Tanzania--The Inevitable Sickness and a Quiet Weekend

After a great first day in Iringa, the second day wasn't quite so positive. I woke up with stomach cramps and a general feeling of malaise--never a good sign! After breakfast I felt a little bit better, but still somewhat under the weather. We had more orientation and Swahili that morning, during which I felt ok. In the afternoon, however, I slid downhill. We were tasked with completing a bargaining activity (as well as our shopping for the semester). The bargaining activity was quite interesting, because we had to negotiate with street sellers for various products on a pre-assigned list. Our goal was to acquire as many things on the list as possible for only 5000 Tsh. (roughly 3 dollars) We did quite well, thanks to some help from our Tanzanian host students, Bosco and Sifal, who accompanied us through the market and helped us to bargain!

One of the (few) pictures I managed to catch of the market!

The market in Iringa is really remarkable. It is unlike anything I've ever encountered in the US or Europe. A sprawling mass of spirited commerce and energy, in the market, there are no set prices. Everything seems to be a negotiation. Although it is exciting, it is also exhausting. I could not imagine having to do my shopping here every day. Each time I need to buy one thing, I have to spend several minutes negotiating the price down. If the price is still not where I want it, I have to be prepared to walk away and try somewhere else. In our challenge, we worked really hard to find the cheapest things, which often meant visiting two or three different stores to see if we could find a better price. After three hours of doing this, I was utterly knackered!

Unfortunately, I hadn't gotten any better. That morning, I'd taken a fair number of medications to ward off the worst of my symptoms. That decision came back to bite me. Around three or four in the afternoon, as the medications wore off, I started to feel terrible. In particular, I could feel a fever coming on. After texting with the director, Justin, we decided that it was probably a good idea to go to the clinic to get checked by a doctor.

To get to the clinic, I hopped in a bijaj, a small three-wheeled vehicle that is known as a "tuk-tuk" in many parts of Asia. My bijaj driver whisked me downtown--and only charged 3,000 Tsh for the trip (that's a little under 2 dollars for a 20 minute drive). My destination was the Aga Khan Medicial Center, which is where all the foreigners go for treatment. After a quick visit with the doctor and a battery of tests, they determined that I had somehow picked up some passengers since arriving in Tanzania.

My New Friend, Giardia! (Credit: CDC)

My new pals, just along for the ride, were parasites known as Giardia. Commonly found in the back-country of the US (along with everywhere else in the world), Giardia is a funny little creature. It seems to really enjoy inhabiting the small intestines of the unknowing host and causing them misery as a result. (I really shouldn't personify a microscopic organism, but it helped with the pain to think of beating a personified creature) I was given a packet of antibiotics at the in-house pharmacy at the clinic and told to return in two weeks to be re-screened for the parasite. The cost? The total for the doctor, the tests, and the antibiotics ran to about 22000 Tsh, or about 13 dollars. And that's without insurance. Ironically, the cost of these services is still too much for most Tanzanians and the clinic is viewed as a resource only for the wealthy and for foreigners (like me!). I think the most incredible piece of the whole cost were my antibiotics--which cost 800 Tsh (or 50 cents). I cannot imagine ANY antibiotics, no matter how common or cheap, costing that little in the USA. Heck, the plastic containers they use in the States probably costs more than the antibiotics here (In Tanzania, they came in a small brown envelope).

My Coke cost more than my Antibiotics (1000Tsh vs 800 Tsh)

Following my visit to the clinic, I had a quick meal and returned to campus. At the point, the antibiotics hadn't kicked in and I was feeling the full brunt of my new status as parasite host. I had a strong fever, was shivering uncontrollably, and had nasty stomach cramps. Needless to say, it was not my favorite moment here so far. Although most of my group decided to go out and sample the local nightlife, I decided to call it a night. I think it might have been the best 13 hours of sleep I've gotten in recent memory. Although I was not back to 100% the following day, things were definitely on the up-swing.

