Steps to getting a driver’s license in Musoma – Andrew’s version

1. Go to local medical clinic and complete an eye exam (I don’t actually do anything for the exam; I claim I’m able to read and pay the fee).
2. Go to the police station and try to find out about taking a driving test. We end up agreeing to come back the following week to meet with the inspector and make an appointment.
3. A helpful Tanzanian guy from our office goes the next week to meet with the inspector and make an appointment for that afternoon.
4. Go get a passport photo taken and purchase four copies.
5. Go to another store and purchase a driver’s license booklet.
6. Arrive at the police station for the driver’s test.
a. Sit and visit.
b. Identify two road signs (I’ve maybe seen one or two road signs in all of Musoma).
c. Head out for the actual driving test. We go about ¼ mile and he has me pull over saying that I don’t need to complete the test. If I have an American license and can drive I’m OK.
d. Turn around and head back to the police station.
e. Learn that I need a copy of my Washington driver’s license, a copy of my passport, the passport photos I already have, and a learner’s permit.
7. Go to the Tanzania Revenue Authority building to try and obtain a learner’s permit. No luck.
8. Go back to the police station and find the inspector again, explaining our difficulties. He agrees to help us out.
9. Rush home for appropriate documentation.
10. Rush to the office to make photocopies.
11. Rush back to the police station and give the inspector the appropriate documents and fees for a learner’s permit, driving competence exam, and driver’s license.
12. A couple days later I receive a phone call that my license is ready.
13. Rush to the police station and retrieve the license.
14. Hooray, I have a driver’s license in hand after many hours, miles, and fees!!

Mr. Clive

Our House

Living room


Living room with Andrew and Betsy




Kitchen and dining room


Bedroom (there is also a guest room/office)


Bathroom Part I (outside the door in the hallway just outside the bedroom door)


Bathroom Part II (you walk through the shower area to get to the toilet)

Our Trip

We've arrived in Tanzania! It was quite the trip:
1 hour drive from Olympia to SeaTac
3 hour wait at SeaTac
8 hour flight to London
22 hour layover in London (we went to a friend's house)
8.5 hour flight to Nairobi
21 hour layover in Nairobi (we stayed at a guesthouse)
1.5 hours of getting to the bus stop, waiting for it, loading our luggage
10.5 hour bus trip to Musoma (with a lot of long stops and a border crossing)
5 minute taxi trip home (we required two taxis for us and all of our luggage!)
Home at last 75.5 hours and 5 minutes later!

2009

A simple, visual summary of 2009, a year that will hold many memories for both of us.

The Wedding Quilt

The quilt Wendy Sandeen (Andrew's mom) made for us as our wedding gift. Beautiful! Thanks, Wendy.

Last Day in America

So what does one do on one's final day (for a while) in the land of the free and the home of the brave?

I think packing tops our list. Thanks to British Airways, we get three checked bags each, so at 50 pounds per bag, that's a lot of baggage! So far we have five of our six packed, and the final one is at 30 pounds. It's full, though, so I'm trying to figure out how to take advantage of the final 20 pounds without creating much more volume! We have a vacuum-sealed space saver bag with a pillow and a quilt in it in there, so that's a fair bit of space without much weight. Andrew's mom quilted us a beautiful wedding quilt that we're happy to be taking along.

Enjoying some graham crackers dipped in melted chocolate chips is the only other major activity I'll be doing today. Andrew has some fun with friends planned for this evening.

Oh yes, and finishing our taxes... What a way to spend our final day in America, doing taxes!