A group of us have been running down in the valley in the mornings before breakfast and rounds. Some of us jog and some of us walk, but it's always an adventure. Yesterday morning, Michael, Margaret, and I were joined by a group of children from the nearby primary school. While we wazungu were panting and wearing running attire, these children were wearing sandals and sweaters and running without any difficulty whatsoever. When we ran into the valley this morning, we had a gentleman run with us for a wee bit. He was wearing sandals and jeans and carrying a garden hoe, yet had no problem keeping up with us before heading out to the field.
We usually head out before sunrise to avoid the heat and go past several fields of crops. Farmers are always out tending to their fields and since it's been quite the rainy season, the crops seem to be growing well. There has been some flooding in the area, but most of the crops are far enough away from the river that it doesn't seem to be causing too much damage yet. We have provided the Tanzanians with a lot of entertainment. Running for exercise is an unfamiliar concept to them and oftentimes they laugh at us, especially the children. Everyone we meet on our path is friendly, though. Even if they don't greet us verbally, they acknowledge us with a wave or a head nod. I haven't brought my camera with on a run yet, but I'll be sure to do that in the future!
Tomorrow morning we probably won't go for a run since we'll be helping the community with clean-up. On the last Saturday of the month, the entire country of Tanzania performs a few hours of community service. Based on the most recent update, the females within our group will be cleaning up the hospital and the men will be cutting grass/doing outdoor work. More to come on this topic!
No comments:
Post a Comment