This morning started off peacefully, I woke up around 7:30 and headed down for breakfast. we had sausage, scrambled eggs, crepes, and a variety of fresh fruit. Everything tasted great.

After breakfast, we hopped into our mini bus and made our way to the National Natural History Museum in Arusha. The museum was filled with exhibits about human evolution and featured all sorts of taxidermy animals, preserved insects, and reptiles in jars. It was super interesting it but a bit gross, but the highlight for me was meeting Tom, a 200-year-old tortoise who was massive! He was incredible to see up close and touch and the baby tortoises, just 4 or 5 years old, were adorable. We also saw some white mice and an eagle that had been injured and was receiving care. Around the grounds were all kinds of plants used for traditional medicine, my mom would’ve really appreciated the elephant statues and the coffee bean tree! 😉

For lunch, we went to a local buffet. I tried a bit of everything, even things I couldn’t really describe, but it was all delicious. The fruit here is always so juicy and fresh. After eating, we stopped by a grocery store. Some people bought loads of snacks, but I kept it simple and picked out a little gift for my sister.

Our next stop was Arusha National Park, where we met a man who spoke to us about eco-tourism and the park’s role in supporting the local community and preserving the environment. Something he said really stayed with me was “We came as students, we’re leaving as friends.”
That quote felt so genuine and kind, it honestly made my day. On our way back to the hotel we saw loads of children who waved at us through the bus.

Throughout the day, I picked up a few Swahili words and phrases:
Mambo (hello to someone younger), with the reply poa
Shikamo baba/mama (hello to someone older)
Asante sana (thank you very much)
Karibou (you’re welcome)
Haraka haraka (quick quick) and pole pole (slow slow)
Mambo vipi (how are you?)
naomba maji (please can I have water?)
Chai (tea)
kwafili(bye)

Dinner was nice, we had pumpkin soup to start, then chicken with rice and noodles, followed by banana with honey for dessert. After dinner, the chef and the staff performed a welcome song in Swahili it was all about how good it was to have us there and how we were smiling and happy. In return, we sang some songs for them like the YMCA, Sweet Caroline, Mr. Brightside, and Macarena. We danced and sang together, and it created such a memorable vibe.

To finish off the night, we all gathered by the poolside and took time to write in our daily journals. It felt like the perfect way to end the day.

ps. Joe and Charlotte got us all chocolate eggs for easter!