When you are backpacking you usually try to avoid big cities, especially in less developed countries. Big cities are always busy, stressy and ugly, as proven by our short visits to Gaborone, Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Mbeya and even with Cape Town I couldn't get very close. After traveling through beautiful countryside, staying in relaxed hostels and living a slow pace, you are mostly overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle and anonymity, the noise, dirt, smells and crowds.
Dar Es Salaam has all this plus a heat of 30 degree and still I fell for this place.
Maybe it is because it reminds me of Almaty in summer... the traffic chaos, the food stalls, the crowd of people on the streets - isn't it all similar in these third world country metropolises? Maybe that made me adjust better, helped finding the right places, meet friendly locals (mostly the Arab immigrants, not the Africans), made me move around so quickly and easily, that even though I might be the only white person around, people don't stop and call me "muzungu" anymore... as if I'm merging with the various colors around me.
Whatever it is, in no time I felt comfortable here, know the street names by heart and all the little secrets you need to know in a big city like good exchange rates, good&cheap food, who is open sundays and what is a good taxi fare.
See our dinner tonight for 3EUR per person, directly grilled on the street (yummy chicken in funny shape including neck and tail), with fresh naan bread and a water tank to wash your hands:
Dar Es Salaam has all this plus a heat of 30 degree and still I fell for this place.
Maybe it is because it reminds me of Almaty in summer... the traffic chaos, the food stalls, the crowd of people on the streets - isn't it all similar in these third world country metropolises? Maybe that made me adjust better, helped finding the right places, meet friendly locals (mostly the Arab immigrants, not the Africans), made me move around so quickly and easily, that even though I might be the only white person around, people don't stop and call me "muzungu" anymore... as if I'm merging with the various colors around me.
Whatever it is, in no time I felt comfortable here, know the street names by heart and all the little secrets you need to know in a big city like good exchange rates, good&cheap food, who is open sundays and what is a good taxi fare.
See our dinner tonight for 3EUR per person, directly grilled on the street (yummy chicken in funny shape including neck and tail), with fresh naan bread and a water tank to wash your hands:
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