Squashed into the back seat of the dala-dala(local minivan buses), escorted by the chatty Heelal and the quieter Sa’id, I marvel at how a thirteen seater van can so easily accommodate twenty – no, we’ve just stopped again, twenty two passengers! Taking the dala-dala from the markets to the village on the outskirts of Stonetown [...]
Controlling my inner Angelina
“oh, I just want to take them all home” I cry, as I am surrounded by a dozen gorgeous smiling tanzanian children in Magara village. Until now, I can safely say that adopting a child had never crossed my mind at any time in my life, and suddenly I am coming over all Angelina Jolie [...]
Magara – painting the town (school) cream
We breath in thick red dust as we bounce over the corrugated tracks at speed, we ford rivers with no bridges, we hold our breath as the wheels almost bog down in the mud and exhale again as we pull free without having to get out and push, and we close our eyes as the [...]
How to travel without luggage (even if you start with some).
Precision Air Mark I. As usual we all mill around the luggage conveyor belt as it creaks into action, and the first bags start coming around. The first bags get grabbed up quickly, then… nothing. After a couple of minutes of nothing, a guy sticks his head through the opening next to the luggage pick [...]
Lions vs Zebra – the Tarangire soap opera ( a pictorial)
Once upon a time, in a far away Tanzanian National Park, as evening fell, two lionesses rested under a large baobab tree. One just lies on her back and stretches, the other moves to the front of the tree to show off to the landrover load of tourists who have just arrived. Lioness A continues [...]
Getting back to basics with a Zanzibarian cooking class
I move slightly from one butt cheek to the other, as subtly as I can, hoping my face does not reveal my deep discomfort after sitting on a six inch high solid wood plank stool for the last two hours. It is the best seat in the house, and as the guest getting a one-on-one [...]