Penguin Resort - find your happines

I have finally arrived – not to my childhood home, but to my childhood town. The house my parents live in now, is not the house where grew up, but this house is nicer, bigger and better. I love it here, and it feels like home.

My flight yesterday went quite well, with little turbulence, no delays and decent airplane food. From Amsterdam, the plane was packed with American tourists going to Arusha, where they would spend the night before setting out on exciting safari’s into Tanzanian wildlife. I hope 8-or-9 year old Chase and his family will have a great trip, and that Chase will behave… I noticed his  ADHD tendencies and overheard his extended family discussing who pulled the shortest straw in reference to who would sit beside him. I must admit I felt sorry for him when I heard their completely unhidden and very negative talk about him. I will also commend him for behaving very well the entire flight (and throw in that I heard his parents agree that he had done well… but why didn’t they tell him that?)

I came through immigration quickly, collected my luggage (which must have passed me at least twice before I recognized it – I was tired and had a headache), and went out to find Hefely, who took me home to my waiting parents. Hefely is an excellent driver, speeding away into the darkness, managing the car around trucks with no rear-end lights, people on the side of the road and numerous motorcycles with headlights that literally blinded me. I know the Tanzanian countryside, but still, the darkness of the night surprised me and the amount of visible stars fascinated me. The smell of Tanzania was just as I had expected – warm, sweaty and mildly spicy.

As we drove into Arusha, I enjoyed reading the signs along the way, as electricity became the main source of light again. I always enjoy reading signs in whatever country I visit, and I especially enjoy the creativity with which the Tanzanians name hotels, bars, shops and buses. I will attempt to post some as I find them, but I remember in particular the Hallelujah Express bus, thinking to myself that it would be appropriate to burst into Hallelujah’s if one actually survived a trip in that bus.

But yesterday I passed Snow Crest Hotel (mind you, we are quite close to the equator here…), the View Point Hotel (if one fancies the view of dirty houses, small random shops, insane traffic and dirt sidewalks), but what really made me smile was the Penguin Resort – find your happiness  sign. My youngest daughter has a fondness for penguins (thank you, Happy Feet), and as we all know, penguins are the keepers of happiness, and of course, they are to be found in huge numbers here in Arusha, Tanzania, East Africa.