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.