First impressions of residential Dar-es-Salaam

Sunsets as a bajaj drives down a residential street

In the blazing mid-day sun, beautiful orange flowers in the tree

Man walks past heavily laden with stuff to sell, must be awkward and exhausting work in the intense heat here.

A half built, half burnt down house

Huge trenches and gutters line all the roads here due to the high level of rain. Some of them are filled with water like rivers, I've even seen fish swimming in them.

I love the scaffolding here, it's all within the buildings being constructed not on the outside. Plot details and plan proposals are all on hand painted signs, it does make it feel quite third world when you think about the huge branded signage development companies use at home.

A small shack on an empty plot of land

I've just arrived in Dar-es-Salaam and I've been trying to get a feel for the place. So far I'm struggling in the blazing heat, and it's still a novelty catching bajajs to get around. These small vehicles are able to nip through the bad traffic and confusing driving etiquette. Mosque's loud prayer ceremonies are broadcast to all through the day and it's all the more noticeable early in the morning and at night. In the dark, frogs and insects sing out a strange night chorus along with barks and howls from everyone's guard dogs.

Women wear a vibrant mix of printed textiles and really do carry things around on their heads. Small carts and stalls crop up on roadsides and corners selling fresh fruit and drinks. It must be back-breaking work and I would keel over with the physical exertion in the heat, but I actually saw a man pulling a laden wooden cart along a busy road. He was bare foot and barely able to move. Needless to say, it was a shocking sight.