"Baba, matatizo kidogo....." (Translation: We have a wwweeee little problem)

We arrived back at our home one evening after an early-lunch-at-Mediterraneo -that-turned-into-late-dinner-at-Spur-with-way-too-much-wine and our Askari (bless his heart, sleeps all night) very excitedly informed us that our tree fell down.

"Oh, well, when did this happen and which tree?" says Impi. "Baba, in the corner, come look" says Askari. "It happened at 5 o'clock" (it is currently 10:43 at night)

"a;lskcn b poaueb;oaisjv   alsdkvjpaoib'a" was Impi's reaction of course.

Well, turns out the beautiful tree that provided most of our all-day shade, came down with a crash on our "home-made braai", missed our umbrella and my favourite fever tree.

It took several days and various helping hands to cut down the branches to clear some space. We now have an awesome thick branch (still half way in the yard with the other half in the road) that's got the potential of a wicked treehouse and jungle gym for Moo. 

Then, out of nowhere Mr. Peter Someone (couldn't remember the surname) Chairman of so-and-so municipality pitched up shouting and screaming demanding to know why we didn't call them (who are they by the way) to come and cut the tree down! I mean come on! Were they really going to????

Funnily enough, we actually received about 7 queries of people walking by asking if they could bring their own machetes/chainsaws/blunt knives to cut it down and take the wood for themselves. They even offered us money to do so!! First ever!

Moral of the story.... not sure, but if anyone is up for a braai, let us know! We'll bring the wood!

~desert rose~

When a plan comes together

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?! 2010 started really crappy, but people, I am happy to announce that things are finally starting to look up...


1. I have got a job! Signed, sealed and delivered!

2. I have sold my soul to the capitalists of the world for one more year, but that also comes with one more year of bush and beach...oh, and free wine...aka the deal breaker!

3. My landlord has agreed that we only have to pay two months rent upfront instead of the normal three. Where else in the world to you ahve to pay rent in advance?! We are even lucky, normally it is a year or six months upfront - and rent in Dar does not come cheap! So after being physically sick with financial worry, this is massively kind of him and Frangipani and me will be star tenants for the rest of the year!

4. My job is only starting in May. Under normal circumstances, this would NOT be the plan coming together. In fact, it would be the plan unraveling faster than my dwindling T shilling supply! But thanks to a brainwave from a friend, this is the best part which means I AM GOING HOME BABY!

One whole month in SA with my family, Woolies hot cross buns and Alto Rouge...things are definitely, definitely starting to look up!

Andizi

Spa....? you gotta be joking!

When one goes to a "Spa" there is normally some or other "clean" connection to the word. For instance, I just see neatly wrapped, vanilla-scented, towels lying in a small square wicker basket, a range of high-end health and beauty products displayed in a neat line, (and all of it actually from the same supplier), fresh frangipani flowers arranged in a terra-cotta vase. 

You find yourself in a clean, dimly lit room filled with music that sounds like waterfalls.

Everything just feels fresh and perfect.....

But alas, when you lie on a grimmy table ready to get your unwanted hair waxed at a so-called "spa" in Tanzania, this is what you get crawling on the walls............

Not a good day to be in Dar today!!!!

~desert rose~

It never rains but it pours...

the street and parkinglot of Oysterbay shopping centre

For the last couple of weeks the heat in Dar has been extreme, coupled with no aircon, numerous power failures and no generator at home it has become down right unbearable. The short rains in November never arrived so with all this talk of Global Warming everybody was wondering if the rainy season would ever arrive to provide some relief.

On saturday someone remarked that the 21st of March is the official start of the rainy season and that most of the Safari camps effected by the rains have closed. A bit over confident in my opinion. Sunday( the 21st) dawned as a blazingly hot day, not a cloud in sight. Monday...twice as hot and twice as humid. And then...some time in the early hours of tuesday morning the heavens opened and Rainy Season announced its arrival with a downpour of note a mere two days late. And like anything in Dar and actually in Africa not a halfhearted attempt. When its hot, its blazing hot and when it rains it pours...

After spending two Tuesday nights (while Greys Anatomy is on) without power flat on our backs on the verandah. using a weak torch to see and lots of chocolate to try and cool down the cooler, cloudy weather is very welcome.

Just keep in mind that most roads in Dar are still dirt and the drainage none existent thus turning innocent looking roads into raging rivers...

So for now, don't forget to pack plastic sandals or wellies and forget about those heels...although always industrious there is another way of getting around;

"Lucky for you, the strong young neighbourhood boys have the answer. These young men, who are generally unemployed and desperate to make money, offer a service: to carry you across the river so that you do not get soaked. " read more..

