Bagamoyo -----lay down your heart.

Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it. ~ Akan proverb

Baobab tree

Over the weekend we traveled 70 km north to the coastal town of Bagamoyo.  It is a town of about 30,000 people with some resorts and old German ruins.  It was the capital of German East Africa. This is a famous spot for the Arab slave traders as they shipped many people over to Zanzibar from this port.  The port is shallow so most of the shipping has since moved to Dar.   The Chinese are investing money everywhere in Tanzania -   China is investing US$10B to make Bagamoyo the most inportant port in Africa by 2017.  Today, the town is a centre for the dhow sailboat building. The drive wasn't as scary as the previous experience and we did it during the day.  Of course, the ride to Bagamoyo was suppose to be about an hour and a quarter but it took us over two hours with traffic.  

We stayed at the New Bagamoyo Resort. Not so new and not very many guests. Some school kids from a Dar college were touring the resort to learn about hotels. They were friendly and they wanted some pictures. They can learn what not to do from this place.  It was right on the beach so it helped make up for the lack of services at check in and check out.  

New Bagamoyo Beach Resort

The mosquitoes were so bad we had dinner in our room. We were the only guests in the dining area anyway.  The cheeky thing the hotel did was quoted us the rate in US dollars then gave us a bill and change in Tanzanian shillings based on their exchange rates ($78).

We opened the door one time and turned on the light to find the biggest one scamper across the floor......

This is a picture from the internet due to the fact our little friend moved fast and Andrew doused him in chemical spray. I was high from the fumes all night and I slept with the light on. He probably is still in room 104 behind the trashcan in the bathroom where he finally rested.

On a good note,  we were sitting on the beach watching some kids playing in the water. It seems the resort allows different groups to come and use the facilities during the day as there were two groups at the beach that didn't spend the night. 

The kids were happy and it must be a universal kid thing to attack the waves as they come ashore.  They all had new colored undies on for their swim with leaders that must have been volunteers. I also purchased a few bracelets and a bottle opener (I call it my impaler if someone attacks me while in the car). 

Tanzanian beach souvenirs

Do not forget what it is to be a sailor because of being a captain yourself. ~ Tanzanian proverb

So, we drove off in the morning to look at some old buildings.....I got scared as I don't think there are many tourists that come this way and the ones that do probably do not come during the rainy season. We went to the port and there were a lot of people just hanging around so it was a bit intimidating as I am well aware that a security guard is not there to protect you or help you. It gives a false sense of security.  So I missed a few old buildings.It is also famous for David Livingstone (great British explorer) who past through here while he was both alive and dead. His body was shipped from here to Westminster in the UK.  

My new house smock that I purchased from a vendor by the church.  About 14,000 shillings. In true Tanzania fashion a lady came out to chat us up for money at the church while the sermon was going on.  It just gets exhausting at times. She didn't look like she needed the money either.

Where there are many, nothing goes wrong. ~ Swahili proverb---

-I don't agree wholeheartedly........

We made good time on the way back Sunday so we stopped at the Mediterraneo Resort for some lunch and lounging around.  

http://www.mediterraneotanzania.com/tanzania-hotels-dar-es-salaam-mediterraneo-home.html

Great food and good service plus you can lounge for the afternoon overlooking the water.  We live about a half an hour away and when you are inside you forget about the craziness of Dar. We had a great view from the low loungers at the front.

To be without a friend is to be poor indeed.  ~ Tanzanian proverb

These girls were playing on the beach in front of the resort. All from different families and there were many different nationalities represented.  A few Indian, Chinese, European, Africans and mix races. They played well together without all the baggage the adults experience around Tanzania by all races. 

The man that was towards the back was bailing water pretty fast!

Downtown Dar

I went with Andrew in to work one day.  I had a bad, expensive breakfast in the Holiday Inn a few blocks from his office and then I proceeded to walk around for the day.  This is not a tourist haven. I did not see any westerners outside of the actual hotel for the four hours I was out.  The downtown has a lot of people hanging around and it is a contrast of all the new Chinese office/apartment buildings in varying states of construction and old run down buildings. I felt safe most of the time but I probably will not walk around again.

Downtown Dar Es Salaam

The city is working on the sidewalks so blocks and blocks of sidewalks are torn up.

Oh wait, this sidewalk is done.

Rumor has it that the Chinese send their criminals here to work on their projects.

I went to the Tanzania National museum.  There were two of us in the building. It was $5 to get in and it is in need of some investment. It was interesting enough for an hour or so. It was mainly reading boards and pictures. This is the pretty street out front and I think there is a university close by here.

Downtown Dar es Salaam

There was an exhibit from the US Embassy bombings here......

I enjoyed lunch at the Serena hotel. The Chinese president stayed here a few weeks before and it is hard to imagine one is in a major city while having lunch on the patio. They also have a Friday night jazz band.  It was nice but not very lively the night we visited.

http://www.serenahotels.com/serenadaressalaam/default-en.html

the roads.....oh my the roads.

