Tanzania Mania! Dar Es Salaam

DAR ES SALAAM - The beginning of my 'real' African experience.
Michael drove Sharon and I back to Jo'burg airport on Mon 5th Jan -
to fly to Dar Es Salaam - a major city on the coast of Tanzania.
The travelling took the whole day - we didnt arrive in Dar till after
8pm. Exiting the airport was an experience in itself. I wasn't sure
what to expect - but had been warned by Sharon of the "touts"
who prey on the bewildered tourists, offerring them them the
best deals for taxi's and accommodation, and are generally not to
be trusted. I was glad to have Sharon there - she knew enough
swahili to get these dudes out of our hair! We found a respectable
looking taxi driver, Sharon bargained a price, and we were driving
off into the dark streets of Dar Es Salaam. We ended up in a
poorly lit, rundown, dirty, alleyway crowded in by concrete
- accompanied by an attack of nerves! I thought that obviously the
driver had made a mistake, and taken us to the wrong place.
But, no, this was going to be the area we called 'home' for a few
nights. We had a bit of a mix up with the hotel we thought we
had booked, and it turned out there was no room for us there,
but thankfully the hotel around the corner, (in an even seedier
looking building) had room - only just - we had to share a double
bed.

Dar Es Salaam is hot and muggy. The hotel room had a ceiling fan
and a window, but both did not offer any recluse from the heat.
The room was all concrete, old and run down, but clean enough.
The bathroom had a falling apart western style toilet and a shower
(or more like a tap from the ceiling). Despite the sweat, heat,
thick air, and city sounds, we both managed to sleep well.

The next day, some of our plans changed. Sharon was to head
back to Monduli for work, and I was going to travel to Zanzibar
(an Island off Dar's coast) for a night. We spent the day wondering
around Dar, and organising travel arrangements. I realised that
this 'seedy' part of town was what Dar was like generally. I didn't
feel completely safe, and it was hard to walk around in obscurity
- since white people are quite a phenomenon. There are more
men on the streets than women, and they all call out as you walk
by. Some in Swahili, and others in English.
We needed to book a ferry for me to get to Zanzibar, and headed
down to the port. All the travel guides warn of the 'tout's' hanging
around at the port, jumping on poor unsuspecting tourists.
As soon as we were in the vincinity, we had men of all ages
surrounding us and offerring help, 'good' deals, peanuts,
and water - all to basically rip you off. They are quite a nuisannce,
and thankfully Sharon delt with them. I guess it is their way of
making a quid, but I think it turns people off more than anything.

Most the roads in Dar Es Salaam are just rubble - very rare to
find a sealed road. The buildings are grotty, old with urban decay.
Rubbish is everywhere - from food scraps and bits of junk to
large piles of smelly trash. Everything feels dirty. The cars
fill the roads, honking noisly and adding to the smell and pace
of the city. They do not stop for pedestrians, so it is almost life
threatening to cross a road!
As we walked the streets of the city, I noticed something that
is generally the case with all Tanzanians. Despite the squallor,
cluttered, dirty living, most people - and especially the women
- dress extremely well and seem to take pride in their
appearance. The women are beautiful in their long intricately
designed 'tanga's' (skirts). It is offenssive in Tanzania for women
to show their knees and shoulders, so all their skirts and dresses
are ankle length.