Sweet bungalow-style house set back from the main road to Arusha in an enclosed family compound. Three "efficient" bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Cement kitchen. Will provide bed, sofa, and coffee table. Needed: stove, everything else. Bonus: get to listen to the glory of Christ over the loudspeaker at the nearby church - every day until 6 or 7 pm!
House #2:
Pepto Palace - named for the color of the exterior paint. 3 spacious bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Absolutely empty except for the horrifying smell of wood stain and paint sealed up in the house for the weeks it has been empty. Needed: furniture, security guard, gas mask.
Upon arriving at the house, we met the landlord, who had lost the key to the padlock on the outside of the exterior gate to the compound. After standing around for about 15 minutes discussing whether we could find a saw, he called over a local teen to hop over the wall and let us in from the inside, in the process demonstrating the house's "safe and secure" location on an unlit dirt road. The teen obediently and swiftly scaled the 8 foot high wall, using the gate as a ladder, in a blur of whitewashed horizontal stripes in his dark blue jeans, so fast I barely had time to read the white-lettered "Akon" written on the back of his black canvas belt.
House #3:
Safely situated across the street from a house with an armed guard, this 3 bed, 2 bath house is surrounded by a beautiful garden and spacious dirt yard. Paper tapestries of Jesus in various ministerial scenarios adorn the walls and a large stuffed dog guards the plush couches. It's a bit more expensive than our budget, but it comes with everything needed to sleep, feed, and comfort one leader and 11 gap year interns.
Which house did I choose?
After a leisurely negotiation with the landlord of House #1 and his lady, the price of the house went up $50 for including furniture. After some more leisurely negotiation, the house was swept off the bargaining table because they wanted a minimum stay of 6 months. Mine: only 3 months.
It was a tough choice between the toxic crack house and the lush Eden, but I decided to go with....
The Garden of Eden (House #3).
The interns arrive tomorrow and I couldn't ask for a better place to house them.
House #3:
Safely situated across the street from a house with an armed guard, this 3 bed, 2 bath house is surrounded by a beautiful garden and spacious dirt yard. Paper tapestries of Jesus in various ministerial scenarios adorn the walls and a large stuffed dog guards the plush couches. It's a bit more expensive than our budget, but it comes with everything needed to sleep, feed, and comfort one leader and 11 gap year interns.
Which house did I choose?
After a leisurely negotiation with the landlord of House #1 and his lady, the price of the house went up $50 for including furniture. After some more leisurely negotiation, the house was swept off the bargaining table because they wanted a minimum stay of 6 months. Mine: only 3 months.
It was a tough choice between the toxic crack house and the lush Eden, but I decided to go with....
The Garden of Eden (House #3).
The interns arrive tomorrow and I couldn't ask for a better place to house them.
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