City Mouse, Country Mouse

I was going to title this blog posting “This ain’t Europe!” but thought that might be unintentionally offensive. This will make more sense when I explain the weekend. This weekend we went to Arusha, the closest city to Moshi (which is a town). The city is about an hour and a half away by bus, which can be hours longer during the rainy season (March to May). If you haven’t been to Arusha, you aren’t really missing out on anything. It does have some nice areas but overall it’s hard to relax or enjoy things when you always have to watch your back. I have to say, I am not a fan of being in a large third world city, at least in this country. We were a little worried about taking the bus there since there was an accident on the road last week that killed 16 people (the driver survived). Surprisingly, there ARE driving schools here…but the government doesn’t seem to care if you can drive as long as you can pay the fee for the license. This kind of thing is pretty typical here. We took a bigger/safer bus instead of the coasters, which are the small dangerous ones that are extremely dangerous. The drive wasn’t too bad- every time you make a stop people are trying to sell you water and snacks thru the window. Sodas here are literally sold in bottles from the 50s and 60s- when you drink them you have to stay by the shop or bring an empty bottle to give them…then they refill all the bottles at the supplier. Coca-cola must have some amazing marketing strategies because it is everywhere- even in the tiny villages where the houses and shops are little shacks amidst the jungle.

Anyways, the bus ride was mostly thru undeveloped land (mostly plains) with some wooden huts selling basic things along the way. There was a crazy man standing in the middle of the aisle preaching with his upside down bible and then asking for money when he was finished. My friend Sarah said this yesterday, and it is definitely true, that Africans don’t consider a bus ready to go unless someone is standing. Or in the case of a dala-dala, which is what they call the old Toyota 15 passenger vans that transport people around a city or town as well as out to smaller villages. Usually these vans have 25 to 30 people and they have to keep the side door open. It cost 300 shillings (30 cents) to go mostly anywhere. There are no seat belts and people are shoved in every possible space (so a lot of times somebody’s butt will be in your face). The guys that collect the money stand where the side door should be. It’s a little frightening on dirt roads.

The Visions house in Arusha is nice and a lot bigger, but overall it feels less inviting and less homey. Arusha is a lot greener because they are at a higher elevation and it rains more, and Mount Meru is there as well.

Overall it wasn’t so bad, but walking through the streets was pretty miserable. People are calling out mzungu (foreigner/European) everywhere and following you for blocks and blocks. People stare at us in Moshi too and ask for money or try and sell us swords (yes, swords) but it’s not at the same level of harassment in Arusha where they get in your face in a very intense way and follow you for a lot longer. At one point this old woman came up to me cornering me against a shop trying to sell me a dirty marble. I kept saying hapana (no) and had to shout at her to leave me alone, which she got pissy about and then told me off in Swahili. Then there was one of our co-volunteers (Mannis) who made the unfortunate mistake of caring around his digital camera and phone in his hand. Tim (another volunteer) looked around and figured out that 4 guys were scoping Mannis out while weird-old-lady-with-the-dirty-marble was cornering me. The worst culprit was this teenage kid who kept trying to sell us beaded bracelets on our way to the Maasai Market- a market where you can buy crafts and jewelry and paintings made by Maasai people. At the market he kept trying to sell me a Tanzania flag bandana for $10 USD (never gonna happen). I realized it later but he was following me throughout the market at the distance and then followed the group I was with out of the market for a good 15 minutes trying to sell me the bandana for $5 (never gonna happen). Anyways he was very in your face and intense and we finally had to tell him “toka” to piss off.

It was creepy to look behind me and notice that the same guy had been following me for a little too long…I just kept staring at him and looking back until he walked away. In a way it’s understandable because people are so desperate to get out of their poverty and the slum area in Arusha is pretty large, but there’s also something disturbing about being looked at as a symbol of money along with the constant following and harassment. I feel a lot more appreciative to be back in Moshi and being able to walk alone (during the day) at least into some parts of town without worrying someone is trying to rob me.

Thanks to those that emailed! I am slowly working on replies as, this being Africa, the computers function on a different level.

All the best to everyone...thinking of you in Tanzania. (And now the power is out).