Dear Mom,

Just got back from Arusha and saw Vince. He gave me a lot of your news and a first hand account of the funeral, etc.

I traded the Austin truck to one of the priests for a Volkswagen Bus. Its seven years old but has a reconditioned motor in it. The back is really fixed up perfectly for my work. In fact it’s luxurious – a double bed with a five inch foam mattress, which folds up into a seat, formica table, stove, and refrigerator (I’m sure at the moment I have the only ice cubes within a radius of one hundred miles). It has a built in-speaker, which I have my tape recorder hooked up to. I’ve slept in it a few times already and has the only bed I’ve seen so far in our places that it’s hard to get out of in the morning. I’m living better on safari than I do at home.

The house has been packed with people all day. I slaughtered a bull this morning and as is customary during the dry months, the news of fresh meat travels with the wind, so we’ve been eating all day. Part of it, never as much as I would like, went into our kerosene freezer.

You asked about clothes – I could use shirts, heavy socks and shoes (the ankle high walking shoes like you would buy for hunting). That would be great.

Love,

Ned