The traffic jam solution: the bajaj

The bajaj is the less secured version of the Dhaka's CNG, the three wheeled auto-rickshaw. I am not allowed to ride them in Bangladesh for security reasons.

But here I can't walk anywhere without being honked at by the drivers. I guess no one expects the white man to be walking. They must be thinking: "Certainly the man must need a ride. Time to honk my horn!" Since I am pretty sure I never wore a short skirt or high heels, I am thinking I look like a walking dollar bill!

Part bicycle, part car, all of them are for sure an art project as you they are decorated with paintings of Jesus, Obama, or Che Guevera. Some of them even have sound systems, so you can listen to some rap during your ride.


What's nice about the bajaj is how the negotiate worst of Dar’s rush hour traffic. They can jump the curb and barrel down the sidewalk, playing chicken with pedestrians who jump aside at the very last minute. If there is no sidewalk, the drivers slip across the line separating the right side of the road from the wrong side, swerving from left to right to avoid the oncoming traffic. An hour long commute is compressed into ten minutes.


Of course, riding in a bajaj is not without risks. There is no safety belt. These things have higher rollover rates than the biggest SUV’s. And there is also the traffic in Dar to contend with as well, not to mention thousands of others bajaj riders trying to make a living. It’s a bajaj eat bajaj world out there!

The spirit of the nation, packed in a plastic sachet

For those fortunate enough to have visited Tanzania will no doubt get familiar with the local spirit, Konyagi. To give the rest some idea of what it’s like, the ingredients are ‘Fine spirit, konyagi flavor and deionised water’. Hmmm! Not sure I'm smarter now!


‘Tears Of the Lion’, it proudly states on its delightfully unsuspecting label. It’s not vodka, it’s not gin, it’s not water and it’s barely legal outside of East Africa. Ever wondered what the Hyenas in the Lion King were drinking? If I were a betting man, I’d say that it had to be the Konyagi.

The first selling point of this stuff is that it’s amazingly cheap. Just a few dollars will get you a large bottle. And as with so many other things in Tanzania, you can buy a single takeaway "serving" of. This is probably more of a result of economics than of convenience. And the fact you can frequently notice empty sachets of Konyagi along the side of the road tells you how popular is with the Tanzanians.

Anyway, if you ever meet Konyagi on your travels, make preparations to brush up on the clown within yourself and make sure you wear comfortable shoes, because you might at some point point start dancing. You never know where the spirit might take you!

I'm hungry!

I have seen my share of corrupt police officers. In Romania, you ran a red light, blew thru the speed limit, overtook another vehicle in a no-pass zone, no problem! Slip the cop a little bank note under the driver's license and you're good to go. I am still laughing to this day when my Scottish friend was firmly convinced my father was some sort of a Mafia boss when he paid off the cops after getting caught going against the traffic on a one way street.

However, nothing prepared me for my Polisi (Swahili for police) encounter this weekend on the island of Zanzibar.

I was driving my rental car well within the law when this cop pulled me over, rushed to my window, and told me I had been speeding.

But wait, we could all forget about it for 20,000 Tanzanian shillings (the equivalent of $13). I kept my calm and informed him that I will just get the ticket. This took him by surprise.

He paused for a second, and asked:

"Okay, do you have any food? I'm hungry!"

I stared back back in disbelief:

"No, Sir, I don't have any food!"

"I'm thirsty, do you have something to drink?"

"I can offer you a beer!"

"No, Sir, I'm Muslim, I don't drink!"

"How about I take a picture with you and you let me go?"

"No, Sir, I am in uniform, I can't do that"

After we deliberated for another five minutes, he let me go with "just a warning". But he could not help making a last attempt:

"Can you still give just a little something for the weekend?"

I just started my car and drove off. After all, This is Africa!!!

Nyama Choma – From the grill into your mouth

If there is one thing the Tanzanians love, it has to be the meaty, fleshy, all natural bursting taste that results from a slow roasted meal. When it comes to food here, nyama choma or the roasted meat is the cream of the crop, one of the most popular dishes! And while you can get beef, chicken or pork, goat remains the local favorite.

So on my first weekend in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, I could not miss the Nyama Choma festival. Thousand of people flock to a huge empty field to drink beer and eat the so much praised meat.

Served with a pile of salt on the side, a few wedges of lemon, and some tomato chili sauce, my nyama choma pyramid was delivered with a ice cold local beer. The first thing you find out is that nyama choma doesn't slide off the bone. It’s not that tenderly meat you get used to in the US. Nyama choma is the real deal. It has some serious texture to it, you can actually taste and feel the grains of a goat that’s been running around Africa, munching on grass and grazing. Eating this is an intense jaw workout, and I actually got a little sore from eating this nyama choma! Flavor was outstanding! You could actually taste the animal. Jaws worn out, and stomach full, I sat back in my plastic chair and enjoyed my Kilimanjaro beer. Behind me a line of live goats was being hauled to the festival.

Welcome to Tanzania and to the Nyama Choma experience!

                       

Bongoyo Island

When it comes to beaches, it does not get any better than Tanzania. Bongoyo Island is the easiest to get to from Dar, so that's where I landed first.

The ride out was gorgeous, out through Dar es Salaam Bay, even though approximately halfway out the engine died. Hakuna matata (no problem)! It only took the crew 15 minutes to fix the engine…

The island is a long, branch-shaped island, dotted with trees and fisherman who ride in rickety canoes just off its shores. The main attraction, undoubtedly, is a beach. Though very small in size, the beach on Bongoyo Island makes up for it with stunning views from the sand. Standing at the tip of the island, one can view a 300 degree vista of ocean and waves. Breathtaking sight!

Sticking out from the white sand, are hand-made umbrellas, here called Bandas. Lounge chairs made from sticks and woven with natural ropes. Typical beach experience, sun, surf, beer, food, and excitement when I reminded myself I’m on the Indian Ocean, not Atlantic or Pacific. And what a fabulous way to hit the ground running in Dar es Salaam. Looking forward to go home a  happier and more relaxed individual.


                        

From a Bideshi to a Mzungu

In Bangladesh is a little bit more clear cut: if you are not a Bangali, you are a Bideshi, a foreigner. Just as simple as that. Although, lines can get a little bit blurry when your local friends can swear you have become more Bangladeshi than them.

Things are not that simple here in Tanzania. Here I am a Mzungu. People shout it as you walk by and restaurants and bars use it in their title. A mzungu is a white person. The more appropriate translation is actually “foreigner”; however, I’ve also heard it translated as “one who is perfect” and according to my Tanzanian cultural guide book, literally translated, mzungu means “one who walks in circles”. Either way, when you're in East Africa you cannot escape being called a mzungu.

Apparently the world originated when European colonizers came to the area and were perceived by Africans as walking in circles. I am definitely a mzungu. I get lost, I can’t speak Swahili, I need my sunscreen and my bug spray, and I can’t understand why things don't work the way they should work sometime!

At first I thought it was kind of derogatory, but as I hear more often, I’ve abandoned the idea of being irritated by it. And I didn’t realize how incredibly white I am in the sunlight next to a bunch of Tanzanians until I walked on the beach on my first day in town.Oh well, I’m a mzungu and there’s no getting around it!

Hello, Indian Ocean!

Hello, Indian Ocean! So nice to finally see you.

Hello Dar and Tanzania!