Life in Bagamoyo is full of seeing and or experiencing something new every day and especially if you really take the time to LOOK. Isn’t that what life is truly all about. I sure think so!
Today I woke up and hit the gym. Well my gym is out on my porch under this magnificent coconut tree that offers its shade with love and grace. I work out about 3 times a week and I start my routine running on the beach around 7:30 or 8:00, if I’m luck then I pump-it-up J well just a little.
I brought an exercise ball and rubber arm bands from the states because I knew I would want to continue to exercise and I knew there wasn’t any type of gym or equipment here. The closest thing I have seen to weights is this awesomely creative work-bench that Saiid and Emanuel created behind my house. Every morning or late in the evening I would here this knocking sound and the sound of someone either trying to go to the bathroom in a serious way, or someone doing some heavy lifting of some sort. So the next day I went outside and to my surprise I saw the most creative workout bench I have ever seen. It was a 1’ x 5’ board that was sitting on top of a 3 x 3 foot statue of an African man’s head and chest, and quite a dignified looking man too all buttoned up in a suit and bow tie and here to lend a hand, I mean head. On the other side was a bunch of cement blocks and rocks. I thought to myself ‘how cool is this’ I love it! I did wonder what these guys did o keep so fit.
So today I started our running around my yard in circles – just kidding – I did lunges, squats and arm exercises. In doing so, I started to look all around me in all directions. I noticed a boy and girl all dressed up in their school uniforms looking at me inquisitively with total interest at what I was doing through the bushes, from the inside of the doorway. When they noticed me I greeted them and they shyly moved into the house giggling, as they always do when I’m working out. They are two of the cute orphans next door. In total I think there are about 10 children. At the same time I hear the goats goatin’ away inside the shack that belongs to the orphanage. This truly is a ‘shack” of all shacks. It is made from metal roofing, sticks and boards. This is also where they keep their hens, roosters and baby chickies. It is completely dark with no windows. I always feel like I want to go over there and let them free out of the darkness they are succumbed to. I know I know it is the way it goes. I still feel badly though.
All of a sudden the boys let the goats out to take them to the pasture right behind my house to graze. Here they come, four of them marching right into my yard, so darn cute that I want to go pet them. They go straight for the bushes that separate our houses and start munching away on the shrubbery then the boys whistle for them to move along.
Then right after them come all the chickies, about 5 chirping away with a couple hens scuttling into my yard as well and settle up on the mound of sand to squat in the shade with the two neighborhood doggies. This all took place while I had my stretchy bands wrapped around the coconut tree. I wanted to try something different today, and I love this tree so I thought what would it hurt if I used my bands around the tree instead of my porch beams. Well is could be me if a big fat coconut fell from the tree right on my head. It provided such a beautiful overhead view, with the sunlight shining through the leaves that were swaying in the breeze, helping to keep me cool.
As I moved around the coco tree to face I now faced the banana tree and I smiled at the little hiding spot my masai has created to keep his bedding and special items. One night he had a headache and I gave him some aspirin to keep. I had placed it in some tin foil for safe keeping. The next day I was pruning the tree and I noticed that he had put it inside the banana tree under some leaves. It looks like a little cocoon. It really is a great place where no one will look.
As I continued my workout I noticed the cows and goats grazing back behind my house in this lovely field. As I’m enjoying taking in the view, my neighbor boy next door comes into my yard. He is just such a good boy and so darn cute. He runs little errand for us from time to time for about 1000tsh(a dollar) a pop. Rosie, my friend and neighbor told me I don’t need to pay him, but I like to, and I notice she does at times too. So, here he comes and then I see him throw a rock and I walk around to see what he is throwing it at, I’m hoping not one of the dogs, and damnit, I look over and the little black doggie with the lopsided ear, who always makes me smile when I think how silly and cute he looks, is now crouching from the GD neighbor boy. I looked at him and asked, no told, him to please not throw rocks at the dog. No wonder all the damn dogs are so scared to come near people. He said ‘ok’, and walked off.
I continued on as two of my Masai friends, who have set up camp in my large compound area(yard), come back to camp. They sweetly greet me, as always and then sit under the tree. Their camp is a little shelter they have made under one of the big trees in the corner of my yard. I will write a story about Heidi’s Camp Masai another time. It is awesome how they have come to land in my yard. All my Masan’s friends now have a place to sleep, cook and hang out. I am quite impressed with how they have simply, yet creatively built a nice little space. See many of the Masai don’t have a place of their own to stay. They leave their families, usually from Arusha, in search of work. So this means they come and don’t have a place to live. They “squat” wherever they can, and it is usually in town on the street, and if they are lucky enough some people take them in and provide food and shelter in exchange for their services. Usually which are for being their day and night guards. Or, they proudly fend for themselves. They mean age is, I would guess, 22-25. Such amazing, resourceful people. I just love the Masai. I really enjoy having them around and I feel much safer because they all keep an eye out for me. Such good-hearted, sweet souls.
Pretty interesting hour of exercise, I’d say. I’m feeling incredibly grateful for this wonderful day.
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