Tanzania 2nd update

Sorry about the cop out on Monday but I was real tired and was just about falling asleep on the keyboard. So instead of writing nonsense I decided to just go and sleep. Anyway the ride across Tanzania to Dar es Salaam was hot and fast and slow. Most of the fellow travellers on the bus were Malawian traders who were coming to buy supplies in Dar to sell in their shops and whole sale to other traders who are unable to come or who don't know the ropes. It seems on trips of this nature we always seem to be accompanied by babies, there were two restless ones on the bus again, one was seated right next to me so I had to do some babysitting as well. I spent most of the 20 odd hours drifting in and out of sleep, it is just impossible to read and as soon as I start reading I fall asleep. The stops for toilet or just to stretch your legs was very infrequent, so should you want to travel this way in future you have to have a very strong bladder - first requirement. Mine become stronger and stronger the further into Africa we travelled. the countryside through which we travelled consisted basically of grassland, banana plantations and small scale subsistence farming. I learnt later the crops consisted mainly of cassava, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, bananas, some maize, mangoes and peanuts. These were the main foods offered on the side of the bus where ever we pulled off to pick up more passengers. It was not advisable to get off the bus to do anything because on two occasions when I attempted this, I noticed that as soon as I got in after wandering off, the bus pulled off without anyone looking back to see if any body is in hot pursuit of the bus, instead I got some dirty looks and comments which again if you don't understand means nothing, so I decided that I shall only get off at the designated stops as announced by the gaartjie and by the way he had his front teeth in tact. I bought a roasted mielie in one of the towns and washed it down with plenty of bottled water. The consumption of food I decide has to follow the same pattern as the toilet stops so this became a very, very precarious balance. There was no official lunch stop but at about 5.30pm we stopped at some farm stall with a restaurant within the Morogoro National park. This is the official area of the Masai. (Mattias the swiss guy whom I stayed with in Dar explained that they are not very good workers. They seem to hope that their colourful dress and tall stature will carry them through life without them having to domuch, so they are employed mainly as watchmen. He stated very funnily in his swiss accent that they can only watch so ja ja they watch ja ja.) We had a quick supper and continued. About 30mins later the driver stopped and jumped out of the bus accompanied by the gaartjie, much to the annoyance of everybody they disappeared into the bus and stayed away for about 20mins to half an hour. When they re-appeared they were each carrying a goat which were promptly deposited in the luggage dept of the bus and we continued on our way. I suspect that this was for slaughtering on Eid Maburak a few weeks later much moaning came form the passengers who felt the bus driver and gaartjie shouldn't be doing their private business in their work. So on we went in the direction of Dar. I sms'ed my contact in Dar and told him I will be late. He advised that I do not enter Dar at night but stay in one of the country towns until the next day when I could come in quite safely. I ignored his advice and started speaking to the guy sitting in front of me and enquired where they will find accommodation. He promised that the bus will stop within walking distance of the hotel they normally stay at and that it is fairly cheap 12 000Tsh (Tanzania Shillings about R75,00 which I thought was reasonable too. We got into Dar at about 2am and trudged off to the hotel. Its amazing the number of people awake in a big city at this hour, there were taxis surrounding the bus, we however walked to the hotel which was just in the next road.
The next day I had breakfast in the cafe downstairs and went out to buy another shirt with top pockets I needed another shirt which would be comfortable to to travel in. One need top pockets on your body to facilitate the storing of personal items like passport money etc. which is needed all the time whilst on the road. Found a shirt ans another shorts which I am not too happy with. These two guys took me on a quick tour of the town. It turned out to be like Athlone just much much bigger and busier. The area around the hotel was not in the centre of town but basically the area where the common people shop called KariaKoo. This became my favourite haunt whilst here in Dar even the name sounds crazy. It really is amazing how everybody here want to have a business. They sell a sweet roll/doughnut which is deep fried on the road. Cleaning of shoes is big business here and a stall is easily rigged up anywhere along the road, this includes tackies. Most sidewalks if they do exist are sand and most of the roads in the suburbs are sand. My tooth