One Month in Africa

Well, Its been almost one month since i arrived in Africa back in April, and i cant believe my time here is going really fast. It is now summer in Victoria, and all my friends and family are probably preparing for their summer holidays and wondering where to go camping, and what places i should visit over my holidays.

Well, If anyone can manage i have one word for you. AFRICA.

It is an amazing continent, the people here are so warm and friendly and they will give you all they have to put a smile on your face.

I am trying to put into words what i have expierenced over the last month, and its really hard to say because i am starting to become more and more African every day. So things are starting to get more normal.

I was hoping to upload some pictures for you, but the line speed is too slow. Will try in the next few weeks however. But for now, I will explain some expierences i have.

The famous "Dala Dala"s. For those who have been to Africa, you have heard of these buses before (Some places they call them minibusses, in Isreal they call them Shruets. Basically they look like a big minivan with nothing but 10-12 seats in them and they transport the Tanzanian population everywhere. It would be great if there was only twelve people in the minibus, but many times they squeeze 15-20. I have once stood for the entire 15 minutes up the hill to Iriniga town, and for a big boy like me, its very tiring and painful.

But the price is right, 200 Tanzanian Schilling (about 20 cents). The only other option is to take a taxi to town, but that costs between 3-4 cdn$, and the only time we do that, is when there are 3-4 of us, and we have lots of groceries from the market.

My motto is you haven't lived till you ride in one of these minibusses with 20 people crammed to the max, and someones arm is poking your back, and you hear a chicken in someones armbag.

Anyways, that believe it or not is starting to get ordinary for me.

Banks are great here, In a small town like Iringa, I can go to the ATM of a bank called NBC(National Bank of Commerce) and withdrawl tanzanian schillings from my Royal Bank Account. Only catch is Royal Bank charges me $5 cdn per withdrawl, and that is alot of money here. I have tried another bank in Dar es Salaam and its the same surcharge.

I guess you pay for convenience.

My next adventure that i have yet to go on, is a bus ride to Dar, and then after a two day visit, i will take the bus and train to a small town called Tabora, where my two Canadian Baha'i Friends are staying. My plans are definite, but i might start out on this trek on Thursday.

There are three bus lines in Tanzania, and all of them lets just say do not have a good safety record. So Each trip can be quite an adventure, but for $15 cdn to travel 8 hours, in a relatively comfortable (pseudo Greyhound) bus, over 200 kms, is a great deal, so why not. Flying i have been told is also a good option in Tanzania, but only for people who are planning short trips to Tanzania, because time is of the essence.

Well, I hope to write more when i have new adventures, but for now.

KwaHeri (good-bye in Kiswahili) from Tanzania
Omid Zamani