I came across the headmaster of Msasani Primary School quite by accident in January and went to the flag-raising ceremony shortly afterwards. I had promised the head that I would do some free teacher training and he seemed keen for it. It was over a month later when he saw me walking on the road… Read More »
Markets are interesting in a new country. You can tell what crops grow locally and I have started going to my local market to buy fruit and vegetables. Msasani market is really dirty, dark and full of flies. Usually going to a local market is fun, full of noise and activity. Sadly Msasani market is… Read More »
So you’ve landed at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam and now you need to get to your hotel. Do you reach for your Uber or Bolt app or are you going to throw yourself into Tanzanian life and try local transport? Here’s a guide to help you decide how, why and when… Read More »
Finding a day trip out of Dar is quite hard. Apart from the beaches (includig Bagamoyo) there really aren’t that many places to go. However, last week I heard about some hills where you can go for walks on the airport road. I had a lift to the airport from a friend and then I… Read More »
I have written about Chinese fabric markets. They are wonderful places and I am overwhelmed by the choice and want to buy so much I cannot decide what to buy. In Africa it’s pretty much the opposite. I go to Tanzanian fabric shops and all they sell is kitenge which is wild colours and patterns.… Read More »
I was asked to go to Mbeya to give a talk at a university and I was glad to be at last doing something positive. “You can travel from Dar with some people in a car.” came the offer. Horrified, and still with last month’s two days journey in a dala dala still fresh in… Read More »
I was invited to stop and sit down and chat with some teachers the last time I took the shortcut up School Road. The road takes you straight through the school grounds but nobody seems to stop you. It’s also quite nice walking through a school without guards with batons and helmets stopping you, as… Read More »
In China they don’t make a fuss about New Year’s Eve and so I’d never (apart form one year with a German friend) done anything to celebrate it. Tanzania is a little better for this traditional celebration and I was invited to several international gatherings. Well, the New Year’s Even one was at least international.… Read More »
I was invited to join in a carol service at the Little Theatre in Dar and since there was not much sign that it was Christmas I thought it would be a nice reminder that I was in the festival season. The Little Theatre has a central courtyard and this is where chairs had been… Read More »
Bajaj are a little safer than boda boda so I try to take one if I can find one. I had been to the Chinese Supermarket in Mikocheni and then looked around for a bajaj. Up pulled a black vehicle with the words “Black horse” on the windscreen. We agreed a price to take me… Read More »