Following the arrival of Aggie and Neil on Friday, Monday marked the arrival of the cameraman who had been hired by Transaid to produce a video focused on the Professional Driver Training Project at NIT. While I spent the morning in bed recovering from malaria, Neil and Aggie visited Dar es Salaam's port to assess its suitability for filming at later in the week. When they returned after a successful meeting, Aggie and Neil insisted I visit the hospital for a check-up, to ensure that I had received the most appropriate treatment. They were both particularly concerned as it was my second case of malaria in such a short period. After seeing a doctor and having a blood test the results came back as expected – an indication of an infection, but mainly normal. The doctor believed that my headaches and dizziness could be a result of a sinus infection, so prescribed some medication to reduce the symptoms. For the following few days I followed the doctor's recommendations; lots of rest and I drank a huge amount of water. By Thursday I felt a lot better and was well enough for an interview with Aggie and the cameraman for part of the video, discussing what I am currently doing at NIT. On Thursday evening the senior NIT management had arranged a farewell dinner for the HGV trainer at one of the local beach hotels. It was based in a stunning setting and the food was delicious. The night was fantastic, especially after spending almost a full week in bed and not eating a lot, the change of scenery, good company and wonderful selection of food was greatly appreciated. Friday marked the final day of the two weeks training for the HGV trainers. We held a small ceremony with the NIT's rector to present certificates to the three participants which was a nice touch. Filming also finished on Friday and the cameraman flew back to the UK. On Saturday I travelled to Bagamoyo, an ex-slave port about an hour and a half up the coast from Dar es Salaam. It was a lovely day out with Aggie and the HGV trainer; we visited the museum, which is largely focused on the impact Christian missionaries had on the end of slave exports from Tanzania. There was also a lot of history about Dr Livingstone, the famous British explorer who played a key role in the end to the slave trade in East Africa. Livingstone died while in Zambia in 1873 and his body was carried back to Bagamoyo before being repatriated to Britain. Bagamoyo in original Swahili-Arabic translates to ‘lay down my heart’. During our visit to Bagamoyo we visited St Anna’s church which has a grotto replicated from the one in Lourdes depicting Mary. We then had a wonderful lunch overlooking the sea and finished our day with a little bit of shopping at a local craft market, where I purchased a handmade jewellery box carved with rhino. After our fun-filled day in Bagamoyo I went to the airport to say goodbye to Aggie and the HGV trainer, who were flying home. On Sunday I was invited to the deputy rector’s home to spend the day with his family. His driver collected me at 9am on Sunday morning and travelled for 45 minutes to reach his house, which was surrounded by amazing views over rural Tanzania. On arrival I was treated to breakfast of beef stew with lots of vegetables, brown bread and tea heavily flavoured with ginger – it was all delicious. I later shared lunch with all his family, I spent the majority of the day talking to everyone and learning about his very interesting history. Lunch comprised of a variety of dishes; curried vegetables, beef in a very tasty sauce, spiced rice, mashed potatoes and onions mixed chillies in soy sauce. Following lunch, I stayed a few more hours enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and very hospitable company, before departing back to NIT. It was a very enjoyable day. |