We left Decorah on July 30th, 2016 for a 5 month adventure in Tanzania. Jon is coordinating a study abroad program with 10 students from 9 different colleges around the midwest. We arrived after hours and hours of travel: mini-van to Madison, bus to Chicago Airport, 2 planes to Tanzania and a truck to the University of Dar es Salaam, where we will be living.
We were happy to be greeted at the airport by a driver who took us to our home which had beds with clean sheets and food in the fridge – both a welcome sight!
P.S. After a long break, I am trying to relearn how to do this! If you click on each photo, you will find a caption.
At the Chicago airport with all our belongings for 5 months!
Our new house: 24 Killimahewa Road. It is a large house on the University campus.
We took an exploratory walk on our second day. We went at noon which was not the best idea. I think we’ll take future walks first thing in the morning when it isn’t quite so hot!
We have a large backyard complete with mongooses running around!
SylLy Acres 
August 3, 2016 at 8:38 pm
Good thing it’s winter there – or it might be hot :-}
I’m sure the neighborhood mongooses will keep the snake population in check – which is a good thing. :-\
August 4, 2016 at 5:43 pm
Glad to know you made it safely there. Can you take a closer picture of a mongoose? I don’t know what they look like. I look forward to reading about your adventures. What country are you in this time? Jenny
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August 7, 2016 at 6:19 am
Hi Jenny! I will try to take a better photo of the mongooses, but they are so scared of people that as soon as I step outside to take a picture, they run away. They are so cute, so I will keep trying. 🙂 We are in Tanzania this time – right now we are in the biggest city Dar es Salaam. In October, we will go north to the national parks and go on a safari. I can’t wait!
August 4, 2016 at 10:11 pm
Glad you’re getting settled there! Wow, monkeys and mongeese…I guess you’re not in Iowa anymore!
August 7, 2016 at 6:24 am
Nope, not in Iowa! There are a few other clues, too. 🙂 Thailand is the most similar place I’ve been – similar weather, mosquito nets, fresh food stalls, but Tanzania is still a world of its own! This first week has been a little rough adjusting to such a new place, but we are slowly figuring things out and settling in. We’ll have many stories to share, for sure!