Tag Archives: dar es salaam

Tanzania – Day 4 – Transition

Today was all about getting to Arusha, the starting point for our safari.  We needed to start early to catch the ferry, to catch the cab, to catch the plane.  Probably one of my least favorite places in Tanzania is the ferry dock.  Huge crowds.  And so many people to carry so few bags.  Ten thousand shillings… ten thousand shillings… ten thousand shillings for everyone!  Oh, that’s not enough?  Twenty thousand shillings!  I later found out that I was way over-tipping.  It was difficult dealing with the onslaught of “help” so early in the morning, but we managed.

After we made the crossing to Dar es Salaam (DAR) and the mainland, we found George (our first taxi driver).  It was nice seeing him waiting for us because he was quite friendly and spoke really good English.  As it turned out, we had more than enough time to make our transitional flight so George took us to an upper-end hotel on the peninsula for breakfast.  The crepes were excellent and the views, spectacular!

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Following breakfast we took a detour through one of the more impoverished neigborhoods of DAR.  Unlike the slums we are used to seeing in Detroit where the streets often seem desolate, these were packed with people and activity.  It is difficult to imagine the conditions that so many have actually grown accustomed to living in.

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After a long day of travel, we transitioned from the coastal region of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam to the country’s interior on the northeast side of Tanzania.  Our flight out of the old, primitive airport of DAR took us to the remote airport in Arusha.  Although it is within a few minutes of the cities 1.5 million people, it certainly gave the impression that we were deep within the heart of Africa.  The trip was particularly unique as it was the first flight I’ve had on a commercial twin-engine turboprop airplane that was very capable of carrying 78 deodorantly deficient people.  Taylor and I laughed about how some many of these passengers must have been nicknamed “Bo”.

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Our final hotel before the safari was the Mount Meru Hotel, a five-star all the way — the finest in all of Arusha.  We engaged in a little downtime by the pool and then a delicious dinner at one of their fine restaurants.  Dad ordered the chef’s beef stew with ugali on the side.  Ugali is somewhat considered a national dish in Tanzania and is often served with beef, chicken, or fish prepared in different ways.  Its essentially a thick porridge made of corn meal and has the appearance and texture of a large dumpling, perhaps.  It’s taste was of bland, finely ground grits and strangely reminded us of unsalted cauliflower.

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We ended the evening with a lot of emotions.  Taylor was feeling homesick and missed Paul; I was missing Beth.  But after a little video chat with our loved ones, we had felt better.

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Tanzania – Day 1 – Arrival

The flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi was to be aboard the new Boeing 787 (the Dreamliner).  It was nice a plane, but honestly, it was just another plane filled with people of all types sharing one common thing… a lack of deodorant use.

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We arrived on the African continent with little fanfare, grandeur, shock or awe.  The touchdown at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi was well before sunrise so there really wasn’t much to see from the plane.

With a connection to Dar es Saalam in a few hours later that morning it made no sense for us to venture outside the airport.  Besides the time constraints, we have also developed (from somewhere) an impression that Nairobi was not the safest place to be.  I believe there was a terror attack on a shopping mall a few years ago that left dozens of people dead.  Normally I might throw a little caution to the wind, but this time I feel the need to be a little more vigilant in looking after my little blonde haired princess.

Our final flight to reach Dar es Salaam was short an uneventful except for the awesome sighting of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain.  Poking through the layer of clouds, you could see all of its glory which drove the reality that we have arrived at a place where many adventures had taken place.  We will certainly find our own adventures on this trip.

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We disembarked the plane and entered the small, outdated airport with poor ventilation and air conditioning.  It was everything I would have hoped to find in an East African airport.  The VISA application process was a bit confusing, but certainly not a deterrent.  After paying our $100 per person fee, we received our VISAs , collected ALL of our luggage and headed for the exit.  Outside the airport doors was a scene much like what you’d find in any other lesser developed country.  Hundreds of taxi drivers all begging for your fare.

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We met George, our driver, who was to take us to the docks where we would take a ferry to Zanzibar.  Having 3 hours to kill we first drove to the port  to buy our tickets.  For an extra $25 per person we were able to upgrade to “Royal Class”.  Afterward, George took us to an really nice upscale hotel restaurant which probably no African could afford.  Although my usual desire is to seek out the traditional or exotic food, it was kind of nice for all of us after 2 long days of travel to choose from a typical American style menu.

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Returning to the port we were met with a swarm of young black men, all dressed in yellow florescent vests, piling up around the car vying for our business.  It was very intimidating knowing that we all had to get out and walk through the craziness.  Everyone of them wanted to carry our bags, show us the easy route, and make sure we got to the right boat.    It was insanely chaotic, and although I was feeling quite annoyed and a little overwhelmed, I didn’t really feel a sense of danger — I still kept Taylor within my reach.

Reaching the point of embarkation, we were confronted with a big problem — all of our tickets were dated for the following day.  We were told to exit the port and go back to the ticket office to exchange the tickets, but there was concern that it would take too long and that we’d miss the boat (which already had our luggage onboard).  Fortunately, we were able to convince them to allow us onboard even with the incorrectly dated tickets.  The two hour ferry ride a bit rough, but very comfortable.

20160721_160355Did I mention we purchase “Royal Class” tickets?

Arriving at Stone Town, Zanzibar Island, we had more confusion and more herds of people to work our way through in order to get our luggage and clear customs.  I’m not entirely certain why Zanzibar puts you through the whole immigration process as it is part of the same country of Tanzania.

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A short taxi ride through the streets of Stone Town and we’d arrived at our first hotel, The Tembo House.  After nearly 48 hours of travel, we were all ready for a place to drop our bags, a hot shower and a place to sleep horizontally.

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