Six weeks into the adventure that is Tanzania, I have
compiled a list of the best things I like about the country so far. Note here
that I have yet to travel yet, to places like Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti
or Zanzibar, so my overall assessment in that field will have to wait. So here
we go, the best things about Dar es Salaam and Tanzania, in no particular
order.
1.
People
The foreigner will be shocked at how outgoing people are
here. You will have perfect strangers wish you a good morning, afternoon, or
evening, and mean it. Once I had a person simply wave to me, and the nearby guard
at a building told me he couldn’t speak because he just had a tooth pulled!
Amazing. Laid back? Anybody in California or the Caribbean looks a like remote
controlled killer drone next to these people here.
2.
The Ocean/Beach
After so many years of mountains, I actually cherish the
water for a change. It certainly helps that it’s very close to where we live,
but consider this: along Toure Drive, it’s a long white strip of beach, not
crowded, and with that gentle breeze that helps to remove the sting from the
searing heat at times. I would not recommend downtown beaches: does 21 clowns
packed in a VW bug ring a bell here? Tuna fish or sardines stuffed in a can?
The entire city of Tokyo? Especially on the weekends, the foreigner will truly
learn about the term ‘crowded’ if they insist on visiting downtown beaches.
Best to head to Coco Beach around Oyster Bay.
3.
Fish
Meats here are not cheap, and—let’s face it—of questionable
quality. Let’s ditch the quality here altogether, how about of questionable origin? I know that sounds like a third
world stereotype, but it isn’t meant to be. Eggs here, for example, are fed
with fish scraps, which is why eggs taste kind of fishy. That might be heaven
on earth for dolphins, but as a human being I do like to eat eggwhites that
smell and taste like eggs. The sausages here? Ugh. I’ve heard about beef and
pork sausages, but are we missing an unknown critter here that is getting
whacked for the privilege of sitting in the frozen food section in the
supermarket in its next life (vulture, hyena, python)? The fish itself is
superb here and relatively cheap compared to most meats. Red snapper is the way
to go, with the tilapia coming in at a close second. I’ve felt a lot better
physically since arriving in Tanzania. Do you think eating plenty of fish has
anything to do with that? You better believe it.
4.
The Bajaj
Named after the company that made them: The bajaj, also
known as an auto rickshaw, or the perfect transportation through town. Cheap,
quick, and no need to curse out the broken air conditioner. It is fuel
efficient, and zips through the streets with a stunning, sound busting,
supersonic nine horse power engine. I
can picture bajaj drag racing already.
5.
Clothes
Light, colorful. Remember the one piece garments, the shukas I mentioned a few posts ago? No jacket required,
as Phil Collins used to say. And speaking of the 80’s: as much as certain people
will want to make fun of the 80’s, I declare that color in clothes is not such
a bad thing. It certainly gives the people here an extra spring in their steps,
and it shows. It’s a much happier place when people don’t have to insist on
politically correct colors: gray, white, black, beige…as exciting as a
funeral. Heck, dressed like that, you might just actually be at a funeral. That is, if you’re not at a robot convention. Selling sweaters here is as ridiculous as selling fire insurance on the North Pole.
0 comments