A Day On Moshi Town

September 12^th: Saturday

Saturday I have the day of from any responsibilities because school is out and there usually isn’t any prayer or bible study in the afternoons. So this Saturday I decicded to have a day on the town. Try to find a western restraunt.

I got up shortly after 6 and started running by 6:30. I did the clock tower west side run which I figure is around 7 miles since it takes me a little over an hour. Great run. It was cooler in the morning and less crowded. I took a shower, did my devotions, ate breakfast, finished my blog and was out the door shortly after 9. I walked out past Moshi to a cloths market on the way to Arusha. I wondered around and marveled first at some of the quality of the cloths and all the American football jerseys. I guess here some people actually watch American football. Kinda crazy. I started hoofing it back and on the way I stopped at a graveyard that the road passes. Unlike any other place I have been in Moshi there was no one there. It was incredibly peaceful. White gravestones standing out against the green grass. Long rows of trimmed hedges and tall slightly mournful looking trees.

I walked into Moshi by a new route and explored the small market in town. Had fun haggling with a guy for a football jersey. He tried to sell it to me for 28,000. I told him it was robbery and said I’d pay 6000. he was affronted but dropped to 20,000. no way I told him. he told me that this nicer material was worth at least 20,000. but I refused so he dropped down to 16,000. the very bottom he said he could go. I said I would pay 8000for it. He asked my name. then he said, “for my friend Hacobo, 14000” as he stuffed it into a bag. I told him my last price was 10,000. he refused and I started walking away. He caved. I got it for 10,000, nearly 1/3 of the original opening price. Cool beans.

I ate a late lunch because I did an hour of email before I ate. I went to a restruaunt called Chez Deli. It was in the tourist part of town so I figured it would have some more western foods. The resturaunt is amazingly nice. I went upstairs and ate on the balcony. The menu is huge. It has everything from Chinese to Indian, continental, Pakistani, and Japanese dishes. I started with a strwberru milkshake and was subsequentally disappointed. Unfortunately like most milkshakes in Africa it consisted of cold strawberry flavored milk. No ice cream. Bummer. However I did find sushi on their menu. I ordered the snapper for an appetizer. Then I ordered prans (which look like shrimp to me) in pilipili sauce (spicy) and chow mien noodles with vegetables. The sushi was amazing. Not the best sushi I have ever had but definitely good after three months without any. The rest of the meal was pretty good although the prans weren’t spicy much. It was a little strange sitting with a bunch of mzungus. Generally I don’t see mzungus very often so it was a little strange to suddenly be sourounded by them.

After lunch I went to a nearby supermarket and bought an ace cream bar and ate it while I picked up a few things. I got a dvd with four movies on it. I also bought a sci-fi book from a street vendor. I was walking down the street when I heard a crash. I looked across the street and saw a matatu’s (15 seat buses used for transportation) sliding door had fallen off. One of the funniest things I ever say. Over all it was a really good day. The worst part though was I was alone had no one to share it with.