Cashew--Gesundheit! Also, South Africa!

A cashew fruit and nut

 

Or in Swahili you say, 'maisha marefu' ('long life') when someone sneezes. Our last stop in Tanzania was Mtwara. We busied ourselves with our final fueling, provisioning, and other preparations to leave for South Africa (including the usual multi-step process of checking out of the country). While in line for the ATM, Matt met Maria, the co-owner of a cashew factory. She generously invited us to tour the factory.

The Many Faces of Tanzania

Tanga anchorage

We met a Tanzanian woman named Happy (isn't that a great name?). She visited Europe for the first time a couple years ago and although she enjoyed it, she explained why she wouldn't want to live there. In Tanzania, even though people don't have much, they will help as much as they can you if you are in need. Contrast this with Europe, where people expect themselves and others to be self-sufficient. If someone needs help, the government might help, but the culture is not one of widely sharing.