Moshi, in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, 2002
Remember the time when a photograph was something we held in our hands, waited for weeks to see and then painstakingly arranged in albums we could touch? Or in my case, at least, stuffed them in a cardboard box somewhere with great plans to do all that at some vague point in the future.
Travel blogger Heather from Heather on her Travels posted a student photograph of her visit to Papua New Guinea last week and it got me thinking about my own pre-digital archives.
This photo, of an average road in Moshi, reminds me of one of my most important journeys, one that challenged and stretched me in many different ways yet still left an imprint on my soul and a desire to carry on travelling.
I lived here for two months, as a medical student in the paediatric unit, learning about poverty, death, corruption and hope. I also hauled my exhausted body to the summit of Kilimanjaro and studied Swahili on safari as well as on the wards.
In fact, I’ve enjoyed looking at this so much that perhaps, like Heather, I’ll introduce a few more of these golden oldies…
I love that picture, the town looks so cute and the mountain behind it is just amazing
And you got to see Kilimanjaro with snow on it as well. Your time in Kenya must have been very rewarding. Thanks for sharing.
What an amazing experience. I would love to see some more of the oldies pictures!
Definitely on my list of places to go.
The instant gratification of digital photography is a bit overwhelming at times – I’m drowning in images I don’t have time to sort through!
Don’t get me started on Kenya! – that was the summer before I went to Papua New Guinea. We were in the western highlands, but my favourite time was on Lamu on the coast, so much that I just had to go back with husband and kids some years later.
OK, then, here’s to golden oldies!
Moshi’s the other side of Kilimanjaro – in Tanzania rather than Kenya (a lesson for me to put a bit more information in with the photo next time!)
DO get started on Kenya – Heather. I’d love to read about your time in the highlands.
I remember those pre-digital days…that’s when I did a great chunk of travelling. Sadly, developing film was expensive for me, so I don’t have lots of them :(
Expensive – plus having to find and haul around rolls of film without them getting lost or wet or damaged by the sun. How times have changed! Now I come back with hundreds (all right,thousands) of photos from each place.