Blogs from Dar es Salaam, East, Tanzania, Africa

My fascination with Ethiopia began in 2007, learning from the Rastaman in Kenya. I spent most of that year living in Kenya, and a lot of that time walking far and wide around the area north of Mombasa, reasoning with this Rastaman or that Rastaman. Some of the old "Burning Spears" I met were remnants from the Mau-Mau days and had not trimmed their locks since the war against the British began in the 1950s! These men told me many stories about Ethiopia, about Emperor Haile Selassie I, and about the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. It was because of their stories that I first went to attend an Ethiopian church service in Seattle that year. Since then, I have come to know very many Ethiopians in my home area of Seattle, where we have a ... read more

This is basically a Dar es Salaam photo dump. We had a whirlwind trip to Dar and did so much in only a short time. These photos are all from like the first 3 or 4 days! We came upon this great Tanzanian chalk artist illustrating an image of some children breaking through from the other side of a TV. The TV doesn't talk about the real issues, but they want to bring them up. Chelly and had a date night at a top-notch beach bar at Coco Beach (Oyster Bay). Wow. She's beautiful. I got so lucky. The place is called Wavivu Kempu and you can see some photos here of the vibe there and the excellent tapas plates with fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean. I loved this "Get Shape, Be Fit" poster that ... read more

Ich übernachte seit Donnerstag in Dar bei den Benediktinern, die ein Gästehaus haben. Ich hatte nicht angerufen, in der Annahme, dass da eh keiner hingeht, aber mir wurde dann mitgeteilt, dass sie voll sind. Ich war entsetzt, denn es war grauenhaft gewesen, durch Dar zu fahren. Laut Karte ganz einfach, aber in der Praxis ein Alptraum: Einbahnsstraßen, Fußgängerzonen, und Baustellen, als ob sie die ganze Stadt gleichzeitig um- und ausbauen wollten. Und natürlich Stau, immer und überall. Dazu 30 °.Als mir der Bruder Sowieso also mitteilte, dass sie keinen Platz für mich hätten, war ich verzweifelt. Nochmal rumfahren? Welch ein schrecklicher Gedanke. Dann sagte er plötzich, sie hätten schon noch Zimmer, aber ohne eigenes Bad. War mir egal, her damit. Und dann führte er mich in ein kleines Haus mit vier separaten Gästezimmern, alle mit eigenem ... read more

So, Dar Es Salaam is not the capital city of Tanzania? Well, you learn something every day. It sure looks like a capital! It turns out that Dodoma is the actual capital but Dar is where everything happens. We opted for a bit of comfort for our stay in the city. The Tanzanite Executive Suiteswas certainly that. We had a MASSIVE suite complete with its own kitchen - not that we used it other than for washing our clothes and utilising the fridge! It was a very good choice ahead of some of the backpacking hardships we were anticipating in the weeks to come. The hotel is located very close to the city's main mosque. Although the country is not specifically Muslim, this area is. Several other mosques were in close proximity but we were never ... read more

A lizard runs by with his tail cut off. I wonder whether it hurt. Was it a mean man with a machete, or an attempted bird attack? He scurries under a tropical bush, lush with brightly colored flowers. Perspective. My own tail, often between my legs, but sometimes cut off entirely, is irrelevant when there’s a safe space to which I return. For the last two weeks, I have been stuck in Dar es Salaam at Peace Corps discretion because of the continued security incidences in my village. Even after having two girls occupy my outdoor kitchen area when I’ve been away, thieves managed to break through my bedroom windows. They cut the locks on my valuables case, and somehow scaled the walls to unlock various doors after finding my hidden keys. Solar panels, jewelry, and ... read more