Ultimate Tanzania

Taking dala dalas (public transit buses, similar to a VW bus in the States) in the initial days in Dar Es Salaam prepared me well for the month long Ultimate Tanzania trip. The strangers on the bus also didn't seem to mind as they quietly sat and my new roomie practiced her Swahili language skills, saying repeatedly to the woman next to her "Jambo! Hibari? Zuri. Poa." (Hi! How are you? Fine.) Everyone politely smiled and giggled, a far cry from the reaction that she likely would've gotten from a stranger on a bus back at home.

Dala dalas are used throughout Tanzania. Whether it's taking locals to the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro where the porters weigh in their pack, taking out a head of cabbage if they are ever so slightly overweight for the trek, or to a spice field just outside of Stone Town. I didn't take dala dalas everywhere while in Tanzania. My own feet took me to and from school where 75 little faces were always waiting. A wheelbarrow took the corn to be turned into cornmeal flour for the kids at the orphanage. The teacher from the school would guide me during the 45 minute walk to town as I was directionally challenged. The safari jeep and our guide, Deo, (which means God), took me out into the African bush. We were led by God to sleeping lions and wading hippos. The night watchmen would protect me along the path at our tented safari camp at night, and also take a stick to terminate a scorpion in the shower inside the tent! More legwork was used hiking to the waterfalls from Mt. Kili, to walk to our guide's 100+ year old grandmother's farm, and to get to the banana beer bar. A sailboat and five new friends took me around the turquoise waters of Zanzibar, which rounded out the experience with a luxurious splurge that seemed odd after 3 1/2 weeks.

As cliche as it is, my t-shirt that says "I survived the dala dala in Tanzania" just begins to tell the story, and set the tone for an outstanding experience and trip of a lifetime! And like any traveller, after a couple of weeks, I needed a new, fresh t-shirt along the way!

Kim Woolley's month in Tanzania was arranged with i-ti-i Volunteering