Sunday was a very quiet day. We officially had the day off, but another member of our group wasn't feeling well, so I volunteered to go back to the clinic with her. After a relatively quick visit to the clinic, we did some shopping in town and then headed back to campus. In all, the day was one of rest and relaxation. I did end up doing laundry in the afternoon--which was quite an event. I must confess, I have never actually hand-washed my laundry in its entirety before. The odd item, yes, but never each and every item in my laundry basket. Unfortunately, there are no washing machines here, so a bucket and my hands must suffice. I had some idea of what to do (after all, how hard can hand-washing be?), but most of the process was trial and error. After realizing that I had used far too much laundry powder in my first bucket of water, I realized that I had to add another bucket just to rinse my clothes. Although I nearly melted the waistband of my shorts with an iron (we have to iron all of our clothes here to kill off the fly larvae that have been laid in them while they were drying), my first attempt at hand-washing was rather sucessful. My clothes even smelled clean at the end!

By the end of Sunday, I still didn't feel great, but I was confident that things would get better. Being sick in a foreign place is no fun, but I also know that I am only here for a few short months. Before I know it, I will be headed back to the States, so I was determined to not let my illness slow me down too much! Instead, I looked forward to the first week of classes ahead.

Tanzania: The First Day in Iringa!

After that grueling bus journey to Iringa, the following morning was a relatively quiet one. A quick early morning run immediately underscored the clear differences between Iringa and Dar Es Salaam. Although I was running in a relatively quiet neighborhood, I was still taken aback by how peaceful and laid-back everything was. I ran past groups of school-children walking to school, on quiet streets with only a few cars. The roads felt empty after Dar! There was also a notable temperature difference--Iringa is much cooler and less humid than Dar. On my run, the temperature must have been around 60 Fahrenheit, with very low humidity. Admittedly, this is the coldest time of the year, the "winter" (although Tanzania is so close to the equator that there is not much seasonal variation in the weather). Regardless, the cooler temperature was a welcome change from the tropical heat of the last week.

Following a quick breakfast, it was time to begin our day. We had more orientation and Swahili lessons, designed to get us ready for the day's activity--a scavenger hunt around Iringa. Our director, Justin, really wanted us to get a sense of where things were in Iringa, so he pitted several teams against each other and instructed us to ask for directions. At each stop, we were told to take a selfie of ourselves with the place in the background. Charged with our instructions, we raced out into the city to find as many different places as possible. Below are a few of the selfies from the competition.

Soko Kuu Market (The Main Market in Iringa)

The Fire & Police Stations (with all the policemen looking on)

Aga Khan Clinic (which I would later become very familiar with!)

Maasai Market (with a Tanzanian friend who helped us find it!)

After an hour and a half of racing around, my team returned to the Lutheran Center (our base) to find that we had managed to win the challenge. It was a close call, but we managed to get nearly all of the locations on the scavenger hunt. Following the hunt, it was time to pack up and get ready to move to the university. We loaded all of our stuff into a pickup truck and boarded a dala-dala to take us to the University of Iringa.


The University of Iringa does not sit directly in the heart of Iringa, but rather on the outskirts of the city. It's about 7km away from the center and is located in a neighborhood called Kihesa. The campus is located on a hill, which makes for a slightly quieter atmosphere, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a group of administrators and students, who helped us unload our stuff and move into the dorms. I will have pictures of the dorms up soon, but for now, know that they are basic. I knew going into this experience that the dorms would be very different from the US equivalent, but that didn't stop the reality from being very challenging. However, it's all part of the experience--they are clean, functional, and better than what many Tanzanians have, so I can't really complain. Once we were moved into the dorms, we had a lengthy dinner at Mama Iringa's (a local Italian place which was divine). I had a delicious blue cheese & sausage pizza, rounded off with a cappuccino and tiramisu (who would have guessed that I could have a cappuccino in the middle of Tanzania?!)

The Cappuccino!

After dinner, it wasn't long before I collapsed into bed and passed out. I will have more photos and updates about the following few days in Iringa soon!

Tanzania Day 6: To Iringa!

