Word from Tanzania

I am traveling through Tanzania right now. Today we are going to be taking a ferry from Geita to Mwanza. It is such a beautiful country full poverty. Yesterday we were driving about 130 kilometers per hour (maybe 65 or 75 MPH) down a dirt road. When I asked my safety guy who was driving why he was not slowing down he indicated that the road was filled with bandits and if we go to slow we were at a higher risk of being robbed. At each end of the road they had armed police guards who would stop all traffic at 4 PM because the risk of driving the road at night was too great. The area is heavily forested and the forest connects to the Rwanda and Uganda areas. The fighting there has lead to refugees fleeing into the forest and unfortunately criminal elements have taken advantage of that. As our South African General Manager said, this area is “Real Africa”. The ladies are carrying pots of water or baskets of fruit on their heads, the little kids are herding goats or cattle, donkeys pull carts full of charcoal and many of the adult men are living in other places to find work. My local guy indicated the unemployment rate is around 50% and the poverty is just amazing. My hotel last night costs $20,000 Tanzanian shillings (about $13 USD) and while I was trying to talk to Natalie and frog came in under my door. I had to chase the frog back out with my sandals and decided that I would barricade the bottom of the door with a pair of dirty Levis. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again, being able to sleep without a bug net, drink cold water, and taking a small vacation with the family.