Tanzania is a fascinating and exotic place to be. I kept my eyes and mind open (ok, and my mouth too) as we were slowly exploring its beauty. Here are 8 things about Tanzania that impressed me.
- Jambo Bwana – it might be that you have never heard this song before but by the end of your holiday I can guarantee you that you will know the lyrics by heart. It is a tourist welcome song that plays in every hotel or sung to you by the locals. Actually it originates from Kenya but the Tanzanian people have adapted the text to their country. During one of our dinners we had the immens pleasure of listening to a cd with all the covers and remixes. Hakuna Matata.
- Hakuna matata – this is not just a popular phrase from Lion King’s movie but a philosohpy that the locals fully embrace. It literally means no worries, no problem. The wind blew away your house? Hakuna matata. You don’t want to visit my masai shop? Hakuna matata. 20 usd? No, I can give you 10. Ok, hakuna matata, get in!
- Street shopping – driving in Tanzania is so much more fun. While in Europe at most there is an outdoor advertising here you can buy anything from the road, from veggies and roasted chickens to plants, wood and beds. Even traffic lights lasting for 20-30 minutes are fun. As soon as the red light turns on traffic vendors (this is how I called them) appear from everywhere and sell small goodes like cds, lighters, wires, banana fries, cashew nuts and refreshing drinks.
- The side dishes are mostly limited to white rice and french fries. We kept saying that from the day after we wouldn’t eat french fries until the end of the holiday but it was really difficult to stick to this statement. We also tried the ugali, made by a maze flour (you can see a picture here), but it is definitely not something that I would like to retry.
- People are very conservative and I would even add that they seem unfriendly. Of course this doesn’t reffer to those involved in the tourism industry but when we were wandering around the villages the locals were starring at us. When we smiled or waved at them they looked away. We met one Italian guy who has been living in Zanzibar for 6 years and I asked him if he feeled integrated. The answer was “No, they are more racist than we are”.
- Dar Es Salaam never sleeps, or was it New York? Of course we didn’t wander the city at night but we saw it at 10pm and 5 am and it was vibrant and bustling with life as if it was midday. This means traffic, kids out playing and people feasting any time of the day.
- The main roads are in a very good condition. The side roads are not. Dusty and bumpy, with no trace of asphalt. Even in Dar Es Salaam, on the way to the airport the driver cut the road and we passed through some surreal neighbourhoods that made me wonder whether I was in a metropolis or in the countryside. I totatlly enjoyed these kind of rides as they added even more exoticism to the experience but I can not imagine car sick people going through this.
- Police blocks on the roads are as common as mushrooms after the rain. We were stopped only two times without any reason and both times we saw banknotes passing from one hand to another. We were polite enought not to ask the drivers about the reason of this money exchange but it was clear that this was a common procedure. I guess this is the reason why transport in Tanzania is expensive.