Now that I am settled in Iringa, I finally have the chance to write a proper blog post! The last few days have been a rough introduction to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Over the last few days, we have trekked up to Iringa from Dar, explored our new home of Iringa, and begun to settle in at the University. Below is a photo of our entire trip from Dar to Iringa. (No, it did not take 6h30m--Google maps is totally wrong)

Our Journey (Credit: Google Maps)

To start, we left Dar Es Salaam early on Thursday morning. Our director, Justin, warned us that the drive would take up to 11 hours and so we mentally prepared for a long drive. Although most of us were exhausted at 6:30 AM, our bus driver, Frank, eagerly loaded up the roof rack on the bus as well as the back of the bus, with all of our luggage. The result, as you can see below, looks like something faintly out of a comedic film.

Our Chariot to Iringa...

After a quick breakfast, we all hopped on the bus and began our great trek at...a snail's pace. Although we tried to leave before the morning rush, we still managed to get stuck in the infamous Dar traffic. As we crawled our way outside of the city, I started to wonder if we would make it to Iringa at all! As an aside, Dar's traffic woes seem to underscore the difficulty of policy-making in a rapidly developing country. Durable, sustainable infrastructure projects are expensive and time-consuming in developed countries such as the United States and the UK, but they must be even more challenging in a country like Tanzania, with fewer resources and rapidly increasing demand. (Did you know that 44% of Tanzania's population is under 15?) Given my current interest in transportation policy, expect to hear more about my thoughts on Tanzanian infrastructure projects in the coming weeks. Anyway, Dar's traffic was difficult, but we slowly wound our way out of the city and into the open country. For the first few hours, we passed through rolling countryside. It was utterly beautiful. Below is a photo from this portion of the journey.

Looking out at the African Brush

After a brief stop around 11, we pushed on, this time starting to see mountains majestically rising from the plans. They reminded me somewhat of the Rocky Mountains/Sangre De Cristo Mountains as they rise up out of the Great Plains. It was really quite a sight. I've included a picture below.

The Beginning of the Mountains

The final portion of our drive (before lunch!) was through Mikumi National Park, one of Tanzania's giant national parks. This piece might have been the best part of the whole drive. As we drove along, we had our first glimpses of giraffes, baboons, and zebras! I managed to snag a picture of the baboons, although not the others. However, I will go on safari later in the trip, so hopefully I will have even better photos then!

Baboons!

Just before we pulled off for lunch, our bus was stopped in its tracks by a herd of cattle! It was quite a sight to see, especially given that this highway is one of the main trunk roads in Tanzania (that didn't stop the herders from driving their cattle straight across it!)

Cattle!

Finally, we pulled into our lunch spot--a small restaurant called Tan-Swiss. Incredibly, in the middle of Tanzania, a Swiss couple decided to set up a restaurant and serve Swiss food. I ordered a traditional Swiss dish (the name of which I cannot recall), which was utterly scrumptious. That said, anything would have tasted good after 6 hours on a bus. We enjoyed a relatively leisurely meal at the restaurant, which further lengthened the time of our journey. Yet, it seemed like no time at all before we had to pile back into the bus.

My delicious Swiss (?!) food in Tanzania

The Crocodile!

Before we drove very far, we also took the opportunity to visit a snake park near to the restaurant. Unlike many US animal parks, this park seemed to have a more relaxed attitude towards safety. (Don't worry, it was still perfectly safe!) Regardless, it was still odd to see all the (very) deadly African snakes in close proximity. I've included a picture below of one of the snakes and a crocodile at the park (which we got very close to!).

One of the (many) snakes!

 After a pleasant visit to the zoo, it was time to face the inevitable--the second half of our journey. Not long after leaving the snake park, we began to climb into the mountains. This part was utterly spectacular--I had no idea that Tanzania had such beautiful mountains. Below, you can see a photo from this section of the drive.

Heading into the mountains!

Winding our way to Iringa!

