Reflections on Tanzania






KERIN - Tantalising Tanzania! The moment you enter Tanzania you can see that it's a wealthier, more prosperous country. From the good condition of their roads, infrastructure, housing, their waistlines and the sheer number of motorbikes and cars on the road. Compared to Mozambique where the prominent mode of transport is bicycle. A bicycle in Mozambique costs 4400 Mets ( R995 ). Poverty certainly exists but the Tanzanians rely more on trade than charity. The roads are always teeming with children on their way to and from school in the tropics. I would have been in my element as a kid to go to school in flip-flops. Tanzanians are definitely better educated. Interestingly, Primary school is taught in Kiswahili and secondary school is taught in English.

I absolutely love Tanzania. I love the country and I love the people. Oh, did I mention the roads? I did? I LOVE the roads. After Mozambique it felt like the autobahn. With the exception of one or two people, we felt warmly welcomed by everybody. Swahili is not an easy language to learn and they like to practice their English so learning is slow progress. Aside from the very expressive greeting "Jambo" and "Hakuna Matata" (no worries),  my favourite word is 'Karibu' or 'Karibu sana' (you are welcome/very welcome). It is the word you hear most frequently, accompanied by a friendly smile and you do, indeed, feel welcomed in their country. 

One of the few negative interactions we had was with a beach vendor in Dar es Salaam. On day 1, we didn't buy a coconut from him and we were told repeatedly to "go home". And so his attire and demeanor aptly earned him the nickname 'Coconut Cowboy'. We did subsequently support him. Fresh coconut water is the next best thing to an ice cold beer on a hot day. 

When we crossed the border into Tanzania the officials failed to fingerprint us. We would later discover that this is necessary in order to purchase a local sim card. Only in Africa can you get assistance from the local police to obtain an illegal sim card. Thank you, Alfred (not his real name), from Mbamba Bay Police Department for helping to keep us connected.
  
As is the nature of life, it became time to move onto the next chapter. Where to next?

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