Trying to get a parcel posted from China...

Start at the bottom and work your way up...this is a conversation Darran's been having with a lady in China with whom he ordered something on line.

This is not an email address it is my postal address

Please speak to your post office again

This is the postal address I have been usisng for two years

IT IS A POSTAL ADDRESS

Thank you

****************************** 

Dear friend,

sorry and sorry for this problem.

Because your address is email address.

so our post office didn’t send the item to your address.

so can you please send the address about your friend in your country, ok?

wait for your reply.

best regards,

***********************

I am really and truly sorry.

This is the full address I have.

There is no other address. Unless you want me to write directions to my house? There isn’t a street name or a plot number……there isn’t even a house number.

The directions if you want them are…….

Past the water board, until you reach the shop with a flag then turn right, we are the white gate on the left

Please hear me!!!!!!

I am not being smart or otherwise…..

This country I live in doesn’t have any of the items of information you are requesting.

That is why I am ordering and buying a wind generator

Darran

**********************

Dear friend,

could  you send your  Full address to us.

thank you.

best regards,

***************************

This is the address I have been using for the past two years

Pls advise that the item is sent or start to make arrangements for full refund

*******************

Dear friend,

1.      You ask us to sent the item to the following address in the paypal when you pay for the item

DARRAN PLUMB

P.O. BOX ****

ARUSHA

TANZANIA 0000

TANZANIA

+255**********

Just now our post office told us that this is an email address, so  couldn’t be send by DHL, so please give us your another address to us as soon as possible.

best regards,

************************

I want the 12volt version please

Have paid the extra amount on paypal already

The local carrier doesn’t contact by phone

+*********** just in case it works this time

Thank you

D

**********************************

Dear friend,

Thank you for buying our item.

please confirm the voltage of the item you purchased from us ,Do you need the 12V or 24V of the item .

please tell us your telephone number, when the item arrive you ,the carrier can contact you to sign for your item.

BOGGED!

Well...the rains have been here for around three weeks now bringing showers or down pours nearly every day.  Two nights ago it rained steadily throughout the night...we all jumped in the car the next morning at 8:30 to leave for a church event.

Here you can see the 'road' that we slid off...

 As we were driving along our road, we saw a narrow section where the side had begun to erode into a big sloshy mud pit.  I think at that point I received a prophetic word or something - 'we're not going to get past'.  This was exacerbated or confirmed by the fact that Darran was on the phone with Harley Byrne and not quite concentrating on the difficult task ahead. 


We crept forward with Darran still chatting...then slid. and slid. and slid.

Oh dear.

'oh dear' alright! 

Darran managed to finish his phone call saying we were in a little of a tickle.  The rest is history...with the help of interested locals we managed to get ourselves more and more bogged and eventually called our trusty Imara Driver who came to our rescue with another Landcruiser.  Needless to say the whole event took an hour, about 10-15 Tanzanians jumping up and down (both on the car and on the side of the road), one daughter on the camera and Darran in the front seat.  Oh!  And me on the side of the road biting my nails.

Enjoy the footage!  This is our THIRD attempt at getting out...

Erin :-)

Well...if a couple are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary...what would be the appropriate thing to do?

Roses?

Romantic candle lit dinner?

Cosy weekend in the forest in front of a fire?

Make a three day trek up Tanzania's 2nd highest mountain?

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

View from the bottom gate.

Well...apparently we decided the first three were weak options and decided to do the fourth...will we do that again?...we'll let you know for our 20th anniversary!!

After leaving the kids in the care two good friends of ours, we left at 8am for the Arusha National Park.  We weighed in our luggage, argued that there really wasn't any extra luggage hiding in the bushes - we honestly do travel light (porters are allowed a maximum of 20kgs each and we took only 16kgs for the both of us).

On the way...it seemed so easy!

After waiting around until midday, we finally departed under the care of our ranger 'Frances' and guide 'Joseph', a couple from Spain who had flown in only 12 hours previous and a Canadian.  The first day we both felt was difficult (neither of us have done any exercise for our year of living in Tz) ...looking back it was sooooooooo easy!!!  We started out flat looking at Buffalo, zebra's and various other animals...then it got steep.  But again...not too steep now we've done the whole thing! 

We arrived at Marikamba Huts around 5pm and had a quick wash out of a plastic bowl, ate a scrumptious filling meal, then tucked into our bunks in our little wooden cabin.

Day two we were up at dawn...got some gorgeous pictures of where we heading.  Day 1 looked mild now in comparison to Day 2!  We hike up steps...then some more steps....then some more steps.  My mind was trying to not think about what it would be like coming down!  Needless to say, we reached Saddle Hut around midday.  Darran chose to rest up for the afternoon, I decided to make the one hour climb up 'Little Meru' to get the beautiful view...and it was lovely.  After an early dinner, we slept around 8pm...only to wake -

At midnight - we rose, had some hot tea and dry biscuits, donned our back packs and prepared to summit.  It was eerie hiking in the dark, but somehow easier...you couldn't see what was ahead so it was one foot in front of the other for one...two...three...four...five hours.  We nibbled on chocolate and nuts to fight the nausea from hunger pains.  When our guide finally said - 'THERE'S THE PEAK!' we felt a rush of relief...well...that was before we saw that the peak was actually a vertical rock climb up about 6 stories! 

