Came back early from Bend, though had a great time! As hellmutt can attest, it started raining cats and dogs so we decided to cut it short and save the vacation time for later.

So I came back to work a day early and they tell me they want me to go to Tanzania. This is NOT in my job description.

From our very own US State Dept:

CRIME: Crime is a serious problem in Tanzania, and visitors should be alert and cautious. Street crime in Dar es Salaam is common and includes mugging, vehicle theft, "smash and grab" attacks on vehicles, armed robbery, and burglary. Crime involving firearms is becoming more common. A series of robberies involving increasing levels of violence has occurred along the coast and in Zanzibar and Pemba. Robbers have held up tour buses [A guy at my work had this happen to him there!] and dive boats at gunpoint. Several of these incidents have resulted in injuries to tourists. Thieves and pickpockets on buses and trains steal from inattentive passengers.

Rapes involving tourists are also an increasing concern. Female travelers are warned to avoid walking alone after dark.

Yeah. Not what I had planned for this year. I know this could be a great experience etc but I just don't know if going into a demillitarized country is really the right thing for an American white female to be doing right now. Not to mention the terrorist attack in '98. I'm going to play the "my family is worried about my safety and health" card tomorrow to see if I can get out of this. Wish me luck. Sorry I don't have time for journals but will get to them this weekend. Things have been crazy for me the last couple of months and they seem to be escalating. Again, wish me luck tomorrow....

PS - shera is so fucking hot!