Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Tanzania

August 15, 2011

Well folks. Adventure #1 has officially begun. We are driving (yes that’s correct – driving) to Uganda and Rwanda from Tanzania. While the average person would probably not consider driving through Tanzania, across Kenya into Uganda, onto Rwanda and back into Tanzania, we signed on quickly. I mean really why not. The whole point of this year is for him to explore as much of Africa as possible.

Traffic in Dar at 0600 will make you question getting in a car in “normal” working hours. At 0600 the line to get into Dar was at least an hour outside of the city. I can only image what it looked like by 0800. Then, there were people waiting on the bus. Probably a few hundred people waiting. No wonder it takes forever for anything to get done in Tanzania. They aren’t at work because they are waiting for the bus.

Tanzania is beautiful and there are a few things that surprised us. Tanzania has a lot of rolling hills and mountains (with a few pretty steep cliffs). Sections are lush and green with tons of banana and orange trees. Others are dry and look like an elephant may stroll up to the car looking for a peanut. But, the only animals we saw were goats, cows, and donkeys being herded by their Masai owners. Another shocker – there are people EVERYWHERE. And I’m not kidding. We literally did not travel a full kilometer without seeing at least one person.

A few oddities. Liam and I are mzungus. It’s the term Tanzanians (and maybe other Swahili speaking countries) give to white people who come to their country. It isn’t meant to be derogatory – just a description. Well, we experienced our first “real” experience with mzungu pricing. We stopped for gas and the guy running the show told Liam “For you, the price is 2400 per liter.” Everywhere else, 2070 per liter. The government controls the prices. Had we known there were quite a few gas stations up ahead, we would have kept going. Lesson learned.

And did I mention the speed bumps. No warning. Frequent. They suck. Liam did come one step closer to finding his elusive honey badger. We passed a honey badger campground on our way into Arusha. A minor clue, but still a clue on his hunt. We didn’t get a picture – but we promise to the next time we drive up there.

At this gas station, I had my first experience with a hole in the floor toilet. I knew it was going to happen, just a matter of when. It was a pretty clean little space. I’m sure in our travels throughout Africa it won’t be my last. All I can say is after being fearful of squatting on the side of the road and being bit by something, the hole seemed comforting. My reality is warped. But, this is Africa.

Something else we noticed while driving across the country, as cars pass each other on the road, they turn on their turning signal or flash their bright lights. I’m not sure the significance of this one – but I’m going to find out. It was really annoying driving down the road when people were constantly turning on their turn signals, but never planning on turning. Between the random turn signals, frequent speed bumps, and buses trying to kill their passengers by driving like maniacs, Liam was ready to be done driving.

Along the way, we saw a ton of really red soil. Many houses were crafted out of this mud and sticks. Really beautiful colored homes – who needs paint? The only thing is I remember growing up with red clay in Mississippi. Your feet turn bright red and it takes a while for it to wear off. Needless to say, I noticed some pretty red toes walking around.

We also saw a few monkeys run across the road. I woke up from a little nap with Liam saying “Monkeys. Monkeys. Monkeys.” Camera was in hand we got a couple of shots. Liam talked about the monkeys for hours. I think I’ve got to get this boy into a natural primate park. I think he will feel at home.

We stayed at the Impala Hotel in Arusha. Not too bad for $110 a night. We will probably stay there again in the future. Pretty clean, mosquito nets, hot water, and breakfast. Works for us.

Liam’s local beer review: Kilimanjaro – It’s drinkable and cheap. Two very important qualities.