Many of our posts have been about the beautiful beaches we’ve explored. But we’ve also had fun adventures out and about in Dar es Salaam. We live in a quiet neighborhood on the university campus and most things we need are only a few minutes away by dala dala. But we like to step out beyond our little area when we can.

First, these dala dala things: they are the main mode of public transportation in Dar. The buses follow certain routes and you pay 400 tsh ($.20) no matter where you get off on that route. To switch to another dala dala on a different route, you pay another 400 tsh. We can usually find a seat on the bus, but sometimes we have to squeeze in and stand in the hot and crowded bus, bumping along. It’s a fun adventure!

Since most people don’t have cars, they rely on the dalas for transport. But traffic can be so bad at times, a simple trip a few km away can take up to an hour. In the past few years, boda bodas (motorcycles) and bajajis (3 wheeled taxis) have been on the rise since they can weave in and out of traffic a little more (and thus are not as safe!). This photo gives you a little sense of the traffic.

One day we went to the National Museum with the students. We walked through a fascinating exhibit on the human bones that have been found in Tanzania and what life was like on the African savannah for our ancestors. We also viewed an interesting exhibit about the East African slave trade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Saturday, we took a dala dala to the Masaki peninsula, the wealthy area of town where ex-pats and diplomats live. We ate a good (but expensive!) lunch at the Hilton Hotel, went to the shopping mall, hung out in a bookstore, drank cappuccinos, and ate local, organic chocolate for a treat. The girls liked our American outing. 🙂 And we still got our water fix!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to take a bajaji home to save us a little time. Our driver was very kind and safe. I only had to close my eyes a couple times when he swerved out into oncoming traffic. 🙂

We look forward to more adventures out and about in Dar. Stay tuned!