Kubwa Mzungu mtu safari katika Tanzania
The Big White Man's Journey in Tanzania ... by Plane,Train and Automobile .
The journey begins in a Penang Travel Agency
"You want to go where ?"she asked ..
"Dar Es Salaam , Tanzania " I reply ..
"Oh you want go South Africa lah ? "she says .
"No am going to East Africa " says I , with a sigh.
( At the airport for the flight to East Africa )
(Ethiopian Airlines flight from KL having landed at Addis Ababa )
So i thought it was about time Penangites learnt that Africa does not begin and end in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
I have had a love affair with East Africa for nearly twenty years and it is a place you either love or hate ..there is no in between.
It is also not the easiest area to travel in , unless you pay mega bucks for a high end and a somewhat sanitised luxury safari..where you may see lots of animals but very few really local people.
I didn't have a high budget so i chose to do everything by local transport , staying most of the time with student friends and seeing real life on the street and in local towns and villages.
(view from my friend's window in Dar Es Salaam )
I covered over 5,000 km in the seven weeks i was there ..from Dar Es Salaam on the Indian Ocean to Lake Victoria near the border with Uganda and to Arusha and Marangu in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro .
Dar es Salaam can be quite daunting for first time visitors but the central ,older part of town ,still has a unique and interesting vibe , especially in the Indian , Arab and Colonial quarters.
You can however ,easily escape the crowds and still find a reasonably empty beach within reach of town.I spent a great half day here with good friends .Cocoa beach is near the Oyster bay upmarket , embassy part of town but is a public beach.
(public beach Dar Es Salaam )
It is a pity most people choose to only stay a few days in Dar before heading off on safari or over to Zanzibar ,( which is easily reached by a short flight or regular fast ferry service).
If you wish to escape from crowds and not go to Zanzibar ,then why not head up north a little to the much quieter and less developed Swahili coastline near Tanga and Pangani .Tanga town is a sleepy , very laid back and peaceful mix of old colonial style buildings , many reminiscent of old George Town ..yes they have five foot ways here too .
( Tanga town centre Colonial buildings with 5ft Way)
I was there at end of Ramadan and witnessed the celebration of Eid al Fitr (the post fasting festival)..the gardens near the sea where full of life, people of all ages enjoying good company , great food and welcoming friends new and old .
( An audience with wisdom - Tanga - during Eid Festival )
When i see how many lovely old buildings there are in Tanga i cant but hope ,that one day the city will have UNESCO status .A visit to the cultural museum proved to be a very worthwhile excursion
( Typical Tanga town street scene )
The museum is staffed by local students who are very eager to tell you the history of this fascinating small town , with a good variety of photos, prints and local artifacts . Our guide obviously took great pride in what she was doing and made the whole visit very pleasant as well as educational .
( Student guide at Tanga museum )
The journey down the coastal road to Pangani can be quite an adventure.
( very crowded local bus )
There is always room for one more passenger in the local buses. You get in grab any available space , then just when you think no one else can get in , the driver says yes to another two or three people .I was glad it was only an hours journey as the road is red earth . You pray that it does not rain heavily as then the road can become a sea of mud and it is not unusual to see people out helping to push the bus back on to solid earth.Tanga and Pangani are part of an area often referred to as the Swahili coast .Swahili actually means coastal in Arabic .Pangani , once the home of Arab slave traders , is now a real backwater small town , often overlooked by big tour operators but is all the better for that .
( Boys waiting to buy a few sweets at small local store in Pangani )
( I could stay on this beach till the cows go home - Pangani beach )
A small local ferry can be used to cross the Pangani river in order to travel south to an area of more prestine white beaches and the Saadani National park, which is the only Tanzanian wildlife sanctuary overlooking the sea.
( Pangani Ferry )
It was back to Dar Es Salaam then off by express coach to Arusha and the foothill area of Mount Kilimanjaro for the next part of my adventure. Arusha and Moshi are used as starting points for safaris into Ngorongoro conservation area and also of course for expeditions to climb Mt Kilimanjaro .The climate in this area varies greatly from the coastal region , you are well advised to bring a fleece or at least a warm jumper .I was there in June , it was every bit as cold as Scotland in spring .
