Mtama Town.

Mtama town is a small area of shops and a pub/restaurant situated either side of the main road. The shops are very basic, selling toilet paper, soap, vegetables and things like flip flops and tea leaves. There didn’t seem to be any shampoo… that will have to wait until a big town! I had a dinner of ugali, beans, vegetables and chicken which was really nice! Ugali is a big ball of maize in a porridge consistency that you eat with your hands. It kind of tastes like over-boiled rice and isn’t as bad as it is described!

We bought kanga’s at a small shop. These are brightly coloured rectangles of starched/waxed cloth that Tanzanian women wrap around their bodies to make skirts or dresses. Some are just patterned, for example I got a bright yellow, blue and pink starry one, and some have mottos emblazoned on in Swahili. My other simpler blue kanga has something about keeping a clean heart for God on it.

The town is a 10 min walk downhill from the guesthouse, and 20 mins from the school. As with most towns in rural Tanzania there were no paths, instead you walk on the road and get beeped by traffic coming behind you if it needs you to move aside. Not sure I’d like to do this after night fall!

Views from/ of Phaisha Guesthouse

My bedroom is large in comparison to some in the group. I have plentiful floor space and a double bed with box mosquito net. The bathroom is very small. Let me put it plainly - you can hold onto the sink while going for a wee, and when you shower you have to move carefully so as not to fall down the squat toilet. It's easier than it sounds, and I haven't had any problems. In a British kind of way I wish I wasn't showering on top of where I go to the toilet, and I cannot wait for warm water back in the UK! The shower is FREEZING, even if you use it during the day when you are hot. You adjust to the cold eventually, and it actually starts to feel lukewarm. 

My (messy) room!