deartraveller

My dear Érica,

What wondrous two weeks you had! It's astounding to realize how much you have learned in such a short period of time with people that have such striking differences from us but that actually helped us out throug History. And did you knew that the different colours that the Taj Mahal gains through out the day represent the different moods of women? I really must go there soon.

But speaking about colour ... do you remember all the times you mocked at me because of whiteness ? Well ... you can't mocke me anymore, because here in AFRICA the heat, despite killing me slowly, is giving me a tan almost as dusky as the owners of some of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen.

That's right, Africa! It's only the second most populous continent, right behind Asia, with a thousand millions of people, but as you can imagine a very crowded and unexpected one. When I first arrive to Tanzania ( Suaíli speaking ), through lake Tanganica, because I have Uganda and Quenia up north and Mozambique down at south, I thought I would stop my journey right here.

I didn´t had the smallest idea but the word "vudu" was brought by our nation from here! And also words like "zombie", so guess where did I entered as soon as I set foot here ? In a vudu ceremony where everybody was dressed looking a lot like zombies of course. I'm sending you some of the pictures, don't worry. I think you would have liked it, it was a lot more real then the ones we saw on that tv serie about some different cults.

I also found out that Tanzania is home for some of the most ancient human settlements, like fossils from the first human beings, found closed to the "Throat of Olduvai", up north, a place also known as the Cradle of Humankind. I visited and I absolutely loved it!

 Last but not least, the Kilimanjaro is one of the most breathtaking natural monuments I've ever seen. I can now agree with the "Lion King" is version of it. On my way to see it more closely I noticed that here food has had many influences, mainly from Europe, but natural products, vegetables and tropical fruit, that we both love, are the most found.

Missing you a lot, dancing around a fire and learning more about this amazing country that has conquered me ( and has left new varities of English to develop all over the globe. I guess both languages had influenced each other mutually too ... funny right ? ), I'll be here for one more week, waiting to read more about your next adventure.

Love,

Sara

 P.S.: I hope you bought a sari, they have the most amazing colours!