Sunday 2018-May-27, Mass, Swimming, and Dinner Out

It has been a relaxing day. I worked out some schedule details for classes this week, then everyone went to the 11:00 mass at the Catholic Church in Bagamoyo. The 11:00 mass is the Children's Mass. It was delightful. There is a primary boarding school here run by the Spiritan Father and some nuns. The children processed into the church very orderly, and filled the front rows. The priest was really good with the children, clearly addressing them. All of the attendant were schoolchildren. The reading were done by the children.

The Children's Mass

Most amazing was the choir led by very serious and enthusiastic 10 year old boy. The singing was not as polished as last week's Bishop's mass, but they were talented. Two boys played drums in a very local style, girls occasionally whooped out, and ululations punctuated the singing from time to time. It was very moving. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God belongs to such as these," and they transported us there during the Mass.

Swimming

The swimming really is determined by the tides. The slope here is very shallow, so if it is not near high tide, you can't really swim. High tide today was at 3:00 PM, perfect for swimming after lunch. By the time Kim and I changed and got down to the beach, most of the students had swum and were sunbathing. We swam and bobbed in the warm Indian Ocean for at least an hour. Three of the students played pirates by taking over an unoccupied boat. 

Kim and I started listing the places we have swum: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, now the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of California, The Gulf of Mexico, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, the South China Sea. We also went paddling in Glacier Bay and the Juneau Fiord.

After swimming, we relaxed in one of the huts for a while, before going back to the Hotel to get ready for dinner.

Dinner at The Firefly

The Firefly is a very cool, "chill" place to hangout. "Our main mission is to maintain an eco-friendly hotel, by avoiding use of unnecessary waste." They have rooms, a campground, restaurant, bar, and shop. Many of the students went down early to hang out before dinner.

The Duquesne advisors joined us for dinner. Dinner was served around a very crowded table and the food was the best since we've been in Tanzania. They made a fresh avocado & tomato salad, tender beef on skewers, grilled chicken, and creamy potato salad. 

They brought in a special band for us that played traditional Tanzanian music. A two minute video is posted at this link: https://youtu.be/m2R8O3ZjsYI.

After dinner we stayed for a while, then went back to the Stella Maris to set up the telescope to look at the Moon. Many of the students and the visiting advisors came up. The Moon is getting close to full, so not many stars or the Milky Way were visible. We did get good views of the Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn, though. I love being up on the roof here. It is beautiful here.