Adventures in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam

Saying thank you before the vodka.... we were in a convent after all.

It’s been quite some time since my last blog entry, and that is because I have had a very busy month, so this entry may be a bit on the long side. It started on December first when I packed up my bag and traveled to Dar es Salaam for VSO’s annual volunteer conference as well as a celebration of VSO’s presence in Tanzania for 50 years.  Those of us who are living in more rural areas, like myself, were flown in a few days prior to the commencement of the conference, I assume because VSO understands that since we are isolated a few extra days in the city would be useful in order to run errands and do some shopping. We flew Precision Air into the city, and as it turns out, the name is not exactly entirely descriptive of their service – our flight was delayed by more than 4 hours. Apparently precision air is notorious for these sorts of delays. The thing is though; they are the only Tanzanian airline that uses European audit standards, so when flying within Tanzania, one must really consider carefully what is most important to them. We arrived in Dar quite late and were picked up and taken to our new home for the next week and a half – A catholic conference center out in the middle of a shipping yard. The good news is that there was a bar. Seeing as we arrived several days early for the conference about 8 or so of us made a last minute decision that our weekend would be much better spent in Zanzibar rather than hanging out in the convent.  

The view from bar #1

 There is a ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town that takes about an hour and a half and is actually an unexpectedly pleasant ride. Once you get though the chaos of actually boarding the boat and the unease caused by the fact that sick bags are handed out as soon as you take your seat, it is very comfortable and even shows a movie for the ride. Cast away was the movie of choice for this leg of the journey..... good movie, but I’m not sure it’s an entirely appropriate choice for a boat ride to an island.....  

 

Stone Town is a bustling city, and I will spend more time there next time I visit Zanzibar. This time though we were off to Jambiani to visit Ishwar, a fellow VSO volunteer who had kindly arranged for accommodations for the group – a cozy house right on the beach. Once we settled in we immediately found a bar to have some pre-dinner drinks at prior to an excellent sushi meal. 

At the beach bar in Jambiani

After dinner we went out for a quiet drink at a beach bar. One turned into two, turned into three, turned into “shoot.... we need to get back to the beach house, we have a car coming at 5:30am to pick us up!” A few of us had booked a trip to go swimming with the dolphins and early morning is the best time to go. We made it back in time, but not in time for my head to hit the pillow first. Swimming with the dolphins in Zanzibar is not like swimming with them in Cuba or Florida or Mexico. They do not drive you out to some “research facility” where they have you hop into the water for a series of photo-ops with the poor caged animals. Instead you hop into a boat and head out into the open water in search of some dolphins. 

Hammocks at the bar: a great idea

It is actually very beautiful and peaceful (just perfect after a night of many drinks and no sleep)..... That is until the tour guide spots a dolphin, stops the boat and like a drill sergeant shouts “EVERYONE OUT, NOW! EVERYONE IN THE WATER!”..... But then, once you are in the water... Dolphins are swimming with you! It is all peaceful and right and good again! It was a really beautiful experience. As an aside, I’m sure you know that dolphins communicate with one another in a fairly complex way (much like humans) but did you know that scientists are actually working on a translation devise that would allow for two way communication between dolphins and people? How cool is that? One day I might be able to talk to a dolphin and ask him questions. Maybe the dolphins know something about the aliens. I could ask them about that.  

A nap was in order once we returned, but we were up in a few hours for a proper (and expensive) coffee and a massage. Ahhhhh...... I really needed this! Life can be tough sometimes in the village. For those of you who read my blog regularly, you may recall how pleased I was at the luxuries I found in Mwanza. Well Zanzibar offers many, many more luxuries..... and all of them are beachfront. 

Not sure if he's looking to sell the whole tank or just the fish inside...

After another sleepless night (it’s just so easy to lose track of time with that sea breeze...) it was time again to head back to the ferry and make our way back into Dar. Now some of you may recall that my first impressions of Dar were not entirely positive. My second impression of the city was far more positive – that’s what living in the village will do to you I suppose. Sure, the traffic is still horrendous, the streets are filthy, and it’s hotter than you can imagine, BUT, there are also supermarkets and a movie theatre (I got to see the new Twilight movie.... while drinking a margarita!) and restaurants that actually stock the items listed on their menus – and more than that, they are excellent restaurants. Also, being the optimist that I am, I can even find a positive in the bumper to bumper traffic. Since the traffic is so bad, industrious vendors walk up and down the streets selling their items. You can buy anything from electronics and DVDs to home decor to clothing to food... and even pets (see photo of dude with a fish tank on his head). So one really could make the most of their time stuck in traffic and do the weekly shopping. Seriously – you can get almost anything from these guys on the side of the road, and all from the comfort of your own car. I actually started to feel a bit spoiled while staying in Dar – a feeling that I certainly did not expect to feel in Tanzania considering how spoiled we all are at home in Canada. 

Room part at the convent - good times with good people

The conference was quite enjoyable. The purpose of the annual conference is to come together and share ideas and experiences and hopefully take some new knowledge back with us to our placements. It is also an excellent opportunity to socialize with other volunteers and It was really nice to see all my crew again - we definitely had a good time. Towards the end of the week we were invited to the Canadian high commissioner’s residence for a cocktail party where VSO was recognized for 50 years of work in Tanzania. On the way there one of our busses broke down and I think the reaction of the group as a whole speaks to how we have adjusted since being here. Nobody grumbled at all. We simply got off the bus and waited for the other one that was just behind us and when it pulled up we all crammed in with the other volunteers dala dala style.

At the residence of the Canadian High Commissioner with some of my BFAs (Best Friends in Africa)

Taking a boat to a beautiful beach in Dar

After the conference I spent a few more days in Dar with some friends enjoying the city and the beach..... and then unexpectedly decided to return home for the holidays, which was a great decision. It’s COLD at home though! It was so nice to see family and friends at home and also to enjoy the comforts of mom’s cooking and gingerbread lattes. I didn’t tell many people I was coming home as it was a very last minute decision, so I got to surprise quite a few people which was fun.... I hid in the trunk of my mom’s car to surprise my BFF and sat up and shouted “Surprise” when she opened it.... I got a pretty good reaction from that.  

Returning to the village was tough. Not only was I tired after several days of travel to get here, but I also came down with a cold. Coming back one really needs to re-adjust all over again and I wasn’t entirely prepared for that feeling, but I’m all settled and back to work now.... and back to boiling water. Speaking of which, I need to go boil some now.

Miss you all,

V