was bothering me and I started asking around for a good dentist. Corine and Mattias suggested that I wait until I get to Nairobi. They did say that a friend had seen a dentist at the Gov. hosp. which he was very happy about. I visited the suggested guy and he said we have to extract since the tooth had split in half. I had to stay in Dar so that the wound heals and Moday30th he will replace the tooth so I had to hang around Dar for this. As I write I have just come back from the east coast and have holed up in a fairly expensive hotel at the waterfront, close to the ferry departure tomorrow and they have free internet. $40 with breakfast is not extravagant I decided. It is not 5 star but worlds better than the hotel I stayed in in Stone town earlier in the week. I hope with the comforts offered I will feel better tomorrow because I feel a bit sluggish to day. The body is sore as if I am heading for a fever. I have taken 2 ponados, my daily vitamin and an immodium because die maagie voel nie so lekker nie, you have to catch a bug in Africa so I have not had anything to eat and will only have something for breakfast. I was at the east coast, travelled in a daladala which is a lorry converted for passenger use, it got a bit crowded and fast at times but a nice drive through the country side, I was met by a tout (a youngster about 17yrs old) as I got off the bus. He was taking me to the beachfront hotels when I stopped him and said he must get me accommodation in the village. He called somebody and then we were on our way. These were a bunch of young rastas who were living in a house near the beach which belongs to one of them. They welcomed me and the money because as soon as they showed me the room, I was asked to pay so that they could go and do some shopping. I parted with the 20 000 Tsh. They had moved out of the main bedroom and will bunk in the lounge in order that I have private digs, I paid the tout who had now become a tour guide.
I put down my bag put on my bather and went down to the beach. Amazing beach the whitest sand I am yet to see, high tide comfortable with the benefit that you could go into the water for about a km before it starts getting deep. The water just about laps onto the beach. Water temperature about that of pee which meant I could stay in for hours. Went for a walk in the village. The guys took me to a pub/shop in the village where we sat around and chatted. When they started repeating themselves I left to get home and prepare supper for myself. These guys promised they will make some Zanzibar food for me but by the looks of it they were on a liquid diet. So I had supper, some bean sprouts I had sprouted over the past few days with some Tuna from my back pack. Tried to watch some of their movies but I wasn't going to watch Schuster and Mr Bean. So I had an early night. Crawlled under the mosquito net and read for a while before dropping off. The gang came back about 2am and proceeded to make themselves comfortable in the lounge. I woke up this morning with a sore body. Went for a walk, did some yoga stretches on the beach, had a swim which was basically lying in the water because it was low tide and I would now probably have to walk 5 km into the water before I would be able to swim. Came back to the house packed. My guide pitched and threatened that I wont get a bus out of Paje today since it is Eid. He was wanting to fill a taxi so that he could earn some commission. I said I am not taking a taxi but the bus. In fact the previous day when I got into town he insisted that we ride to the accommodation he had arranged. I refused and said I need to see the village. He was trying to create some income for a taxi friend. Today as we left the house to walk to the bus stop I said he should carry my bag because he is not providing any service today, he wasn't happy but I promised that I will give him nothing unless he does something. He reluctantly took the bag and we setoff for the busstop whilst we were walking a car pulled up and offered a ride to Stone town (a distance of about 80km) I asked how much, it turned out the guy was going to town and was just collecting on the side. 5000 Tsh was okay I thought. The bus charges 1500 Tsh but a lot of discomfort goes with it and here is a car with aircon. I hopped in and was in town an hour later. Again I was met by touts because I asked him to drop me at the harbour since I wanted to jump the ferry to the mainland but I had missed the last one. I was then ushered into the nearest hotel which turned out to be nice, a bit expensive but maybe this is what I needed a bit of pampering aircon in the room free internet, breakfast in the morning a tv which works and basically a clean and organised place. So I took it and here I am having taken advantage of most of the services on offer. These are the basics for the week. I still have to next time fill you in on my visit to the Sudanese embassy. I have dictated the visit which turned out to be very interesting. I met the ambassador to the SA consulate and the ambassador to the Sudan. I shall tell you about this in the next posting.