First......this is our "new" car......an old Toyota from Japan......A 1999 Carina.   Yes they drive on the wrong side of the road here as well.  $7000.

 We bought the car just by sight and it took two weeks at least to process the paperwork.  It was picked up on a Friday night and we were back at the lot with the engine light on the next morning.  After an hour we were told to go across the street to get an oil change as the car has been sitting for months.  SO.... off to the garage.  We were told at the lot the oil change would cost 65,000 shillings.  We were quoted 85,000 based on skin color.  After the oil change we drove away and the light came back on. Back to the lot. After another hour we were told that we need to drive to a guy that has a computer diagnostic machine.  There were four of us in the car which made it heavy (the two of us, the supervisor from the lot and a local worker).  The dirty roads through the back streets were bumpy and we kept bottoming out.  Finally, we parked in front of a daycare place and some guy shows up with the computer. After they figured out what the problem was we went back and they finally turned off the engine light.  It has been working OK now.


This is indicative of the training the drivers get here. Can they see out the back window? No one pays attention to learner drivers as they just fly by them or lay on their horn.  I wonder how many drivers actually have a license.

Every since the attack on me on my street I now take a tuk tuk driver even to go three blocks.  A car drove behind me quietly and grabbed my tablet case. I didn't let go and I got dragged a bit until they let go.  Two visits to the clinic and I know to be even more careful and I do not take a backpack anymore. Luckily I didn't have one on this particular day at 5pm. A lady was seriously injured when someone grabbed her backpack and she couldn't get out of it. She was dragged for some time.
I look short,  heavy and distorted but here is the damaged body.  We went to the clinic at the International school close to the apartment right before they closed at 6pm.  The receptionist told us to please come earlier next time.....awwwwww I will tell the next attacker to make sure it is before 4pm so the clinic can help me.....no clue.   A couple of New Yorkers told us to use the Doctors at Msasani, where they seem to be better. The nurses were friendly but it was really busy both times at the International School Clinic.

The above marking on the wall is to identify the house. It could be a nice house or a run down one on a big piece of land judging by the walls.  Road signs are sparse even on main roads.
This is the A7 road in Dar. One of approximately 3 major roads in and out of the city. Yes, there are road improvements going on but since there are no police to control the traffic, it is mayhem.  The pictures are poor quality with my phone but this isn't the place to take out the professional camera and ask for people to pose.

The above road is the one we took out of Dar to the National Park.  We met a group of people (2 Swiss, 1 American) at the safari camp.  They work for a company that provides fertilizer, seeds and other startup materials to farmers to grow tobacco.  The company then buys the product back to process it.  They said their return rate was around 96%.  This is remarkable as many people will sell off anything they can get their hands on as they are living in the present only.  Anyway, our 7+ hour journey took them about a half an hour as they went by private jet.  One of the men was telling us stories how he refuses to drive the road anymore due to a few times he witnessed people taking items off of dead bodies along the road.  He also mentioned that criminals will purposely crash into the front of the car to disable it. Some will work as two cars and corner you in.  There is no where to go as it is ditches and soft ground on the sides.  Oh, and medical attention isn't coming either.........We met up with them for dinner two days later and they said the dirt runway was so bad they almost had to drive as well.  Luckily, we are all safe.

This is a street on the peninsula where we were stuck in traffic.  The right side of the pictures shows a side street that is unpaved and the reason most people have SUVs or    Land Rovers.

Mikumi Park....con't

 A group of school children and teachers were going into the park for a field trip safari. They sang a proud song of their country. Everyone was happy, smiling and enjoying the day.

The teachers were just as happy as the kids and they got into our vehicle to take pictures.  The couple with us from India actually met one of the nuns that came from his birth place back home as he heard them speaking his regional language.


 A few pictures of the safari and camp....

 Above are pictures of a bush baby that was feeding out of my hand at night. This doesn't do it justice as they are really cute and they pull your hand closer to them to gently take the bread or cracker......so cute.

The american writer Robert Ruark said about the buffalo: »He looks at you as you owed him money...«

Our guide, Frida, was knowledgeable and friendly. She is supporting her mother, 20 year old brother and 16 year old sister. She comes from a village outside Iringa and she gets home twice a year. She is working towards getting a camera, computer and a school course in computers. She is hard working and the manager at the resort said that she achieves better scores in guide trainings than all the men in the course. She is an inspiring woman and I hope she reaches her goals.

Does the hippo have a body? The coolest animal and I have never seen one out of the water. There was five floating around in the pool and this is the best picture.


So.... the picture below is on the way back to the camp after a long day.  This guy is so close we had to pull the cameras back to get him in the pictures.....

The video........

Yes. That was me.

This big fella may have been the same one that woke us up at 3am .



It was a great day and we saw a lot of animals and colorful birds.  Mikumi is the 5th largest park in Tanzania.  This brochure is typical for this country as there are different prices for different people, prices in dollars and half way day the page under other fees it says etc.... so they can charge a fee for what they feel is wrong.  It is the way in many parts of the society here.