Day 59 – Saturday 27th March 2010

The electrics are fixed!

So we are off for a Muslim wedding. One of the handymen, Mashaka, is getting married today so we, and most of the clinic staff are off to the wedding. Now the best way for us to explain the fun of the day is to take you through it step by step.

We are told to arrive at the clinic at 12:30pm as we are taking some passengers.

We arrive, when I am thrust the keys to a truck and get asked to follow one of the lab technicians. I leave Armorel and go.

Where am I going?

About 45 minutes later I am in the middle of nowhere about 20 miles outside of town parked on the side of the road, with this other guy.

Suddenly a mass of people appear over a bank. It’s the wedding party. It would appear I am giving them a lift. The only concern is there is well over 100 people and two cars.

Why did I worry? They weren’t all coming.

Only 27 piled into mine. 7 inside, 18 stood on the flatbed and 2 sat on the roof of the cab.

The journey onwards was fantastic fun. The whole group singing and cheering. Only issue was no one spoke Kiswahili yet alone English.

Conversation was quiet.

We then arrive at the village of the party. My passengers disembark and then so does my guide and the other car. I am sat by the side of the road in the middle of some African village. I have no idea what is going on!

40 minutes later and after making friends with Eve, Frank and Noel, three local children who were fascinated by the car and loved being allowed to sit in it, Armorel and the rest of the staff arrived.

So onto the party. We are greeted and sit and see a number of events unfold, all with the singing of a Muslim choir. They are wearing the all blue.

Food was served. Rice, which you have to eat slowly because of the stones still in it, chicken and then some sheep. Armorel received the liver, with tubes and pipes attached. I got something a bit lower down the anatomy! (Please note: we do not intend to offend anyone with our concern at eating this lovely food, but found it hard going. Armorel had much more of her liver than I ate, as I struggled with one bite)

After the food was the giving of gifts. In true Tanzanian style you have to dance your gift up to the front and present it to the lucky couple.

We were giving a mattress!

So up I, along with Armorel and others, danced this mattress up to the front. Hilarious!

A really fascinating and fun day!