Masais

I saw some Masais. They look pretty awesome. I asked one of the local guys what is their main proffession as they seem to be wandering around the city without really doing anything. Apparently most of them, apart from selling some handmade carvings work as security. Only a bit after I realised how genius that idea is:

1) They have a pretty high status in society
2) They are very distinctive - majority of them wear traditional red fabric and carry a special stick, which can be used as a weapon - FREE UNIFORM
3) They don't really do much anyway, so either way they can just supervise the streets while constantly chilling

Kunduchi beach, public transport, food...

21st July

Went to Kunduchi beach today. Had my first ride in Bajaj. It's like a tricycle? Motorbike with seats in the back? Oh just google it. 'Crazy' sounds too cliché but it is literally the only word to describe this experience. As I mentioned, drivers here are probably the best drivers in the world. You western

europeans with your fancy 'park assist' can go fukk yourself. Even crazier was the way back from the beach using local transport called DALA DALA. They''re using mini buses imported from Japan that used to work as school buses (de facto most of the cars here are imported from Japan, since they offer the best deals for cars with a steering wheel on the right – Tanzania or Tanganika back then used to be a British colony thus they drive on the left and have the same electricity plugs). A single ticket costs $400 Tsh (about $0.25 USD).

It's pretty cheap here. I mostly eat at local places, where the locals eat. It's cheap and really good. There isn't much variety though. Mostly rice, ugali (kind of a corn flour puree), chicken and beef.

I had my first day working on the project today. Vicente and I were teaching business in a local community college.

Arrival to Dar Es Salaam

19th July


Got abused by some all-in-pink Chinese girl at the airport, who wouldn't let me leave her until her flight (~2AM)... Literally after I left the plane she came up to me and started bugging me. Very, very creepy...

Then after exploring Dubai toilets with hot water to wash your bum I found a spot on one of those fancy leather chairs and fell asleep.

4ish AM WOKEN UP BY MORNING  RAMADAAN PRAYERS

Got a free meal from Emirates as my transit time was more than 4 hours - yuppie!

As I was approaching the gate I was pooping my pants, I swear. I was thinking - what the hell are you doing? You could be on Ibiza right now or any other place in the world that doesn't require thinking. Here was I standing in front of a screen displaying the flight number, boarding time and destination - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

I arrived around 3PM. The Dar Es Salaam International Airport looks as if time stopped here about 50 years ago. Visa issuing was surprisingly quick as it only took me about half an hour. On of the officers collected all the passports along with the 50 USD fee and left, God knows where. Then officers behind the glass window were randomly shouting names of people who have been issued a visa. Luckily, I was one of the first ones so I left quickly.

The airport was PACKED. It was impossible to go through the huge mob squeezed inside with all the luggage lying around since the carousel was too small for 300 bags. I was pretty anxious, had no idea what's behind the door.

As I left the building I realised there was nobody waiting for me. Great. Fortunately my transport arrived about half an hour later. The drive to the intern house was a great experience, my first contact with Africa. The taxi driving was trying to avoid traffic which is why he kept on taking those tiny dirt roads where children and chickens were running around freely. Wow. I also thought that carrying stuff on a head was some fake touristy myth but PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO IT. It took us 2 hours to drive 17km, good fun.

I arrived around 8 PM, was introduced to all the house members, went for dinner and then pub. Kilimanjaro, Safari and Ndovu are the main local beer brands. Pretty good.

Pictures 1

at the airport

street next to our intern house

first bajaj ride (two bajajs in the background and a taxi motorcycle)

kunduchi beach

faggot

my chamber

Dubai

18th July

Long-awaited day has arrived and having been packed for the past two weeks I spent most of my preperations on making sure that I REALLY DON'T NEED A VISA for Emirates anymore (since my transfer time was less than 24h).

