BRRRRRR.....

I'm in Oslo! I had a good trip back to Dar and got to spend some time with a few friends that evening. I went to bed at 2:30 am after finishing packing and was up again at 5:30 am to go to the airport. Typical Tanzania, the taxi ran out of gas just short of the airport. Taxis usually run on empty, and occassionally the driver will ask for prepayment so he can get gas before taking you to your destination! Anyway, after waiting 20 minutes for him to come back with gas, I left $10 equivalent in the ash tray and flagged another taxi so I didn't miss my flight! And I managed to say goodbye to everyone w/o crying :)

I spent the night on some chairs in London-Heathrow which ended up being fine with my earplugs and eyemask, and then caught an early morning flight to Oslo. Today was cold, foggy and dark in Oslo. Everyone wears black, which is so different from colorful Tanzania. I am staying with my Norwegian friend Sissel in her cute little flat. We met in '97 when I was an exchange student here, and I haven't seen her in about 8 years. After settling in, I met an American friend Luther who I also haven't seen for about 8 years. We went out for coffee at a cute little cafe, then walked around a little while and then got dinner. Despite the cold, many people are outside downtown. The main shopping street is for peds only, and there is an outdoor ice skating ring in the middle of town. There are lots of sidewalk cafes with outdoor seating - they provide blankets for customers, and sometimes heat lamps too. After dark, many open galleries and cafes put little torches outside, making points of light down the dark streets. But I'm glad to be in Sissel's cozy flat now instead of outside!