And at the end of it all we are treated to one of natures phenomena's...

...a rainbow...

~maisha

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.

Welcome to the rainy season!

Frangipani

Hakuna Matata etc

Recently heard read…

“more than 300 million people in the world speak English and the rest, it sometimes seems, try to. It would be charitable to say that the results are sometimes mixed.

Consider this hearty announcement in a Yugoslavian hotel: ‘The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid. Turn to her straight away.’ Or this warning to motorists in Tokyo: ‘When a passenger of the foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigour.’ Or these instructions gracing a packet of fast food from Italy: ‘Besmear a backing pan, previously buttered with a good tomato sauce, and, after, dispose the cannelloni, lightly distanced between them in a only couch.’

Clearly the writer of that message was not about to let a little ignorance of English stand in the way of a good meal. In fact, it would appear that one of the beauties of the English language is that with even the most tenuous grasp you can speak volumes if you show enough enthusiasm – a willingness to tootle with vigour, as it were.

To be fair, English is full of booby traps for the unwary foreigner. Any language where the unassuming word fly signifies an annoying insect, a means of travel, and a critical part of a gentleman’s apparel is clearly asking to be mangled. “

(from Bill Bryson: Mother Tongue The English language)

Now lets take Swahili. Fusing Arabic with the African Bantu, the word Swahili is derived from Arabic Sawahili meaning ‘the language of the coast’. The correct word to describe the language is Kiswahili and the people who speak Kiswahili as their mother tongue, are Waswahilis.

A fine language, full of many onomatopoeic, monosyllabic words that appeal to anyone vaguely interested in picking them up. Take ‘lala salaama’ (sleep well) for example, or ‘sasa hivi’ (right now – why oh why does that one jump out at me…?!). These phrases are heavy with meaning– exactly what is intended. Although one must be honest – I definitely had more success from the first phrase regarding rest and relaxation, than the latter which seemed all too much in the slow pace of this marvelous land.

Again from Bill Bryson: “Usually in English we strive to preserve the old spelling at almost any cost to logicality”. In Swahili – not so – its all as it sounds. Not that one ever has to go as far as spell, lets be honest. But it is within realms of possibilities...

There are many great websites to help and perfect our day to day Swahili:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Swahili_phrasebook

http://www.jambokenya.com/jambo/swahili/swahil03.htm

http://www.word2word.com/course.html

Post Script Note:

One sentence rather notable on the wiki page:

Stop! Thief!

(saying this in Swahili could likely result in violent death for the thief at the hands of self appointed vigilantes. your item may or may not be recovered.) Simama, mwizi

Rather practice your Swahili in the privacy of your own home, then?!

~ hibiscus

Jean Pant

Just dropping a line to give advise to all you ladies out there:

DO NOT try and put on your pair of favourite jeans that you bought when you were 20 years old and think you'll fit in them. (Especially if you've had a child)

That's all I wanted to say.

~desert rose~

The Pink Ticket

Don’t we all just yearn for that pink ticket every now and again.!!

Last weekend, we all got dressed up, dusted off the high heels, put on make-up (I own mascara and eye stuff -what do you call it again….. ah, eye shadow – AND THAT’S IT!!) did the hair, put our diamond earrings in and off we went to the Irish Ball.

Impi was out of town, so Andizi was my “date” for the night. Maisha, Frangipani , the two of us and various other friends took the night on! (Hibiscus you were DEARLY missed my friend!!) And didn’t we paint it PPPIINNNKKK!!!

We had a glorious time at the Irish Ball which was held at the Kempinski hotel, very nice venue! Great food, lotsa booze, good Irish music, what else do you want!

Just after 1am, we decided that we need some more music, cause apparently these feet weren’t done with it yet! So we piled into a taxi, heels in the hand because now the blisters were beginning to get too bad, and we set off to Runway Lounge. Our very own in Dar es Salaam……

Quote from their Facebook page:

“Situated on the Penthouse level, below the dome, at Shoppers Plaza, Runway Lounge bar lives up to its expectation of glits, glamour and pizzaz….as it should.

No where else in East Africa are you able to strut, drink champagne and watch the sun set and moon rise without having to leave our little haven created just for you. Finally I am able to pay homage to the greats of the past that have taught us so much here in the present.”

I mean HELLLOOO, doesn’t that just sound divine!

As we approached the doors, we had to put on the heels again, make sure the lipstick is in place and fork out Tsh 20 000 (about $15) for cover charge…. Ah, no problem, that time of night nothing is too much??!!! And so we got our PINK TICKETS!

