plans

So this weekend was the weekend we were supposed to go on safari. But we blew it! We had decided going north really wasn't worth it for the short amount of time and that we'd stay around here. Only problem was the fact that the part we thought we'd go to was essentially just as far as the northern ones. Oops, when we figured it out, all recommended tour operators to the closest park (Mikumi) weren't available. We could take a bus out there and essentially hire a guide who really doesn't know much, but neither of us were into that idea. I think Jess actually had doubts about the whole safari thing to begin with, but I'm a little bummed cause I did want to see some of the landscape. More, I think I really wanted to stay in one of those lodges! No matter, I know I'll be back here--don't know how or when but I'm pretty sure I'll be back and able to see the parks that are really spectacular. At least I got a day in the parks in Nairobi.

Instead, we're spending a lovely weekend here in Dar, doing some of the things we haven't been able to do yet. Last night we had dinner at this amazing hotel and restaurant right on the ocean call Mediterraneo. We literally ate grilled vegetables as we listened to the surf about 15 feet from our chairs. Another power outage drove us out of the house and sadly (and perhaps with a little concern) the generator did not seem to work. We were supposed to meet up with a bunch of other people but nowhere else had wifi and almost all of our communications had been through the computer...so we were a little lost. No matter, we still had a great time on our own. Someone even affectionately named us the husbands and I think we are potentially becoming life partners. I'm going to have to break the news to David, Jess's lovely boyfriend.

So instead of sitting in a car looking at animals today, Jess and I are going to get a massage, go to the market to see our friend Caroline and maybe buy some fabrics, go to the gym, and just generally relax. We might even see a movie tonight. Novel! Tomorrow we may head back to Mediterraneo for breakfast, go to the village museum in the afternoon, get ourselves ready for Zanzibar, and eat Ethiopian at night. This also works a little better cause now we can be in the office on Monday and have lunch with the rest of the office, which somehow we managed not to do yet. It will be a much nicer send off to the people who have hosted us over the last few weeks.