Tanzania

As time had run out for me in Malawi, I got onto a night bus from the Malawi town of Msuzu to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I had arrived from Nkatha Bay in that wet taxi to a 12 hour wait for the bus to Dar es Salaam. After a short walk through the town, a visit to the bank and a visit to an internet cafe there was nothing else to see, so I returned to the bus station. To pass the time I sat listening to some of the music which Leila had taped for me. This was going to prove costly because I forgot to switch the phone music player off. The battery was flat in the morning. The bus arrived from LIlongwe, when I boarded I checked the seating to find mine but there was already a person in there. I then decided to let this ride and proceeded to the back of the bus. Everything and I mean everything on the bus shook, I drifted in and out of sleep the whole night. It is amazing when travelling in this way one still feels that you slept but just too little so it seems as if my scalp is not fitting snuglly to the coconut and there is a space between the eyebrows and the top of the head. We were at the border by 5.30am the next morning. Here we had an hour wait for the border to open. Meanwhile we could do the morning thing which was going to cost 30kwatcha, maybe this is where the conotation for a thousand "K" comes from kwatcha the currency for Malawi in order to have a kak. The toilet attendant was there in his full glory at that early hour, do they sleep in the toilet? I dont know anyway the last time I paid to use a toilet was in Europe. Did"nt expect to find this in Africa.
I started speaking to somebody cleaning out one of the offices and noticed that he had his phone on charge. I asked him if I could plug mine in also he readily agreed. It turned out that he is in charge of The Bureau of Standards at the border post. He expected some kwatchas of course which I had him have when the phone was charged. We sat in front of his office in the early morning chatting while the phone charged. Soon it was 6.30am time for the border to open. I was duly stamped out of Malawi after I was asked to remove my cap. Collected my phone and walked the short distance to the Tanzanian side of the border. On the bridge a policeman (Malawi) stopped me and asked to have a look at my handbag. He scratched around in the bag and I realised that he was,nt really looking for anything and that he expected a few kwatchas from me before I leave the country. I kept myself dom and just smiled took my bag and greeted them and proceeded to the Tanzanian side for entry.
The bus was unloaded and we were lined up to have our baggage checked. I passed easily, a backpack is not a comfortable thing to search.
Before I could get the stamp in my passport I had to pay 50US$.
That done we could pack up again and proceed into Tazania. We had hardly gone 10km when we were stopped by the police and I saw the bribe being passed on on the side of the bus. This was going to be the trend for the next 20hrs of travel. To me it seemed as if the cops were just collecting their monthly pay as a matter of course. Many interesting things happened on the ride across Tanzania to Dar es Salaam on the east coast of Africa. I am a bit tired now after todays running around I shall continue the posting when I get back from Zanzibar.