Although the mountains were beautiful, they seemed to stretch on forever. At this point, I felt like I was never going to get off the bus. As darkness fell, I think our entire group's mood turned to grim determination in our drive to get to Iringa. Finally, after 12 hours on the road (including stops), we finally arrived on the outskirts of Iringa. I don't think I've been so glad to see a place in recent memory! As we pulled into Iringa, I could already tell how different it was from the hustle and bustle of Dar Es Salaam--Iringa had a more relaxed, peaceful feeling.

After unloading the bus, checking into our lodgings for the night (we weren't moving to the University just yet!), and grabbing a quick bite to eat, I finally collapsed into bed and fell asleep. It was a grueling, but necessary day. I was glad it was over--I was ready to explore Iringa! In the coming days, I will have another post up about my first days here. Usiku mwema! (Good night!)

Tanzania Days 3,4&5: A Few Days in Dar

The last three days have passed by in a whirlwind of activity--we've been trying to accomplish three different objectives at the same time! On the one hand, this is orientation. Our leaders, Justin and Bw. Paulo, have worked hard to explain the nuances of the program to us and help us feel initially comfortable here. To that end, we have had sessions on topics ranging from health & safety to the village intensive portion of the program. In addition, Bw. Paulo has been giving us basic Survival Swahili lessons. Although we will enter into intensive Swahili lessons once we're settled in Iringa, Bw. Paulo gave us the tools to communicate basically in Tanzania. Although I still think my Swahili skills are sub-par, they are improving much faster than if I was learning in a classroom at home. There is nothing like feeling deeply uncomfortable about your inability to explain yourself to others as a motivator to learn a language. I find it frustrating that I cannot even carry out a basic conversation in Swahili (I'm not far off, I think...but I'm not there yet!). Hopefully by the time I begin my home-stay in rural Tanzania (where no one will speak English!), I will be in a position to communicate effectively in Swahili!

Aside from our classroom orientation to Tanzania, Justin and Paulo have also taken us out into the city to show us Dar Es Salaam (another objective) and to get us equipped for the semester (the final objective). Needless to say, we have been very busy! Now, on to the adventures of the last three days...

A Street in Dar

Day 3, Monday, started rather slowly. Although I had managed to avoid it the day before, jet-lag came back with a vengeance on Monday. When I get up here (7 am) is when I am usually going to bed back in the US (12am). The mornings are the most challenging part of the day, since it is night in the US. Monday was no exception. After a brief Swahili lesson in the morning, it was time to go out and see some of Dar Es Salaam! Our bus was rather jolly--they are all ex-Japanese/South Korean buses. So are most of the vehicles in Tanzania. Apparently, there is a law in Japan (at least), which requires vehicles over a certain age to be retired or other face hefty fines. Given that these vehicles (which tend to be maybe 10 years old?) can no longer be driven, where do they end up? East Africa. Entire container ships full of used cars arrive in Tanzania and are gobbled up by the growing population. As a result, there are virtually no American or European cars here (a few Mercedes, but those seem to be reserved for the very wealthy).

Once we made it on the bus, we finally had a chance to experience the famous (or perhaps infamous?) Dar traffic. I don't think I will ever be able to drive confidently in Tanzania--I would be too frightened. Cars literally go everywhere--and often with razor-thin margins. I cannot count the number of close calls our bus alone had. Driving here really must require nerves of steel. After safely navigating the reams of traffic, we arrived at our destination: Mlimani City Mall. Here, we got our passport photos taken for our residence permits, grabbed any supplies we needed, and set up our phones with a Tanzanian SIM. It was an interesting experience to wander through a mall that looks very similar to an American one--certainly, it felt like I was back in the US (for a brief moment). That feeling was quickly squashed when I was interrogated (well, not quite...but it felt like it) by a security guard. After checking out at a discount shop, I was quickly approached by a guard who demanded to know exactly what was in my bag. After examining each item and cross-referencing it with my receipt, he sent me on my way. Although some stores in the US do this, they are not nearly as diligent or forceful about it.

