Going going ........

My husband arrived last Sunday to climb Mt Meru (his 60th birthday gift / challenge).  The biggest (best) surprise for me when I got to the hotel was my son.  The pair of them had kept this a secret for almost a year. It was fantastic.  I think it was pretty surreal for my son to be in Africa again.  It’s been over 12 years since his last visit and is quite different to the Africa he has experienced in the past.
 

We attempted to head back to Msasani Village for dinner with the GHAWA team. The taxi driver first tried the coast road, but the traffiki was way too heavy so a quick u-turn and we tried via the main road.It took us 45 minutes to travel 0.5km.The taxi then mounted the pavement and drove another 500m along the footpath before re-joining the queue– i.e. pushing in at the intersection. Pedestrians are obviously used to this interesting technique as they "politely" stepped out of the way for us - as if there was a choice!! The boys were, to use an quaint Australian expression "gobsmacked". We eventually got to GHAWA house but missed the team, so after gathering a few clothes we walked to the Arizona for a steak.

 

 

The Bajaj drivers are obviously not used to fares back to the diplomatic area of Dar where the hotel was located, so we had to ask the Maître D of Arizona to be our interpreter.A very reasonable fee was negotiated. The boys were rather unsure that the little 3 wheeler could accommodate the 3 of us plus the driver, and similarly unsure that the driver really knew where we were going - doubting Thomases!!

 

I booked a Bajaj tour of “the real” Dar es Salaam for their one free day. I didn’t think a cycle trip over very difficult terrain just before climbing a mountain would be appreciated. It was an amazing experience for us all. I highly recommend Afriroots Tours

 

 Waiting for the guides

 

January outlining the trip

Knickers for sale 

 

The Bajaj followed the same route as the cycle tour, taking in the “real” Dar es Salaam in the less salubrious areas of the city.  Here we were able to gain insight into the living conditions of families, and general lifestyle of majority of city dwellers. Anara, our small Masai guide for the Bajaj, and January on a bicycle with an American woman, were very knowledgeable about the history of Dar and made the tour extremely interesting. We all enjoyed the roadside coffee and peanut brittle, then the cup of masala chai and chapatti in the sea-container “café”. We visited a fruit and vegetable market then on to a mitumba clothing market where thousands of items of second  hand western clothing is sold to discerning buyers.  We talked to the local midwife/herbalist and observed the recycled items her son and daughter made to support the family, and had a swarm of children around for pichas.  At the local cinema (a hut with TV and DVDs translated into Swahili) we donated to a local football team and were heralded with much excitement and vuvuzela playing. At our final stop for a cold drink, Michael received a marriage proposal, from a rather lovely young lady who owned the refreshment bar with her brother. Look out Chelsee!!  I left the “boys” to head to work on Tuesday morning. Just like Perth really except after breakfast they were going to the mountain!

 

It is so lovely to see "my boys" albeit briefly.