( Marangu Falls , in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro)
I spent some of my time in a small village near Marangu in the foothills of Kilimanjaro being hosted by a local student friend and his family.
It was easy to keep fit as sometimes the only option was to walk , which gave me the opportunity to see local rural life at it's best .Being introduced to family and friends along the way.
( Dignified lady in my friend's home)
The area is very lush and fertile , it is a if you are a walking part of an an old technocolour movie. Village people in Tanzania are very dependent on others within the village system and often whole generations of family members live together , though it is common nowadays for the older youth and men to seek study or work in the nearest main town , often leaving only the elderly , mums and children to remain on a day to day basis.
( Sugar cane freshly cut for us )
From the cool of Kilimanjaro , it was back to the heat in Mwanza .
Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania and is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria close to the border with Uganda.My reason for making this very long coach journey was to meet a friend of a friend who was to become like a Son to my wife and I .
The Story of Amaziah Mandilindi
This is Amaziah's Village and his life told through the lens of my camera .I look at the whole picture of life with a passion to see the human side , no matter how difficult that may be.
Amaziah lives with his Grandad , Grandma and extended family . His father deserted his mother when he was two years old and unfortunately his Mum passed away a few years back.
He seldom complains but at times i can feel the pain just by looking in his eyes.
( Amaziah's Grandad)
This is Grandad he is 86 years old and a real wise man but age is catching up with him and he is slowing down a lot yet still manages to go to the fields each day to look after his cattle.
Traveling makes me think and rethink a lot , especially about how other people live , what makes true community and what is required to have a reasonable level of good health , education and opportunities for sustainable village life.
People should not be forced by economic pressures to leave the village and go to the big City . The reality of day to day living in Dar Es Salaam is in some ways much more difficult than having less and living in the village.
( Never Give up )
Amaziah's good friend sums up the mindset that you need to have to survive here ..i assure you life is much tougher than most Penangites will ever experience.
( faith and the family )
Faith plays a big part in most family's daily life
( Amaziah family compound )
( Amaziah's room )
The single men live alone but in part of the family compound ..this is his room .
Amaziah lives in a typical rural Tanzanian village with no electricity or running water. Power will only be available to those who can afford a generator and the cost of fuel to run it.
Water comes from a well a few miles away and these kids, probably no more than 12 years old , spend all day delivering water by bike to the villagers. Each container weighs 25kg .
They do not go to school .
Grandma and friends run this small stall , selling delicious pancakes and tea,Provides an essential income ..life is tough ,Aunt Jane is cooking the pancakes..i totally freaked Amaziah Mandilindi by putting salt on them ..he thought that was very peculiar !!
My last day in the village of Konna , with Amaziah Mandilindi's family and friends was special and also emotional at times. LOVE THIS PLACE .
The long journey back to Dar Es Salaam
I decided to take the long but interesting train journey back from Mwanza to Dar Es Salaam
So much of life can be seen from a railway .
( yes this is a First Class sleeper)
The sleeper cabins had seen better days,bought from India a long time ago , they are very reminiscent of British Rail corridor trains of the 1970's. I was glad that I had the lower and not the upper bunk as all the ladders were missing and you had to jump onto the sink in the corner and then haul yourself up to the bunk .Not an easy task . The windows were then secured shut with a piece of wood .The ceiling fan was not working , so was like sleeping in a small and stinky oven !!
Oh .and no peeing in the sink !!..
(Old Canadian Engine pulling even older rolling stock)
The train was delayed one day, meant to leave at 6pm on the Thursday ,it eventually left on the Friday at 8am and chugged all the 1300kms to arrive in Dar Es Salaam on the Sunday at 7am.
( First class Buffet Car )
The First Class buffet car was the place to go to sample the wonderful array of available food or "chakula" . I quote from Paul Theroux's experience on the same train.
"The attendent asked me in Swahili if i was hungry "chakula , chakula "Food , food and to tempt me he showed me some heaped plates.
To the novice , this was mystery meat . But i knew better.
One dish was obviously a purple amblongus pie , the others were a stack of crumbobblious cutlets and some gosky patties , all of which I recognized from "The book of Nonsense Cookery" by Edward Lear."
( Trying to find pasture for the cattle )
The line between Tabora and Dar Es Salaam climbs to nearly 4000ft above sea level . It was dry season in this area and the rains were late in coming.
( two trains at Dodoma station - half way between Mwanza and Dar Es Salaam )
It was a slow but wonderful journey , so full of human interest
( one of my host's young brother and friend's waving me goodbye on my last day )
I eventually had to say sad goodbyes to friends and head to the airport for the long flight home and promising that i would be back again as soon as i can .
The Big White Man's Journey in Tanzania ... by Plane,Train and Automobile .
The journey begins in a Penang Travel Agency
"You want to go where ?"she asked ..
"Dar Es Salaam , Tanzania " I reply ..
"Oh you want go South Africa lah ? "she says .
"No am going to East Africa " says I , with a sigh.
( At the airport for the flight to East Africa )
(Ethiopian Airlines flight from KL having landed at Addis Ababa )
So i thought it was about time Penangites learnt that Africa does not begin and end in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
I have had a love affair with East Africa for nearly twenty years and it is a place you either love or hate ..there is no in between.
It is also not the easiest area to travel in , unless you pay mega bucks for a high end and a somewhat sanitised luxury safari..where you may see lots of animals but very few really local people.
I didn't have a high budget so i chose to do everything by local transport , staying most of the time with student friends and seeing real life on the street and in local towns and villages.
I covered over 5,000 km in the seven weeks i was there ..from Dar Es Salaam on the Indian Ocean to Lake Victoria near the border with Uganda and to Arusha and Marangu in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro .
Dar es Salaam can be quite daunting for first time visitors but the central ,older part of town ,still has a unique and interesting vibe , especially in the Indian , Arab and Colonial quarters.
You can however ,easily escape the crowds and still find a reasonably empty beach within reach of town.I spent a great half day here with good friends .Cocoa beach is near the Oyster bay upmarket , embassy part of town but is a public beach.
It is a pity most people choose to only stay a few days in Dar before heading off on safari or over to Zanzibar ,( which is easily reached by a short flight or regular fast ferry service).
If you wish to escape from crowds and not go to Zanzibar ,then why not head up north a little to the much quieter and less developed Swahili coastline near Tanga and Pangani .Tanga town is a sleepy , very laid back and peaceful mix of old colonial style buildings , many reminiscent of old George Town ..yes they have five foot ways here too .
I was there at end of Ramadan and witnessed the celebration of Eid al Fitr (the post fasting festival)..the gardens near the sea where full of life, people of all ages enjoying good company , great food and welcoming friends new and old .
When i see how many lovely old buildings there are in Tanga i cant but hope ,that one day the city will have UNESCO status .A visit to the cultural museum proved to be a very worthwhile excursion
The museum is staffed by local students who are very eager to tell you the history of this fascinating small town , with a good variety of photos, prints and local artifacts . Our guide obviously took great pride in what she was doing and made the whole visit very pleasant as well as educational .
The journey down the coastal road to Pangani can be quite an adventure.
There is always room for one more passenger in the local buses. You get in grab any available space , then just when you think no one else can get in , the driver says yes to another two or three people .I was glad it was only an hours journey as the road is red earth . You pray that it does not rain heavily as then the road can become a sea of mud and it is not unusual to see people out helping to push the bus back on to solid earth.Tanga and Pangani are part of an area often referred to as the Swahili coast .Swahili actually means coastal in Arabic .Pangani , once the home of Arab slave traders , is now a real backwater small town , often overlooked by big tour operators but is all the better for that .
( Boys waiting to buy a few sweets at small local store in Pangani )
( I could stay on this beach till the cows go home - Pangani beach )
A small local ferry can be used to cross the Pangani river in order to travel south to an area of more prestine white beaches and the Saadani National park, which is the only Tanzanian wildlife sanctuary overlooking the sea.
( Pangani Ferry )
It was back to Dar Es Salaam then off by express coach to Arusha and the foothill area of Mount Kilimanjaro for the next part of my adventure. Arusha and Moshi are used as starting points for safaris into Ngorongoro conservation area and also of course for expeditions to climb Mt Kilimanjaro .The climate in this area varies greatly from the coastal region , you are well advised to bring a fleece or at least a warm jumper .I was there in June , it was every bit as cold as Scotland in spring .
I spent some of my time in a small village near Marangu in the foothills of Kilimanjaro being hosted by a local student friend and his family.
It was easy to keep fit as sometimes the only option was to walk , which gave me the opportunity to see local rural life at it's best .Being introduced to family and friends along the way.
( Dignified lady in my friend's home)
The area is very lush and fertile , it is a if you are a walking part of an an old technocolour movie. Village people in Tanzania are very dependent on others within the village system and often whole generations of family members live together , though it is common nowadays for the older youth and men to seek study or work in the nearest main town , often leaving only the elderly , mums and children to remain on a day to day basis.
( Sugar cane freshly cut for us )
From the cool of Kilimanjaro , it was back to the heat in Mwanza .
Mwanza is the second largest city in Tanzania and is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria close to the border with Uganda.My reason for making this very long coach journey was to meet a friend of a friend who was to become like a Son to my wife and I .
The Story of Amaziah Mandilindi
Amaziah lives with his Grandad , Grandma and extended family . His father deserted his mother when he was two years old and unfortunately his Mum passed away a few years back.
He seldom complains but at times i can feel the pain just by looking in his eyes.
( Amaziah's Grandad)
This is Grandad he is 86 years old and a real wise man but age is catching up with him and he is slowing down a lot yet still manages to go to the fields each day to look after his cattle.
Traveling makes me think and rethink a lot , especially about how other people live , what makes true community and what is required to have a reasonable level of good health , education and opportunities for sustainable village life.
People should not be forced by economic pressures to leave the village and go to the big City . The reality of day to day living in Dar Es Salaam is in some ways much more difficult than having less and living in the village.
( Never Give up )
Amaziah's good friend sums up the mindset that you need to have to survive here ..i assure you life is much tougher than most Penangites will ever experience.
( faith and the family )
Faith plays a big part in most family's daily life
( Amaziah's room )
Amaziah lives in a typical rural Tanzanian village with no electricity or running water. Power will only be available to those who can afford a generator and the cost of fuel to run it.
They do not go to school .
Grandma and friends run this small stall , selling delicious pancakes and tea,Provides an essential income ..life is tough ,Aunt Jane is cooking the pancakes..i totally freaked Amaziah Mandilindi by putting salt on them ..he thought that was very peculiar !!
My last day in the village of Konna , with Amaziah Mandilindi's family and friends was special and also emotional at times. LOVE THIS PLACE .
The long journey back to Dar Es Salaam
I decided to take the long but interesting train journey back from Mwanza to Dar Es Salaam
So much of life can be seen from a railway .
The sleeper cabins had seen better days,bought from India a long time ago , they are very reminiscent of British Rail corridor trains of the 1970's. I was glad that I had the lower and not the upper bunk as all the ladders were missing and you had to jump onto the sink in the corner and then haul yourself up to the bunk .Not an easy task . The windows were then secured shut with a piece of wood .The ceiling fan was not working , so was like sleeping in a small and stinky oven !!
Oh .and no peeing in the sink !!..
(Old Canadian Engine pulling even older rolling stock)
The train was delayed one day, meant to leave at 6pm on the Thursday ,it eventually left on the Friday at 8am and chugged all the 1300kms to arrive in Dar Es Salaam on the Sunday at 7am.
The First Class buffet car was the place to go to sample the wonderful array of available food or "chakula" . I quote from Paul Theroux's experience on the same train.
"The attendent asked me in Swahili if i was hungry "chakula , chakula "Food , food and to tempt me he showed me some heaped plates.
To the novice , this was mystery meat . But i knew better.
One dish was obviously a purple amblongus pie , the others were a stack of crumbobblious cutlets and some gosky patties , all of which I recognized from "The book of Nonsense Cookery" by Edward Lear."
The line between Tabora and Dar Es Salaam climbs to nearly 4000ft above sea level . It was dry season in this area and the rains were late in coming.
( two trains at Dodoma station - half way between Mwanza and Dar Es Salaam )
It was a slow but wonderful journey , so full of human interest
( one of my host's young brother and friend's waving me goodbye on my last day )
I eventually had to say sad goodbyes to friends and head to the airport for the long flight home and promising that i would be back again as soon as i can .