After a brief lunch, it was time to set up our SIM cards. This time, as I attempted to set up and purchase my SIM card and bundle, I had quite an easy experience. I had a very friendly sales person who glided me through the process and made sure that my card/bundle were properly set up. I though the price of 24,000 Tsh (about 15 USD) for a month of unlimited internet and a SIM card was quite good. Once I got out of the store, however, I found out that my friends had only paid 20,000 Tsh for the same thing! Although I initially felt ripped off, I realized that this is the way things work in this part of the world--it's a cultural difference.

The Carving Market

We finally escaped the mall about two hours behind schedule and headed to a local carving market. As soon as we emerged from the bus, we were welcomed by the stall owners and strongly encouraged to buy their product. In comparison to the United States, the salesmanship was unbelievable--everyone was really eager to sell you something. It was really interesting to see the carvers at work, as they took a block of wood and made it into a beautiful object. The skill and precision of each craftsman was really impressive.

Following our brief visit to the market, we jumped back on the bus and headed back to the hotel for some R&R. Still struggling with jet-lag, I collapsed in heap not long after dinner.

Tuesday brought new and interesting adventures, as we ventured into the heart of Dar Es Salaam. Taking another bus into the center, we slowly crept through traffic until we reached the city center. On our way, we passed the US Embassy (which looked like a fortified castle) and the British High Commission (which also looked like a fortified castle, but was at least in the center of the city). Our first stop was the National Museum. A beautiful complex located right in the city center, the National Museum showcased the origins of Tanzania, explaining both the biological origins of humanity and the actual history of the country. It was really interesting to learn a bit more about Tanzania and its origins.

The National Museum Complex

Following our visit to the Museum, we meandered over to the City Garden restaurant, a palatial establishment slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. I had the tastiest Carrot and Ginger soup...yum! Tuesday really felt like a bus day--after lunch, we piled back onto the bus in order to head over to the Fish market. Located right on the harbor, the Fish Market was packed--and utterly fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen such a vibrant display of commerce and fresh fish anywhere in the USA. Immediately afterwards, we headed over to the Kariakoo market, a place full of people and merchandise. I think this market helped me to appreciate the gulf between the US and Tanzania. In the US, shopping is mostly conducted through official storefronts--prices are market and there is regulation that safeguards both merchants and consumers. In Tanzania, everything is more fluid--prices are definitely variable and the focus is on the independent stall owner. I don't think one is better than the other, but the visit to the market definitely underscored the wide gulf between the two.

The Dar BRT system (will go in center lanes)

On our way back to the hotel, we got stuck in traffic again. This time, however, I didn't mind as much, because we were on the route of the new BRT line. I've spent the last year studying BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). Dar is an interesting example of the concept and its implementation in the developing world. I was delighted to observe the stations and the system (still under construction) as we drove along the line. Although I had a number of thoughts, I definitely thought it was interesting that the lead contractor on the project was German. It seems that many major construction project are built by foreign firms. Whether that's due to foreign aid restrictions or the lack of skilled talent in Tanzania, it is a shame, since it forces Tanzania to rely on outside help for such a project. Perhaps at some point, they will use (or have) the indigenous capability to built such a system.

A BRT Station (through the window!)

The Beginning of the Sunrise

The Sky was Amazing!

Last, but not least, Wednesday was a much quieter day. Our entire group got up at 6AM (!) to watch the sun rise over the Indian Ocean. I have included the photos below. Although they don't do it justice, they do show some of the incredible view. Following the sunrise, we had a morning filled with Swahili before we jumped into another bus and went to the village museum. This museum showcases the various tribes and cultures of Tanzania and their different styles of village construction. I thought it was really interesting to see the incredible diversity in between the different types of villages and their dwellings. It certainly seemed like each group had adapted to fit their respective culture. We also got to see a Tanzanian dance group, which performed traditional dances for all of the tourists (yes, that means us!).

Some of our group joined in with the dancers!