Anyway, we had a lovely time, danced the night away and got home at 4:43am….. Heard from other friends that they got back at 8:30am…. Greeks – gotta love ‘em!

I won’t say much other than my dear Moo woke up at 6:30am….. Impi was out of town as I mentioned before. I was a complete wreck on Sunday!

But what fun, don’t we just love Pink Tickets!

Check out their webpage for those who would like to odd night out - great to dress up every now and again!

www.runwaylounge.net or join their facebook page: Runway Lounge Bar

~desert rose~

Heart vs Home

What was once a far removed possibility now suddenly fills my every thought with it’s reality. The fact that I might have to leave Tanzania looms larger than life in my every day and it makes my heart weary.

I am reminded of a passage from Out of Africa when Karen finally had to say goodbye to Ngong farm: “It was a curious thing that I myself did not, during this time, ever believe that I would have to give up the farm or to leave Africa. I was told that I must do so by the people round me, all of them reasonable men; I had letters from home by each mail to prove it, and all the facts of my daily life pointed to it. All the same nothing was further from my thoughts, and I kept on believing that I should come to lay my bones in Africa. For this firm faith I had no other foundation, or no other reason, than my complete incompetence to imagine anything else.”

Unlike Karen, I would never leave Africa. If, next week, my fate is decided and I have to pack my bags, I will head to the southern most tip of Africa, not leave her. But my stay in Tanzania has come to represent a CERTAIN Africa for me. An Africa so different to my childhood.

I grew up in the Boland, surrounded by wine farms and fruit orchards. It is green, lush and beautiful. Summer days are filled with glasses of crisp Sauvignon and winter evenings with a sultry Merlot. In South Africa everything works (ok, most things but compared to here – everything!) and there is a Woolies food around every corner. Most importantly, there is my home, where friends and family gather around a large wooden table and talk long into the cool evenings.

But here, in Tanzania I have fallen incurably in love with an Africa much wilder, much more exotic, much more chaotic, much more intoxicating. You will either hate living here, or lose your heart forever in the dusty corners of Dar. I have done the latter and this blog is partly a testimony to that. If you have been journeying with us, you would have discovered some of the reasons that people come here for a month or two, but end up staying years.

At this stage, I can only hope that my time here is not done. I will know for certain next week. In the meantime my mind is horribly torn between holding on to this place that I have come to love so much, or slowly letting go and embracing the idea of heading home.

Andizi

Loose yourself in the streets of Stonetown

{images from Hendri Lombard}

The name Zanzibar conjures up visions of turquoise blue water and white hot beaches. This is what travel brochure advertise, what they don't advertise is the history and magic found in the narrow cobble streets of Stone Town. Driving into Stone Town for the first time you feel that time have truly stood still. Built around 1830 it was the centre of trade between Asia and Africa. Stone Town's main exports was spice (in particular cloves) and slaves. It had some famous inhabitants and exports. David Livingstone used Stone Town as his base for preparing for his final expedition in 1866 and it is also the birthplace of Freddy Mercury lead vocalist of Queen.

Stepping into the streets of Stone Town is like stepping back in time. Narrow streets with amazing architecture and small shops selling treasures of times passed. Look out for amazing jewelry and the famous Zanzibar chests with hidden compartments. Be sure to visit the night market in Forodhani markets for fresh grilled seafood and sugar cane juice. Don't miss the fish and meat market(not for the faint stomached) and see the different tropical fruits like jack fruit and custard apple. Have a sundowner at Mercuries and see the sunset as the dhows sail past.

{food market}

{haggling for some scarves}

While staying at one of the fancy beach resort we met some South Africans who found Stone Town to be 'old, dirty, full of black people that are poor and there is nothing to buy'. It's a Unesco World Heritage site(old), its in Africa and yes the people are poor but they will share their food with you. And why could we barely walk with all the things we bought? So do yourself a favour and have a spiced chai(spiced tea) and mandazi(sweet vetkoek) next to the side of the road and buy some beautiful khangas to take some of the magic of Stone Town home with you.

{sunsets and dhows, the narrow streets}

{the friendly people}

Places to Stay:

Cheap: Shangani Hotel

Mid Range: Tembo Hotel

Pricey: 236 Hurumzi

Places to Eat:

Cheap: Night Market at Forodhani Gardens

Mid Range: Archipelagos (No alcohol)

Price: 236 Hurumzi

Things to do:

Walk the shopping street

Visit Doreen Mashika for amazing handbags

Visit the market

Tour the Slave Church

Go on a spice Tour

Place for Sundowners:

Mercuries

Africa House Hotel

Best Coffee:

Zanzibar Coffee House

~maisha