Tanzania is really tourist friendly, which makes sense because it’s a very popular travel destination. I was super excited to visit the country that is known for Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and the beautiful islands of Zanzibar. My expectations were met and then, more than surpassed.
Our first stop was Dar es Salaam. Coming from Kigali, we felt like true country bumpkins, oohing and ahhing at nice taxi cabs that aren’t falling apart and in which you can actually open and close the door yourself. Wow! And then, oooh…tall buildings! And ice scream stores! One memorable event was seeing and jumping into the Indian Ocean for the first time. After visiting a few lakes, I realize that lakes do not nearly match the ocean’s beauty and vastness. The ocean is incredibly beautiful. I couldn’t count how many shades of turquoise and blue there were!
And then off on a ferry to Zanzibar! Stonetown is the receiving town. The architecture with Islamic influences is impressive. We saw the old palaces of sultans. We also learned about a Zanzibar princess who escaped to marry a German diplomat. She had a couple of sons but after 3 short years, her husband died. What a tragic, romantic tale!
The food in Zanzibar is incredible! The best cultural experience was the night market. The night market is located in an alley of sorts between the old fort and the House of Wonders. Vendors were lined side-by-side, offering a plethora of mouth-watering food and drinks. Some of it was delightful (e.g. chapatti, beef kabobs, the best African spiced tea) and some of it wasn’t so great (e.g. spicy lobster, falafil). Niya and I ate to our hearts content, spending only $10 total between the two of us. Excellent food for cheap – what can possibly beat that??
The annoying thing about Zanzibar and in Stonetown, in particular, is the annoying touts. EVERYONE in the town walks up to you and talks to you. They all ‘just want to talk and be your friends’. It gets really annoying after awhile in that we resorted to yelling at them to leave us alone. Men are all over the place, trying to talk to you and telling you about how they know someone that can get you a special deal.
We went off to a spice farm and learned all about different spices and their plants. At the end, a boy was pleading to me for money, saying he needed money to further his schooling. Sometimes it’s easy for me to tune the sob story out, knowing that it’s impossible for one to help everyone. Begging isn’t sustainable and handouts from tourists will not last. However, I was really upset that I couldn’t help this boy more. I felt helpless. He saw me as a rich tourist. In fact, I’m probably worth less than him, considering my debt. The difference is that because I am from the developed world, I can get credit. I tried to block this young man out afterwards but I did not rest easy after that occurrence. It really bothered me….and it still does.
The age-old profession runs strong here. We certainly got a few propositions. At a club in Dar es Salaam, Garden Bistro, a woman went up to my friend on the dance floor, asking her what her price was, as her ‘friend’ was interested. Then on the beach in Nungwi, a Masai man went up to us, telling us he had something we would be interested in. He would show us a ‘sneak peek’, which he said with a suggestive smile. Ewwww – no thanks.
We then met our friends by Kilimanjaro. There was a group who went to trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. My friend and I opted out, as the trek is quite expensive (about $1200); we weren’t physically fit; and we didn’t have any gear with us. So we met them after their trek to do safaris at the Ngorongoro Crater and Tangire National Park. The safaris were amazing. To see these creatures in the wild is a stunning thing. It is a must-see. We saw lions, zebras, flamingoes, impalas, giraffes, elephants, wildebeests, hyenas, ostriches, hippos, impalas, baboons, and various birds.
What an amazing experience! Too bad we had to go right into the office right when we landed =( Reality bites!