One of the model village homes

Following a brief lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a quiet afternoon. Tomorrow, we head for Iringa, 9-11 hours away. I will miss the hustle and bustle of Dar, but definitely not the traffic. I am ready for our program to begin in earnest. On Friday, we move into our dorms at the University of Iringa. We have the weekend off, but class starts on Monday. I am both excited and a bit nervous--it will be a new experience to take classes in such a different place!

Tanzania Day 1 & 2: Arrival and Orientation

Waiting for the plane in Raleigh

My upcoming adventure in Tanzania has dominated my thoughts for the last several months. In the past week leading up to the start of this foray into the unknown (at least, unknown to me!), I slowly been preparing. Figuring out what to pack was the biggest challenge--I had to figure out what I really needed for the next four months. Working with a 50 lb weight limit makes this a challenge. Fortunately, I was able to focus on the basics and managed to choose a set of gear that will hopefully hold up--time will tell!

After much planning, my journey finally began on Friday (Aug 15th). Luckily for me, everything was running smoothly and my flights took off on time. A grueling night flight to Zurich took the shine off the adventure a little bit, as I emerged from the plane in Zurich feeling weary and a bit grungy. I didn't have much time on the ground in Zurich, however, and before I knew it, I was off on a flight to Dar Es Salaam with SWISS. My flight on SWISS was incomparable to my previous flight on United. Friendly flight attendants plied me with food, free booze, and Swiss chocolate. What could be better? The highlight of the flight was probably the Swiss Chocolate Ice Cream, which was served about 2/3rds of the way through the ~9 hour flight. At that point, I was starting to feel very weary, so a sugar boost was very welcome. Below is a photo of that snack--very tasty it was, indeed!

The Ice-Cream!

Once I finally arrived in Dar, however, I sped through immigration and customs with no problem and then found myself in the care of a very capable taxi driver. After a long journey to a strange place, it is very comforting to see someone waiting for you with a sign! A slightly harrowing taxi ride to the hotel left me feeling a few years' older. The traffic in Dar at this hour, light though it was (according to my driver), was unbelievable. People walked straight in front of cars, cars went in every direction, and dalla-dallas (public buses) swerved in and out of traffic like they were motorcycles. My arrival at the hotel, however, returned a sense of calm. My hotel is located north of the main city of Dar Es Salaam and is right on a beach. Inside, the serene grounds contrast with the hectic life of the city. By the time I reached the hotel, it was close to 10 PM, East African Time. I was at the limit of my energy and needed to crash. After checking in, I tried to get to bed as quickly as possible!

Arriving on the Island!

Sunday started bright and early, with a breakfast time of 8 AM (that's 1 AM on the US East Coast). It was hard to wake-up, but nice to have a tasty breakfast buffet waiting. Following breakfast, we headed over to the beach, where our director, Justin, had arranged for us to take a boat to an island just off the coast! The journey to the island was beautiful, filled with interesting sights and experiences. But that all started to fade away when we reached the island. Beautiful might well be an understatement. The island had a bleach white sand beach, which steeply dropped into an azure-blue Indian Ocean. We set up our base under a canopy, where Justin and Paulo talked us through some details about the program and gave us our first Swahili lesson. My strongest impression of Tanzania so far is that I will need Swahili if I am to really understand the country. Although some Tanzanians speak English and take pains to communicate, my inability to speak Swahili is really going to act as a barrier on my time here. Thus, I am eagerly awaiting more Swahili lessons!

Looking out over the Island

The Shelters on the Island

The lobster!

We were given two options for lunch--lobster or fish (both with chips/fries). Naturally, I chose the lobster (how could I pass up such an opportunity?!). When it arrived, it tasted absolutely heavenly--I felt very spoiled by such good food! We spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach, soaking up the sun and enjoying the beautiful sea. A quiet evening back at the rest capped off our first day in Tanzania. Although I am already exhausted (it doesn't take long with so much jet lag...), I can already tell that my time in Tanzania will be occasionally exasperating, but immensely fulfilling. I have yearned for an adventure such as this for too long and I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings.