I was not at all sure of what life might be like in Tanzania. As we exited the plane we walked straight down the stairs and onto the tarmac. I knew right away things were going to be very different from home.
We were escorted by guards to the customs checkpoint and admittance station, each requiring a hand, thumb, face, and bag scan—so much stricter than I have ever seen in a country before! But at the same time a couple of experienced passengers quietly slipped around the outside and skipped the process. I guess it balances out?
I’ve spent about a week now in Dar es Salaam. I’d be lying if I described the city as “beautiful” . . . While it stands along the Indian Ocean coast, its traffic and crowds, mixture of humid dust and fuel exhaust, and sprawling expanse, weighs down upon you at the end of the day. But, it is the wide smiles and open arms, the kind people and peaceful culture, which make Tanzania beautiful and so unique.
“Hakuna Matata”, my friends here will say. “No problem” when a taxi ride of a few miles becomes so backed up that the journey takes two hours. We take things just one step at a time and kind of go with the flow. In this way I have learned to embrace the little bit of extra time and collaboration it takes to get things done as a chance to meet many more friends along the way. It is these moments—when we stumble upon a food stand overflowing with fresh bananas, mangos, papayas, coconut, pineapple, tomatoes, and the biggest avocados I have ever seen, that the city’s beauty peaks through.
Each evening as we return to our guesthouse, I am so grateful for the peaceful retreat that we have here. Inside a secure community based around a church and small school, we each have a clean and quiet bedroom and restroom. Every day we come here to relax and wash the frustrations of the city away, something so many of the families living in and around the city never have the chance to do. I am so grateful for all that has helped me be here, and I hope somehow I may help, in turn.
We were escorted by guards to the customs checkpoint and admittance station, each requiring a hand, thumb, face, and bag scan—so much stricter than I have ever seen in a country before! But at the same time a couple of experienced passengers quietly slipped around the outside and skipped the process. I guess it balances out?
I’ve spent about a week now in Dar es Salaam. I’d be lying if I described the city as “beautiful” . . . While it stands along the Indian Ocean coast, its traffic and crowds, mixture of humid dust and fuel exhaust, and sprawling expanse, weighs down upon you at the end of the day. But, it is the wide smiles and open arms, the kind people and peaceful culture, which make Tanzania beautiful and so unique.
“Hakuna Matata”, my friends here will say. “No problem” when a taxi ride of a few miles becomes so backed up that the journey takes two hours. We take things just one step at a time and kind of go with the flow. In this way I have learned to embrace the little bit of extra time and collaboration it takes to get things done as a chance to meet many more friends along the way. It is these moments—when we stumble upon a food stand overflowing with fresh bananas, mangos, papayas, coconut, pineapple, tomatoes, and the biggest avocados I have ever seen, that the city’s beauty peaks through.
Each evening as we return to our guesthouse, I am so grateful for the peaceful retreat that we have here. Inside a secure community based around a church and small school, we each have a clean and quiet bedroom and restroom. Every day we come here to relax and wash the frustrations of the city away, something so many of the families living in and around the city never have the chance to do. I am so grateful for all that has helped me be here, and I hope somehow I may help, in turn.