TZ Winter Amp Day 11

Day 11: Farewell, Tanzania: A Journey to Remember

We woke up with mixed feelings, as it was the last day of our Winter Amp - Tanzania trip. We had our final buffet breakfast with the team at CBD Hotel and bid farewell to Dr. Rianna as she continued to her next destination. Thanks to Damani, who initiated a beach outing as our last activity before leaving this beautiful country, we navigated through the hectic traffic of Dar Es Salaam to enjoy a serene moment at Kipepeo Beach.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by a refreshing sea breeze and the stunning horizon where the sea meets the sky. It wasn’t long before Ash, Chuck, Damani, Fahmi, and I rushed into the water, while John enjoyed reading by the ocean. We had lunch, shared stories, and relaxed under the equatorial sun, which kept us warm and dry after swimming in the salty water. Time flew, and our nearly five-hour stay at the beach felt like a blink of an eye. We headed back to the hotel to shower and prepare for our departure to the airport at 8 p.m.

We arrived at Julius Nyerere International Airport at 8:45 p.m., passing through six security and identity checks before reaching the boarding gate. At the airport, we spent time eating dinner and shopping for souvenirs, with Big Chuck, as always, being the team's biggest spender! Our flight departed at midnight local time for a nine-hour journey to Schiphol International Airport, Amsterdam. We landed to a chilly 6°C with a moderate fog warning from local authorities.

Our morning at Schiphol was busy, with each of us engaged in different activities—catching up on sleep, working on assignments, having breakfast, exploring the airport, and even visiting Amsterdam’s city center. Before long, it was time to continue our journey back to Washington, D.C. Fortunately, our flight had many vacant seats, allowing us to stretch out and rest during the trip. We arrived to a city covered in a massive white blanket of snow, with temperatures at -6°C. I was lucky to clear immigration quickly, but Ash, John, and Fahmi had to wait longer. Since it was getting dark, Chuck, Fid, and I took the metro back to the city center, heading home before we could bid farewell to the rest of the team.

The 11-day journey was well spent with great people, unique cultures, beautiful climate, and valuable new knowledge. Now, it is our responsibility to continue and expand our work for future collaborations to address global challenges. A big shout out to Dr. Rianna Murray for dedicating so much time and energy to making this trip amazing! Kudos to everyone who participated in this journey, making it a fun and memorable experience with all the laughter, conversations, and jokes!

Below Left: Waiting with Fid in Schiphol airport; Right: view from my window seat; Bottom: Beautiful sunset while we were waiting for our metro