Were we actually serious??

We fought our tears and pain, did the climb and received the joy of reaching the top, popping a bottle of champagne for our anniversary and resting - not too long because then our toes and fingers started to freeze with the below zero temperatures!!!!

We started the trek back down the mountain at 7:30am, finally arriving back at Merikamba around 3pm to catch a car back down to the gate...I was utterly, completely exhausted and the prospect of doing that final stretch would have pushed me over the edge!

The bumpy ride back saw me car sick and having stop to relieve my stomach of the few contents that I'd pushed in there at midnight...at the gate I rested for half an hour, then we arrived home around an hour to excited children, a hot bath and an amazing bed!

Thanks for all of your congratulations and best wishes...despite the difficulty of it we now laugh!  It was definitely a memory making trip and there was no better way to share the celebration of marriage together...

Day 1...getting steep.

Day 1...steeper...

Day 1...contemplation...what have we done...

Day 1 scenery

Cabins for both nights were similar...

Dawn Day 2...looking up at Mt Meru

Looking up at Mt Meru from look out at the cabins...

Another beautiful dawn picture of Meru

Mt Kilimanjaro at Dawn...

Day 2...setting off.

The path...the scenery...all so beautiful.

Beautiful countryside.

Much needed rest...few and far between...

Steps steps and more steps

Top of Little Meru - looking across at Big Meru

Day Two walking with Kilimanjaro Views.

Top of Little Meru

End of Day 2...at the base of little Meru...feeling tired.

We have to hike up there tonight?

Looking down from Little Meru - second huts.

The last stretch before the peak...sigh...

On top of the world with our guide Joseph

At the top!

Mt Meru named Socialist Peak (good ol politics)

On top of the world...and cold!!!

Just arrived...still darkish but sun coming up...COLD!

Incredible shadow of the mountain over the valley.

Relief...oh! We have to head down now???

The moon shaped bluey white thing is ice...

Heading down...hard to believe we walked this at night...

Looking down into the crater...

Amazing scenery...so hard to walk on...

We had to follow the painted green rocks...up...up...up...

Well...if you've looked at the photos all the way until the end you deserve to see the video of us celebrating at the peak!!!!  I know it should be of scenery etc but...oh well...maybe another time another day!

Oh dear...another accident.

In a place where driving is an interesting affair, I'm honestly surprised we've not been involved in more pranks.  Obviously God's sending his angels to help us avoid a whole lot that we're not seeing...

Yesterday however, was my turn.  The rough dirt road that normally leads to the kids school is currently closed to reinforce a bridge.  The other dirt road had a truck broken down so I was unable to pass there...the kids therefore led me to yet another road that has turned out to be alot faster and alot less...well...dirt road!

So, whilst travelling up this...less dirt road but narrow road...a coaster sized yellow school bus decided to come the other way.  He must have been a little late as it was moving a little fast!  The normal etiquette even in Tanzania is slooooow down when you are about to reach a narrow part in the road AND pass another car at the same time.  I think he must have skipped that day at driving school though....

I slowed and slowed...and slowed....and slowed....he didn't.  I had to absolutely stop as I was stuck with a tree on my left and a big coaster on my right.  Praise God he did no damage to me, but on my rear tow bar, he scraped a big nasty scratch about two feet tall and two meters long down the side of his - or should I say - his boss's car.

SO in Australia, you call the cops, they sort it you move on.  Here I call my Tanzanian friend to come HELP!, my Australian friend to get the kids from school I've not reached, then I lock the car, breath and get ready to face the music.

No matter if it's my fault or not....I'm white...so it's my fault...AND I've got money so I can fix it! 

To cut a long story short, my Tanzanian friend arrived.  We sat around talking for about an hour, witnesses came back and forth each telling different lies and truths.  The owner of the bus got on the phone and shouted that there were one hundred witnesses who saw me deliberately crash into her car and I WOULD PAY.  Hmm....I said...please talk with my friend.

In the end, God prompted one of the teachers on the school bus to give an honest account of what happened.  She told this to the owner of the bus...and ten minutes later everyone got up and walked drove off.

These are scary situations...you never know if at one word, people are going to all of a sudden turn angry.  I don't want to live my life in fear, but I'm vividly aware of the way people deal with 'crime' (or innocent people) with their own social justice.  A white person offers no exception!

Today I'll buy lunch for my Tanzanian friend who came and negotiated for me.  It's really best in these situations for me to stay out of it.  I may know Swahili, but I don't know how to talk with the people about these sorts of things.  They never raise their voice or get angry...I would get too upset.

Thank you for everyone who is praying...God truly does protect and justify us!!

Grace Ladies Gifts to Us...

HI Grace Ladies!!

Thank you so much for your thoughtful gifts sent for Christmas.  It was such a thrill to receive it quickly (other packages are still waiting to arrive sent last february) and the Post Office didn't charge any tax or ask to open the box (which is normally inevitable) so many prayers must have been accompanying the box...

The children were definately ecstatic, and Darran and I were totally blessed out of our socks.  The kids are still playing with texta's, craft, wearing the new hair bands etc...there was nothing that was not appreciated!!

So...thank you.  And may God truly open His blessings on you for your thoughtfulness and blessings given to us.

Enjoy the piccies!!