Taking the exact same train (shout-outs to Express Regio for free wifi and air-conditioning. - but still the same old smell of the toilet throughout the whole carriage)  at 8:53, arriving at 12:02 in Warsaw Central Station, 2h43min before my departure. The train from Warsaw Central to the airport takes about 20 minutes. Nothing can go wrong, right? Wrong.

Arriving without delay I checked that the next train to the airport departs at 12:15. Perfect. As I took the train I started wondering why was I passing the river and the national stadium. I became even more worried when we arrived at Warsaw East station (Okęcie Airport is in west Warsaw). I got off the train, went to check the next train in the opposite direction and then I realised. One side of the table said 'Arrivals', the other said 'Departure'. I obviously checked the arrivals.

12:27 The next train to the airport is leaving in half an hour. According to the schedule I'm supposed to arrive 1h15min before my flight. I can't miss my flight to Dubai. Again. I didn't even have any currency for a taxi. So I had to wait. It was the longest 30 minutes in my life, I swear.

13:30 Got to the airport. Literally ran with a 30kg backpack on my bag and a hand luggage. Dripping in sweat I crawled up to the counter. MADE IT. I'M FLYING TO TANZANIA!!!

(Na lotnisku spotkałem Andrzeja 'Piaska' 'Cieplucha' Piasecznego.)

Having printed my boarding pass before I already had my seats assigned. I entered the plane with a ticket in my hand saying 'Seat 11K'. As soon as I passed Business Class I started looking for my seat. There was one issue though: Seats in economy class were starting from row 12. I don't know how and I don't know why this happened. But it happened to me and few other Polish SGH students around me. We were now sitting in Business Class on a flight to Dubai. For free. #yingyang

arrival to dubai. Saw the city from the plane by night. Looks impressive with the majestic but pretty tacky Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.

"The way to make a film is to begin with an earthquake and work up to a climax." 
                                   
                                                                                                                                   -Cecil B. de Mille

Swap film with trip, journey, voyage and you will get my definition of travelling. Leaving early is for pussies. So is buying tickets and planning in advance. Nothing wakes you up more than that adrenaline rush when you're running to your gate 9 minutes before the departure, even after a heavy night out.

But let's start from the beginning...

Day 1 (5th July 2013)

8:53 Took a train from Sosnowiec to Warsaw (approximately 3h)
8:55 Realised I left my laptop at home.

Yes, at home. I was going to Tanzania without any other electronic device apart from my iPhone. There was no other way of connecting with the world, than an internet modem - the one with the usb stick.

I was screwed. My flight was at 14:45. Arriving in Warsaw Central at 12:00, I had half an hour to get to the airport. Easy. But what about the laptop?

PLANE! KATOWICE - WARSAW! 50 minutes, pass it to a flight attendent and my laptop arrives straight at the airport! Great idea, except the next flight was at 15:30... Scratch that.

10:43 is the next train to Warsaw - arriving in Warsaw Central at 13:30 - there was literally no way I could make it for my flight.

But what if... Kuba takes my laptop, sends it over the so called 'przesyłka konduktorska' (it's a shipping service run by the railway - you just hand it to a guy on the train and someone needs to pick it up from the station). Then someone needs to pick it up from Warsaw and bring it to me, while I'm waiting for him at the airport... GREAT IDEA. Kuba picked up my sister (and my laptop) and drove to the station.

Guess what. They missed the train.

Bummer, no laptop, no way of getting it on time. I'll just buy a laptop in Dubai. Not that I have any money for it...

Anyway...

I arrived at the airport way ahead of my schedule (two hours twenty minutes before the flight!!!) so decided to check in.

-Where is your visa, sir?
-What visa?
-Emirates visa. You need a visa to get into the country.
-???
-Go to the Emirates desk, they will help you sort it out.

At the desk:
-You don't have a visa, sir.
-I thought I can get one on arrival.
-Yes, but your connection is longer than 24 hours, which means you need to obtain a visa prior to your arrival.
-Can I just stay in the transit zone, then?
-No. You need to rebook your flight.

Long story short, $250 for rebooking. No seats available until the 18th July. Went back home.