We did not see Mount Kilimanjaro. (I have been told no one ever does, so I have no idea why I thought I would be different. Especially when we started out the day in the rain. But optimist is my middle name.)
What we did see was a lot of stuff. Shoes, skirts, dresses, handbags, backpacks, pots and pans, live chickens... you name it, they have it. There is, quite simply, no shortage of tangible items in Tanzania.
And for every item, there are two people trying to sell it to you. It's a fascinating process, as they come out of their shop at the slightest nod or glance in their direction, grabbing your hand and propelling you into their little corner of the marketplace. They assume you don't speak Swahili, which in my case was accurate, but in Erin's case, was not, which results in some fascinating exchanges. Nothing kills the hope quite like Erin uttering hapana asante 15 times!
We ate at Erin's favorite restaurant in Tanzania, the IndoItaliano, and watched the world go by. (It was the best meal I've had here so far.) We had coffee (very strong) at a corner coffee shop. Erin haggled and bartered and came away with a few more items she (and I) couldn't live without. And in the end we came home, thinking the adventure was over for the day.
We were wrong. The locked doors were the first clue that our homecoming was not exactly anticipated. The uncharged cell phone, rendering us incommunicado, was a second indicator that all would not follow smoothly. Then, as it turned out, the power was out, and the generator was not working, because it was out of fuel.
Eventually, it all got sorted out, as evidenced by this post. Today was a small, but very enjoyable, adventure. I can now say I rode a bus in Africa filled with people going where they normally go (no chickens or goats, I'm happy to report) and doing what they usually do. It is a privilege to see people living their lives, to taste their experience, to find out what Tanzanian life looks like from the inside out. But when it comes right down to it, proud parents carrying their babies wrapped tightly in blankets look the same everywhere - the smiles when you notice their child transcend every language.
Things I have learned about Africa today:
- You have to pay to use the restroom (and I use that term, rest, loosely, let me just share with you) at the bus station in Moshi
- It is possible to fit five people across four seats in a little bus, even when each individual is bigger than the child sized seats they are squeezing into (we lucked out both ways - we were in skinny rows!)
- No matter how hot it is someone will want the bus windows closed... and they always win
- Mount Kilimanjaro coffee is pretty good
- Tanzanians assume all people who look slightly Asian are Japanese. They are not shy to say so.
- Some people are born salesmen in any language
- Bartering seems to be an enjoyable game for Africans. They respect you when you bargain hard. (I think the trick is to know your price and stick to that - if you hesitate, you are lost.)
- It is amazing how quickly a dirt road leading to a guarded compound can feel normal and every day, and returning can feel like you are coming home
- Saying "I don't speak Swahili" does nothing to dissuade people from trying to speak to you in Swahili. Saying "Merekani" slows them down a bit, and they switch to whatever English they know. Either way, they are probably trying to sell you something.
- When you are at a bus stop trying to make the most graceful exit you can while climbing over both seats and people, the remaining riders on the bus will worry when your headphones trail behind you. It's charming.
- People speaking loudly on cell phones are a pervasive problem even in Africa.
- You should never assume when buying a skirt at a local market in Africa that it was made in Africa. It could actually have been made in Thailand. (What? Seriously?) At least it might be made of rayon, so it will be wash and wear....
- Tanzanian children still have the cutest smiles you have ever seen!
Tomorrow, we are off to Dar es Salaam. Adam, Zanzibar, and Stonetown await!
No comments:
Post a Comment