Arusha

The view from our cockroach hostel was totally obscured by this building site, luckily I really like the look of all the funny wooden scaffolding in Dar so I was quite happy to be able to get these close-ups.

Mount Meru

The road out to the way to the Snake Park and Masai Museum

Big carts parked up near one of the market areas

Arusha town centre

The bus terminal

Bus ticket offices - for real

The International Criminal Tribune for Rwanda

Some sort of a shack or a shop

Broken bits of glass to stop people scaling the wall

And barbed wire wrapped around the post to prevent anyone climbing up and getting in that way

Inner streets of the residential area where we stayed

Fresh fish for sale in the street and a sign for a near by bar

A local bar, incredibly basic, no frills, complete with live-in alcoholics

Interesting plug wiring for the television in the hostel where we stayed the final night

Me and the rasta guy I've been seeing from decided on a last minute trip to Arusha. He has some family there and has himself lived there for almost a year fairly recently. I had done very little traveling since my arrival in Dar-es-Salaam and was excited to get away from the hot coastal city and see other parts of the country.


The night before our departure, we stayed in a very basic local hostel in town, the same one we sometimes frequent to get some time together. We woke up early to get across to the Ubungo bus terminal, light was breaking as we were getting dressed and I stole a few photographs of the building site we could see from out of our bedroom window.


The Ubungo bus terminal is a really terrible experience, it's so hectic, crowded, people try to hustle you onto buses, even if it's not a destination you're interested in. It's pure madness. We ended up getting on a really old and very beaten up vehicle that look frightful inside. Green carpet like patterns on the seats, a slushy, muddy mossy green that looked disgusting. It was totally falling to pieces. I didn't want to sit down. It took ages to get going, there was a bit of a pile-up just to get out of the terminal, people and buses everywhere. Most of the buses depart early in the morning because the government have put a stop to buses running through the night, given that some were attacked by gangs and it's not considered that safe. When we started moving, we soon discovered that it was hideously uncomfortable because the suspension was totally gone and the seats were not at all padded. Consequently there was nothing to compensate for all the bumps and potholes in the road. I lost the feeling in my bum quite rapidly and couldn't get comfortable for the entire journey. The roads were riddled with potholes and as we passed each village en route we went over sleeping policemen, placed to slow down fast moving traffic. It was awful, I felt like my boobs were taking all of the impact. What made it even worse was the fact that where we were sitting a hole in the floor of the bus had been poorly repaired so with the replacement flap right under my feet, all the road dust and grime was being slowly but surely air brushed onto me throughout the journey. I was black when we arrived, I felt positively revolting. It only made matters worse when we got to the rasta guy's brothers place where we were staying and I had to have a shower out of a bucket of water in a bathroom that consisted of a hole in the ground toilet and indoor washing line. Fortunately, they heated up some water for me so I didn't have to have a cold bucket-shower. Problem is you don't come out feeling particularly clean when you're washed right next to an open toilet like that! I feel bad retelling this in such a way, the family were so hospitable, warmly welcoming me into their home, providing meals and drinks.


Looking around Arusha the following day, first we headed to the Snake park, taking a short bus ride out of the centre of town. I enjoyed the journey, the landscape of dry plains with a few fragile looking trees, cows and goats being herded. It was what I imagine to be quite 'African' scenery. The snake park was a bit of a non even but there was a Masai Camp Museum which was interesting to take a look around. The Masai tribe is polygamous and they still perform female circumcision even though the Tanzania and Kenyan governments have made it illegal. Their houses are pod like and they line their tribal camps with acacia thorn bushes to protect themselves and their cattle herds from lion attacks. I can't imagine living out in the wild like that. I'd be terrified.


Wandering around the centre of Arusha was pleasant. It's a relaxed place. Has some great bars to hang out, good music. Via via, and Hotel Babylon were a couple of the ones we visited along with Masai camp. Mostly to watch football and chat to the rasta's friends, which for me was slightly boring for me not being much of a football fan.


Other than that there are some interesting looking shops if you really want to search around from clothes and fabric.


We also walked past the International court for the genocide in Rwanda. Only after I'd taken photographs did I read the sign saying it was prohibited. Fortunately no one saw. 


I was able to get some good photos of the winding dusty streets that lead through to where we were staying. It was very local, walking past wooden framed and mud built houses, small shack like shops and small garden areas planted with maize, banana plants, avocado trees and so on as you can see in some of the photographs.


Arusha is at a bit of an altitude so its climate is cooler and more manageable, you do feel chilly at night in comparison to how it is in Dar. I never realised I had acclimatised until I felt really cold there during the night. We rode a motorbike home to get back to our warm bed as quickly as possible. It was really fun, I'm so converted. It was relaxing to be in a different place, a different city, everyone seems to like Arusha, it's compact enough to enjoy. Due to the better, more manageable climate and proximity to national parks its a popular choice for expats. With the impressive Mount Meru in the back drop, hanging with clouds and mist some days, others the peak juts assertively into the clear blue. Kilimanjaro is also not far, we passed it on the bus but I wasn't up for the adventure of climbing it.


We left a confused and full bus terminal for a long and arduous but much more comfortable (luxury service) return journey. Arriving in Dar as it was getting dark, wondering why we didn't stay a few more nights.