What I missed (and didn't miss) about Dar es Salaam

by - Sunday, August 21, 2016

After six weeks of vacation, it was time to go back to Bongo. Of course, this required some adjustments. Here's what I missed…and certainly didn't miss about Dar.


What I missed:
1.       The weather in August
Coming from 90 degree plus hot and humid North Carolina summer days, the winter in Dar es Salaam was a welcome change. 80 degrees, a sea breeze from the Indian Ocean, hardly any rain. This is the place to be during most winters, and summers for that matter.


2.       Food
Pineapples and coconuts. Mouthwatering, even though the pineapples seem to be smaller at this time of the year. Add to that the small shops that sell hummus and babaghanouj, and voila, there's your vitamin intake: inexpensive, but very nutritious, not to mention very delicious.


3.       Concerts at Coco Beach
It's kind of nice sitting on your balcony, drinking a beer, and hearing the African rhythms coming in with the sea breeze from nearby Coco Beach. I can think of people who don't like this so much, simply because they seem to live within a few blocks of Coco Beach, but not me.


4.       The Indian Ocean
People are blessed to be living here, especially on the peninsula. But even (or especially) beyond Dar, it's just an incredible presence. I have already written about Tanzania's beaches and their staggering beauty, and the same still holds true. I love watching the ferry heading to Zanzibar chugging past my house every day.


5.       Mambo!
Just the simple greeting from strangers as you're walking down the street. This is (or should be) understood by anybody here, white mzungus included.


What I didn't miss:


1.       Traffic
Too many people driving blindfolded, too many people who won their driver's license in the lottery, too many people who would be better off with horse and carriage.


2.       Food
All right, so this was the same item on 'things I missed'. But the fact is, people still undercook the meat (fit only for certain creatures of the Serengeti) and overcook the pasta. It's all a matter of taste, I guess. It sure isn't mine.


3.       The complete absence of the term 'customer service'
Whereas anywhere in the west, people will greet you in a shop or a salon, here people still look at you as if you were an intruder razing their houses. I seriously wonder what the store owners (if indeed they are one and the same) would think about the ensuing absence of business this attitude entails.


4.       Being a mzungu
Of course, the pin wheel hat here is sold separately. Here is the mzungu, so here is an opportunity for us natives to rip you off while doing the minimal (or no) work for it.


5.       The fake Maasais
These are the ones guarding the parking lots, usually at some shopping center. Frankly, I still don't know what their function is, because I'm not aware of any real work they're doing. Wait, they do guard the parking lots, so let's hit the reverse button here. More about them later.

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