Tuesday 8th September and i finally arrived at Dar es Salaam airport Tanzania.
As i stepped off the plane the immediate rush of people poured into the arrivals area and i was directed to the immigration and visa queue, wasn’t much of a queue i have to be honest but more of a push your way through if you want to get served. At the desk i had to show my passport and pay $50 to get my visa.
As i waited for my name to be called once my passport had been stamped, i was in a panic with the time it was taking and i had a driver on the outside waiting for me to come through. I had previously read stories of the driver leaving having waited so long because some volunteers change their mind to travel at the last minute and then don’t let the driver know. Luckily for me as i headed out the airport which was not an easy process at all, i walked outside and as i stepped outside onto African ground, my driver was there holding a card with my name written on, i was so relived and so happy and gave him a massive hug as i have never been so happy to see someone in my life.
First stop was the Marriotti hotel, a very basic hotel but a hotel all the same. I arrived by 15.30 and by the time came out of the airport it was 16.30, the journey to the hotel took approx. 90mins due to the heavy traffic and I had 30mins to wash and change before being taken out into Tanzania for the evening. This immediately felt so surreal as it was something i hadn’t expected and was all bit taken aback by the whole thing. I jumped onto a motor-cycle which was the fastest form of taxi and headed to the city centre.
Geoffrey was the person who received me at the airport and he took me into town, i am convinced he had been drinking way before the day even started but apparently it is the norm to drink from as early as you can in Africa! We visited a pub and i had grilled goat and chips which i have to say was not what i was expecting, but i was far too tired, excited and grateful to refuse so i ate as much as i could before making my apologies for not finishing my food. Having had drank plenty of water i then thought i would use the washroom before heading back on a 20mins bus ride back home. As i walked into the washroom, i opened the door and all i saw was a hole in the ground, my immediate reaction was to step back and ask where the ‘English toilets’ were. Of course they did not have a clue what i was saying and i had to use the bathroom before heading back, and at that point as i crouched to urinate in the hole in the ground, i looked around and thought to myself – Saima, welcome to Africa!
After i managed to compose myself from what had just happened, we then headed back to the hotel, Geoffrey wished me goodnight before saying he would be back to pick me up at 8am to get my bus to Iringa.
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