9th November 2009 Vic Falls

The train pulled into Vic Falls station at about 10am the morning. I had been in an apartment on my own for the whole night and had only come out to get to the toilet in the morning. I applied the principles of entering a town and left the entry point immediately, went to lie on the lawn fronting the hotel next to the station. I did not think the guests going out for their walks in the morning thought it amusing to see a dirty backpacker lazing on the lawns they are paying to maintain. A porter came out after a while and directed me to the taxis plying their trade obviously a distance away from the hotel. We walked over to the main road and they waved down a hotel shuttle bus. The driver took me to the hotel where Trudy's sister (Lorraine's contact in Bulawayo) who passed me onto her sister who works at Vic Falls Lodge?? She took a quick take on who I am, why I am doing this crazy thing and agreed to put me up, we could have supper afterwards as suggested by the family members in Bulawayo at the BOMA. (An interesting place a bit over done but tourist like the drumming they can actually do at the table and the opportunity to be told what to do by a young black guy, more about this later) I then slipped into this tourist town to go and savour the falls again. I had been here in 1988 for a first experience. The water at falls was a bit low being shortly before the rainy season. Walked the various vantage points at the falls and walked down to the bridge over the Zambezi to view the falls from that end. Tried an internet cafe to update my blog but the system would not want me to get in so I made my way to the hotel to meet with Carrie (Trudie's sister) Had a shower because I stank and we went off to the Boma Restaurant. Carrie insisted on picking up the tab since this would auger well for her expense account. Good old expense account!! The meal was great! I tried some Impala, which the manager agreed was a bit tough, some crocodile ( I had to check my shoes all the time to make sure that they did not fry my crocs). The croc was good so was the warthog. The evening was punctuated by antics some of the silly tourists got up to. A good time was had by all though. They issued a certificate for the person who has eaten a mopani worm I ate two and after they had issued the certificate I informed them that I had eaten them ongoing in the 80's when I had a connection with an indian guy in Pretoria who used to mail me a box every quarter and we had them in all types of recipes. Ha Ha they were not impressed.
10th November 2009 Crossing from Vic Falls to Livingstone
I got up early, washed my washing and did some stretches. Trudie's' house help came to work I asked her to do some washing for me. It was raining, also asked her to soak my mopani worms (I had bought some stocks for me in Bulawayo) soaked some sprouts packed and waited for the taxi to pick me up to take me to the border and touch on at Carrie at the Hotel. He took me on a tour of his township and took me to the border. Here I had to connect with a Zambian taxi driver to take me into Livingstone. He screwed me charged me $25 to take me 15km. Introductory shock the travellers tell you. After coming from the lap of luxury for one day my guard is down and I did not take the necccesary precautions by asking and agreeing to a fare before entering the taxi. The idea I had was this must be the only taxi in Zambia so I get in without negotiating price. They allow one Zambian taxi to enter the Zim border side at a time, so there we are nou is ek wakker. I booked in to Faulty Towers and went for a walk in the town. Booked ticket to Lusaka with some family bus company. Had a fast viewing of the museum (it was already3.30pm and the museum closes at 4.30pm (a must stop in a town to understand the shapes and behaviour of the people. Went to mass the church was right opposite the lodge. Went home cooked my mopani's and had supper. There was a mixed group of South Africans working at Shoprite who lodged at Faulty Towers They were just a funky drunk lot working away from home and having to go and sleep drunk to feel at home. I know the feeling.
11 the November 2009
Got up early ran through the town and ran to mass after. came to the lodge packed and proceed to the bus stop, the bus leaves at 10am. I cant get my ticket???? They let me on the bus with a duplicate. There is booking seats here. The ride is hot but interesting, the stretches are long and barren. The Chinese are rebuilding the road to Lusaka, the sections which are done are good, a China man kan sien wanner die level uit is hy hoef nie 'n oog toe te maak nie dis alreeds toe.
Get to Lusaka in the afternoon. Hundreds of men come to meet the bus all wanting to rip a piece of flesh. I get off the bus check the going rate for the backpackers and select a driver for me, he drops me off at the correct place CHA CHA Backpackers. I silly me decide to camp for the night I after all had been dragging this tent from town and it is breaking my back. There are already two other campers in the grounds so I wont be alone. I book and notice form the board in the reception that there is a bus tomorrow direct to Lilongwe so I get another taxi, who takes me to the money changers on the street who exchange enough dollars to get me to Malawi. We go back to the bus station and book the ticket and return to the Back packers but not before he shows me where the church is. I notice morning mass is at 6.30pm. We go back to the lodge, I pitch the tent, shower and order supper which is made by some loudmouthed bruin ou who is in charge of Lusaka. I get into bed after trying unsuccessfully to get into my blog to update. It starts raining cats and dogs thunder and lightning, wind and alles. I lie still in my tent which is now a canoe and wait for daybreak. I get up get into running gear move my back pack and goods into one of the chalets which some whitey who flies back to London on the morning has vacated a few minutes earlier. The bed was still hot. I drag my tent (as is set up) onto the stoep of the chalet and run off in the rain to see the town and to go to mass. I get there..... hey die kerk is vol mense hulle gaan kerk toe voor hulle werk toe gaan, hulle bid in die reen voot die grotto. I get back to the lodge now the drying starts, I first take a swim in the rain in the lodge pool....lekker. wipe the tent dry and pack to get to the bus which leaves at 12.30pm. It eventually left at 3pm. Now I experience a different arrangement to the family bus company I travelled with from Livingstone. Lots of drama at the buss station finally we are on our way. Travelled a solid 13 hours to the border at Malawi Chapeta, Then on to Lilongwe. We slept in the bus at the bus station (I may have some of the details wrong as I write this without notes and internet time is costly) I would like to give you guys the kaskenades at the bus station and on the bus but you will have to buy the book for the details. It will take up too much space and time here.
12 November 2009
I wake up in Lilongwe I have started speaking to a shy and only whitey who was at the back of the bus. I will enlarge on his experience with the mattress on the bus when I get to lodgings with free internet access. We decide to board a mini bus to the south. He goes to Monkey bay to get the Lillala steamer to the north of the lake. I will get off at Detza town to get a connecting taxi to Kanyama Village to visit Andrew's parents dis nog 'n storie. I miss the morning taxi and is offered a ride to the village which is 15km away at a price of R 350,00, off course I refuse and decide to wait for the evening taxi. I haven't slept for about 24 hrs now I will have to wait in the sun for another 8hrs before I can get to my destination. I sit and wait.........

