was just sticking out, giving him lots of character. 

I think it’s important to see how most of the world provides for themselves and for their families. It’s good to expand your horizons beyond your own familiar borders.  I’m pretty well traveled at this point in my life, and I’ve seen some of the hardships that people face in Indonesia and Ghana and India, and I’m always inspired by how resourceful people are, how kind and friendly they are to strangers, and how they persevere despite some very challenging circumstances.  It’s why I keep coming back to do these projects.  If we can help them in even a small way, by vaccinating their pets and helping prevent a terrible disease like rabies, then that’s at least one way we’re improving their lives.  

Going door to door today, we met some really great people.  At one home, we met two brothers.  Identical twins.  They lived together with their families.  We vaccinated their dogs, including a litter of puppies.  When we were recording their data and asked for the dogs’ names, they hadn’t named the puppies yet, so they named one Courtnie and one Arnie.  So now we have a little bit of a legacy here in Arusha  🙂    The brothers spoke excellent English, and also fluent German.  They work as tour guides, so they have to speak fluently.  I was too busy vaccinating their dogs to take pictures, though.  

In addition to meeting nice people and nice dogs (and sweet kids), the scenery today was amazing.  

Lush fields, striking looking trees, and incredible skies, all with Mount Meru in the background. I like this photo below, with the cow peacefully standing in the field.

The sky was incredible today. It’s the Tanzania I envisioned in my head before coming here, and for a few brief moments today, those visions became a reality.  

It was a slower-paced day today, and I really enjoyed being outdoors.  We saw a fair number of dogs, all of them being exceptionally sweet for some reason.  

And, we saw a cat or two, as well.  Most cats zoomed away after being vaccinated, but this one stuck around, asking to be petted.  

Today, we vaccinated a dog, and after we were done, the dog pranced off down the road.  I recognized this situation as a great photo opportunity.  I set myself in position and waited until the dog his the perfect bend in the road, and took one of my favorite shots of the trip:

We got back to the hotel just in time.  A huge rainstorm hit, and it was pretty impressive.  

Soon afterward, the power went out in our rooms.  Welcome to Africa.  Luckily it was restored a few hours later, and I was able to read and catch up on the news back in America before hitting the sack.  

Tomorrow is the last day of Week 1, and then it’s safari time!

CONTINUE TO MISSION RABIES TANZANIA PART 9

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We smashed all records from previous Mission Rabies Tanzania trips, vaccinating 7,657 dogs and 1,229 cats.  Total number of animals vaccinated against rabies: 8,886.  It’s an incredible accomplishment.  To continue to do this kind of work is expensive. If you like reading these blog posts and you support this kind of work, I humbly ask for you to make a small donation if you can.  Every little bit helps.  Thank you.