It took two long, tiring days of travel to reach my destination, but upon exiting the airport I instantly knew it was all worth it. My first solo adventure abroad and fuck was I thrilled. Having finally arrived in Tanzania, the excitement of what’s coming is bubbling up inside me. Arriving in Dar Es Salme, the capital city of Tanzania and the furthest I’d ever been out of my comfort zone. The moment you step off the plane into the sweltering night heat, I knew I was in for the adventure of a lifetime. Going through customs was an experience! The Dar Es Salem Airport customs is located down a dingy set of stairs which leads to a barren room with a few tables and blue customs cards everywhere. Forced to figure out the customs card written in French, I muddled through, hoping they’d accept it. Then time to get in line for my visa, which comprised handing the person behind the counter a crisp, new $100 bill - USD, of course, and getting my fingerprints taken. Feeling completely out of place, I realized there were no bag carousels, just an enormous pile of bags tossed in a corner. Sorting through the pile, I found my bag and made my way into the unknown.
Once through customs with my luggage in tow, my instructions were to find the man with a sign that had my name… easier said then done! Upon exiting the airport you are greeted with dozens of people shouting out names and waving signs in the air.
The journey to the hotel was a whirlwind of excitement. The driver sits on what most Americans would consider the wrong side of the car and they drive on the wrong side of the road! I felt like Alice when she went through the looking glass, upside down. Other fun road rules in Tanzania or lack of, I should say, no street signs, lights or speed limit from what I could see. It felt very Mad Mex though that may have been due to jet lag and the fading sun. On the way to the Kipepeo Beach and Village Resort the car halted, and the driver turned the car off. Silently waiting in the growing darkness, the sound of sirens grew louder and ten large black SUVs flanked by a dozen cop cars raced past. My fears that this was the end turned out to simple be Hillary Clinton’s car brigade to her hotel nearby. It was a strange experience being alone in a foreign place with no clue what was going on.
The night ended with a wonderful greeting from professor Larlham at the Kieppeo Beach Resort and a nightcap. The room is certainly no five-star accommodations, but I was too tired to care.
Day One:
Waking up to the sound of waves rolling in is quite possibly the most relaxing experience in the world. The balcony provides a stunning view of the white sand beach and turquoise waters below. I spent the day enjoying the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and soaking up the sun with a gin and tonic in hand.
Day Two:
Waking up at 4am is never fun, but the sounds of the local people calling for worship at dawn were invigorating. Off to catch the ferry to Zanzibar, a tiny island off the coast. Boat rides can be fun, but this one was extremely rocky. Thankfully, I held my breakfast down and make it through customs on the island. The heat is unbelievable, and Zanzibar’s predominantly Muslim population means dressing respectfully in clothing that covers your knees and shoulders - men and women alike. So, dressed in a knee-length skirt and t-shirt, I set off on a tour of Stone Town, the principal port of Zanzibar.
*History Alert*
Zanzibar’s principle port, Stone Town, was the last stop for slaves being sold into the slave trade - to places such as Persia, Arabia, the Ottoman Empire and Egypt. It was home to one of the last open slave markets until it was shut down in 1873. Chained slaves were crammed into small cells and put on the auction block and sold.
Our first stop on the tour was an old church. Visiting the church’s basement of slave holding cells was powerful and haunting. To see a place where such horrors took place reminds what humans are capable of.
Motorbikes zip past me, people offer their wares for sale to me, and some just sit in whatever shade they can find to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun. We walk and learn the history of the town, it’s fancy doors, and the water lines that run overhead throughout town.
Despite the rubble and grim, there is a certain charm to Stone Town. The way old and new merge in harmony is like nothing I’ve seen before. My eyes are opening to a world that I have always yearned for, one full of new foods, sites, and experiences. An experience for the books, being lulled to sleep by the sound of waves crashing at our lunch rest stop. I guess my jetlag caught up to me!
Day Three:
Having slept a solid eight hours, I’m ready to attack this day! Breakfast included some delicious local foods, sweet bread of some sort, crepe like delights and a fresh coconut! Today I venture further across the island to a seaside hotel, the Langi Langi. Set on a disappearing beach you can watch the tides come all the way up under the dining area balcony. The hotel owner has offered to kill a chicken and some fish for dinner tonight. As luck would have it during dinner brings a beautiful show from nature, a lunar eclipse! Due to the lack of light pollution, every star in the night sky is lit. The tide recedes out past the reef and I can’t help but stand out on the ocean floor and look up in wonder. I must be the luckiest person alive to witness such beauty. Day Who Knows Anymore:
I wake up with the urge to explore the underwater realm surrounding me. Snorkeling here I’ve seen fish I didn’t even know existed. There are sea urchins, red & blue starfish, water snakes (I think!?), octopus, and more! It’s paradise above and below the waters here at the Langi Langi Hotel.
Just outside of the gates to the hotel is the local village. Behind the gates it’s paradise on the beach, in the town it’s run down, dirty, and full of trash. When you look past the shabbiness of the town and meet the people, you can see its charm. The people are kind and excited to help you out. They lead me to a local internet cafe where I pay 1,000 shillings to use a computer to inform my family of my whereabouts. As I head back towards the hotel, a young boy comes up and begins making odd faces. He speaks only Swahili and my Swahili is not that advanced. The young boy then pulls out a knife, which I’m uncertain if he wishes to harm me or simply show me his knife. An older boy joins us and suddenly the younger boy leaves in tears. Completely bewildered, I head back into the hotel still pondering what on earth just happened?