Into Africa

I have arrived in Livingstone the border town of Zambia this morning and have found lodgings for the night at a backpackers called Fawlty Towers. But let me first take you through the last few days.
5th November - boarded a Citi-liner in Jhb to Bulawayo. When I got onto the bus there was someone in my seat. I was politely told by the lady that here we just sit anywhere so I proceeded to find myself a seat elsewhere in the bus. Sylvia Amandla and Ian came to see me off. Sylvia and Amandla seemed very worried but reluctantly tried to look happy. The bus ride was okay except for a few incidences. Two crying babies on board, the temp was 35 outside and 40 in the bus no air con and all the windows were closed. I lost 2kgs immediately.
Got to Bulawayo the next morning 9.30am
6th November
Put on my running shoes and ran the city to orientate myself. The girls in the city found this very funny, because of my tights I wear under the running shorts. Apparently this is only worn by girls here. First Friday so I went to 1.10pm mass as we have in CT. Contacted Lorraine's friend Trudy and her husband and had supper with them. agreed to meet the next morning and spend the evening with them.
7th November Went for a walk in the market but felt it was'nt a good idea so I left the area went back to the lodge and packed. Started shedding some of my load gave some of the food to the receptionist who was very great full. Manny came to pick me up, since it was a Saturday they usually have lunch with Trudy's parents so we went there for lunch and afterwards went for a drive to the Matopos, looked at Rhodes grave. Returned and sat chatting till late
8th November
Went to the station to book a train ticket to the Falls. Station was closed somebody had lost the key. I went to mass and when I got back I had to settle for 2nd class.
Went back home for lunch and and went to see Lorraine and Dicks house to see if the property is being looked after.
Trian was departing at 8pm made our way to the station it was all in darkness the trin also was in darkness. No water on the train so whatever got into the toilet and did not drop straight on the rails stayed in the carriage. Result a stinking ride to the falls.
9th November in next posting will get back later

I have hit the road

Wednesday 4th November 2010

Got on board a northbound 747 at 6.30pm yesterday and landed in Jhb after a pretty turbulant flight. Was met by my daughter Amandla who has been in Jhb for about 5yrs now. Went for supper with her boyfriend Ian and neice Michele. Sat around catching up on old news etc. Got into bed a bit late and slept until 8am. Did my food shopping at the local mall and came home to repack my bag as I have done weekly since the begining of October. Strange the kind of relation I have formed with my bag already. It has to become my constant companion until the 15th January 2010. We went off to the Standard Bank young artist awards wher I witnessed my neice Melanie Scholtz receive the award in the jazz category, had a lovely supper laid on by Standard bank (and I dont even bank with them!) . I shall post a photo of her later. I feel a bit tired tonight maybe my body is adjusting to not working. Tommorow i leave for Bulawayo. Will keep you posted. Love Doubie