The first 48 hours: Long plane rides, Swiss Alps Views and Giraffe sightings

Karibu Tanzania (Welcome to Tanzania) is the warm welcome we’ve received since the minute we stepped off the plane in Dar es Salaam....we made it! 20 hours on a plane, 11 on a bus coupled with an 8 hour time change and jet lag is no easy task but the girls traveled like pros. Our 2 hour layover in Switzerland was a breath of fresh air (literally) when we found the observatory deck on top of the airport and caught some beautiful Swiss Alps views between flights. After a few hours of sleep in Dar, we were off to Iringa, the town we are lucky to get to call home for the next 3 weeks. 11 hours on the bus might not sound so fun, but don’t feel bad for us yet....as our ride included our first Tanzanian sunrise and Giraffe sightings in Mikumi National Park! Today’s schedule was packed with exploring their new town, Swahili class and a sunset hike to Gangilonga Rock. Everyone has moved in with their host families and tomorrow morning we start our service project, let the soccer (I mean futbol) begin!