Before departing for East Africa, I purchased a Nikon D90. I had wanted to experiment with a digital SLR for a long, long time, and the trip was the tipping point for me. I only had a few weeks to learn the basics (how to focus, the different shooting modes), and I still had almost no idea how to use the thing when I arrived in Kenya. Nevertheless, after 30 days I had taken some 3000 photos. Most were crap, or alternate exposures, different compositions, etc. When it’s all said and done, after editing and deleting the bad ones, I’ve got about 1500 photos from the trip. They won’t win any awards, or even come close to what a real photographer would produce, but I think they do a good job of documenting the experience.

I cannot say enough good things about the D90. It’s a wonderful camera, and very, very easy to learn the ins-and-outs of it. Today I purchased a 50mm lens for use around town. The 18 – 200mm zoom lens I used in Tanzania was great for safari and touring the countryside, but it’s a bit heavy and bulky for everyday walking around. Also essential was the Nikon lens pen, and the Zing case (hat tip to Craig for that one).

Flickr sets:

• Visiting Mary in Mombasa – my pre-CSC travels to Mombasa to visit my friend Mary.
• Safari – the team took a three day safari in Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire Park.
• Team photos and sights around Arusha and the Institute
• Visit to Arusha Primary School – the team visted the school and talked to the students one morning
• Around the IAA campus – photos I took to help them with some marketing materials, and to document the campus
• Trip into the Mangola bush – Abarani, Bakiri, me, and other took a day trip to visit a bush village near Mangola.
• Zanzibar – After I left Arusha, I spent three days by myself on Zanzibar, an island off the coast in the Indian Ocean. I explored Stone Town, Nungwi Beach, and a local spice plantation.
• Visit to Karim Childrens Centre – the team visited an orphanage in Arusha to meet and play with the 11 children there. They stole our hearts.
• Trip to Dar Es Salaam with IAA – the IT staff of the Institute of Accountancy Arusha took a three-day field trip to Dar Es Salaam. I tagged along for the fun.

And a slideshow of the highlights:

Hard to believe that my time here in Arusha is almost complete. Today is the last day of real work; tomorrow is dedicated to presentations, handshakes (the cornerstone of Tanzanian business dealings), and goodbyes. Friday is a national holiday. The team leaves on Saturday at various times to go back to their homelands. I’m staying in Arusha for the weekend to visit Mangola, a local village near Karatu, and tour a friend’s uncle’s coffee plantation. Next week I’ll head to Zanzibar for a few days, then it’s back to the States on Thursday, with a pit-stop in London.

I’m happy with what we’ve been able to acheieve as a team here, and I’m very happy with what I was able to accomplish by myself. It’ll be tough not having our daily team dinners and card sessions, or to hear Bakiri’s piercing laugh, or almost being blindsided by a speeding dala dala, but I think we’ll manage.

Happy St Patrick’s Day from Arusha, Tanzania. No green beer or rivers dyed here, but the spirit lives on.

Greetings from Arusha, Tanzania. The trip so far is going wonderfully. My time in Mombasa with Mary was much, much too short. The sights, sounds, and smells were simply overwhelming. Above you can see the view from the beach outside her apartment.

I’m in Arusha, Tanzania now with the rest of the IBM team. Everything so far is going great, and I’m really happy with the other folks. Today is the first day of work, so we’ve all got a bit of first-day-of-school jitters.

Hard to believe that it’s already departure time. Two months ago I couldn’t tell Tanzania from Ghana from South Africa. I’ve so much time reading and learning about Africa, a place I never fathomed I would ever visit on my own, let alone for work.

This afternoon I embark on 25 hours of travel, flying overnight from O’Hare to London Heathrow (9 hours), then to Nairobi (9 hours), then to Mombasa (1 hour). Last time I headed overseas I traveled in style. This time, I’m with the cattle in economy.

A friend passed this along as a going-away present. I leave you to bask in its awesomeness.

T minus 2 days and counting.