After dinner I go with a group of people to these gorgeous beds on the beach surrounded by flowing white curtains. We grab some drinks and as the drinks flow, chaos ensues. Drinks and candles are being knocked over and soon we’ve put out the flames and a few of us have alcohol in our laps. We ended the night there. LOL.
Day Something:
Goodby Zanzibar, hello mainland Tanzania! I encounter an American-style mall, which I did not expect to see. We stopped to pick up donated books for the Mynkongowa Primary School children. I wandered into a store called Game (think Walmart) and found a local liquor, Konyage, for only $2.80! I feel like a millionaire here instead of a poor college freshman. Off to the hotel in Bagamoyo for dinner. I crashed a business conference party at the hotel after dinner and danced the night away. If you ever get the chance to crash a party, do it - just do it.
Day
After a phenomenal breakfast it’s off to explore Bagamoyo. There is a stunning old mosque and nearby is the Caravan Seri, the holding area for slaves to be sold. It is a sobering reminder of the atrocities that took place here. I learn Bagamoyo means “leave your heart here,” as this was the last stop on the mainland before slaves were taken to the market on Zanzibar, never to see their homeland again. The last stop of the day to explore a local market! I love seeing what local foods are sold and how. The market is bursting with color, energy, and life!
Day — Road Trip!
The ever changing scenery of Tanzania is stunning. As I leave palm trees behind, I see mango trees ahead and even further red dust takes over. The road being lined with mango trees is a sign that it’s an old slave route, as that’s how they fed the slaves as they dragged them to their life in imprisonment. Watching the houses race by, I noticed that there were red x’s and numbers on a lot of the houses that we passed. My driver Moses informed me that houses with a red X on them were being torn down with no compensation to the owner for the new highway. A green X on your house meant you would receive compensation for having to move.
Arriving at the Mynkongowa Primary School made me feel like a celebrity. Excited children immediately surrounded us, running and shouting at us. They screamed “Jambo!” joyfully and reached up for a high five. Unable to understand most of what the children were saying, I gave as many high fives as possible. I toured the school grounds and played games with the children.
Day…
Arriving at the school was once again overwhelming and wonderful. Today I brought my five-pound bag of jolly ranchers to give to the children, as sweets here are rare. Learning quickly, I realized you cannot give out the treats in a large group or they will attack you! It is best to find a small group to give the treats to and then find another small group. The large groups of kids get too excited. I met a smart young girl named Malina who, along with her friends Noelle and Chesko, led me up to the church on the two hills. The children kept quiet, but they pushed back every tree branch and picked the prickly plants off my skirt for me. They were super sweet, and we all sang songs and played games up in the old church.
Day of Celebration!
Today was a day of celebration! Upon arrival at the primary school, the principal honored me with the gift of a tree to be planted in the schoolyard and cared for by a student until I could return. Regina is watching over my tree in my absence. I have never planted a tree before, but this was fun and I can’t wait to come back and visit it someday! After the tree planting ceremony, we went over to the secondary school where they had prepared lunch number one for us. First, we toured the secondary school, sat in on a class, enjoyed lunch, and finally exchanged gifts. The secondary school gave us a goat, and we presented them with five laptops to continue their learning. I enjoyed showing the young men how to use the computer and where to find fun games to play on it! I felt a bit like a diplomat exchanging gifts, shaking hands, and making speeches, but it was worth it to help further their education. Off now to the primary school for lunch number two! The teachers cooked veggies, chickens, chips, deep fried bananas, and rice, and every ounce was delicious. I had to be careful in letting them know not to load my plate up too high because it’s rude to leave any food on your plate and I had already eaten lunch one at the secondary school. Everyone gathered in the yard to play music, dance, exchange gifts, and say goodbye. We presented them with mosquito nets, soccer balls, books, seeds, goats, and reusable water bottles. They presented us with Kangas, honey, and peanuts.
After leaving the primary school we stopped for a drink in town at a local bar. When I say local bar, I mean local. It was a plastic table under a thatched awning on a dirt road. The taste of an ice cold beer hit the spot after being in the sun all day. As I sat there, I noticed a man take a chicken out of a cage and chop its head off and start plucking. That put a damper on my appetite for the evening, as I had never witnessed a bird being killed and cleaned before. Back at our accommodations, the power was cut at 6:30PM as it always is on Tuesdays. We had brought plenty of alcohol and cards, so we played cards by candlelight all night.
Day of Magic:
Today’s the day - the day I finally get to head out on a safari and see wild animals! Excitement does not describe the sheer joy coursing through my veins currently. Mikumi Wildlife camp is a magical place. It’s way out in the wild and guarded by Masai Warriors. Straight away we ate lunch then jumped in the jeeps for an early evening game drive! Right out the gate I saw giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, storks, elephants, pythons, hogs, hippos, gazelles, buffalos, and TONS of birds!
*Crazy fact*: Masai warriors have to leave home and kill a lion around 12 years old. Super crazy thing for a preteen to do, but hey different culture!
Today’s early morning game drive brought about a fun experience with a young male elephant nearly charging our jeep! He was protecting the herd and the newborn baby with them. The owner of the wildlife camp mentioned that spotting a leopard was extraordinarily rare, so I must have the eyes of a hawk because I spotted one on day one! Whenever a lion is spotted, the driver takes off racing after it and if you don’t hold on you might fall out. Filling my days with colorful sunsets and wild animals equals pure joy. I showered with the giraffes and I ate with the elephants.
Comments