Dar es Salaam (Part III)
This Monday, 20 December I have to go to Dar es Salaam, the capital city of Tanzania. I will be travelling with my three aunts. As I missed the 7 o’clock ferry, I took the next vessel at 9.30 a.m. The vessel is called Kilimanjaro-7. I will be taking an economy seat for foreign adult. It costs USD 35. I paid in euro. They reimbursed me $15. When I reached the Zanzibar seaport immigration departure section, I had to check my luggage through the electronic device gate. It was okay, and then I entered the departure hall. i had a coffee and an omelet while waiting the embarkation time. I paid TSH 2,000.
I met on board a 21 year- old Tanzanian student from Kilimanjaro. Her name is Juliet. She studies at August University in Arusha. She studies law and wants to become a lawyer. As we approached Dar es Salaam, I went upstairs the boat in order to have a picturesque view of the city. We arrived at 11 a.m. I did not find anyone who came to pick me up. Ten minutes after my arrival, I received a call from a cousin. “Where are you? ’’ he asked. “ I’m in front of the Tanzanian port authority office,’’ I reply. “Come down! ’’ he said. Five minutes later, I saw him in his pick-up. He gave me a ride to his home where I found my 3 aunties who took the 7 o’clock Zanferry.
Kariako Market
After our lunch and pray, we decided to go shopping to the kariako market which is close to our house. It is a bustling place where many people are bargaining, buying, selling and yelling. The area has many shops. You can find many things sold on the pavement including drinks, fruits, cashews, shoes and clothes. My aunt from Comoros wanted to buy some hardware items for her house. After checking many shops, we found the good one. She bought single and double sinks for her kitchen and her niece’s house. She also wanted to buy some tiles, but she did not find the right item she needed. Her shopping includes other articles for the bathroom. The seller was a lady. She told us that our goods will be delivered the day after. I was a little bit surprised when my aunt told me that she did not get any receipt. She finally received the household goods and the receipt before she left Dar es Salaam for Zanzibar.
Mikocheni area
I live in an 8 floor building under the supervision of security guards next to a bank. On Wednesday 22 December, I went to a mall located in Mikocheni to buy some books. I did not find the books I wanted, so I purchased an English-Swahili dictionary and a 2022 diary. The seller told me that Paradise and other books by the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in literature Abdulrazak Gurnah from Zanzibar origin were sold out. Abdallah’s father is my grandmother’s brother. He took one month’s vacation and came in Dar es Salaam to assist her sister in hospital. Abdallah and I prayed this afternoon at one of the mosques located in kariako. Then, we went to the Copper Belt hotel where many Comorian citizens who visit Dar es Salaam stay. It is a nice place to meet people, chat, eat and have coffee together in the afternoons. During my stay in the capital city, I took the opportunity to visit an uncle I met in 2005 when I was in transit for my first journey to Ethiopia. His name is Nassor. He is one of the children of Lady Hadidja Nassor. She was born in Comoros, but raised in Zanzibar and got married there. She is the elder sister of my maternal grandmother. My uncle retired and lives in a peaceful villa in a suburb near Dar es Salaam.
Back to Zanzibar (Part IV)
The Christmas Eve
I left Dar es Salaam that Friday morning 24 December to Zanzibar. The departure was scheduled at 11 o’clock. As it was a Christmas Eve, many people were travelling from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar and vice versa. Once on board, I saw many passengers who did not find seats. “It’s not fair!” a woman shouted both in Kiswahili and English. A young guy holding a backpack was also regretful for not having a seat. I asked the bartender to give me a ginger tea. It cost Tsh 1,000. “Why did not the ferry company offer the empty seats in VIP and first class to the passengers who could not find seats?’’ I asked. The bartender smiled and seemed to agree with me. I also asked a crew member to give me the internet password in order to get connected by using my laptop. He told me that it is for the VIP and first class passengers. We arrived in Zanzibar seat port at 12:55. Ahmad was already there to pick me up. We took a Bajaji to go back home. It is not far away from Bububu. Nevertheless, we were trapped in a huge traffic jam that lasted almost one hour because the president of Zanzibar was praying that Friday in a mosque in the surroundings. The day after my mom and one of my aunt left Zanzibar to Comoros after one month stay in Tanzania.
The Christmas Day
I went to Darajani with Ahmad for the first time since last week. I bought the Guardian, had coffee and energy drink and got into the Dala-dala to go back home. I learned that my mom and my aunt safely arrived in Comoros in the afternoon. Mohamed, the house driver, Ahmad and I decided to go the beach. As there are many beaches in Zanzibar, we chose the Sea Cliff beach located 3 miles from our village. The sea cliff beach resort and SPA - which is the equivalent of Galawa beach in the 1990s in Comoros-has many visitors during the weekends. Some local guys bring their cows to wash them; others bring their dogs for a walk. You can visit the site by using your motorcycles, bicycles, carts cows, vans and cars.
It is Sunday 26th December. We had to go to stone town which is the capital city of the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar. But, it rained a lot. Thus, we decided not to go. We went to Darajani instead. There were not newspapers on Sunday, except the Citizen which is the only medium that has a Sunday edition. I was rejoiced to buy it. As we walked in the narrow streets of the old city, we encountered some European tourists in a local coffee shop and cafeteria. Then we went shopping in some bookstores, but we did not find the books we were looking for. A seller in one of the book shops promised to find us some fictions written by Abdurazak Gurnah, the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in literature who is native from the island. We came back on Tuesday to buy some books available from the author, but we found nothing of the sort. I bought a coconut juice the streets. It cost 1,000 Tsh. I also had coffee, took a kashata cake as usual and came back home at 6 p.m.
Stone town
It is Monday 27th December. I have to go to Tanzania airways agency to get some information about my aunt’s return ticket to Comoros. The national company is located in Kariako market area. After a short visit of the market, Ahmad and I let our cousin with her driver and decided to go visiting Stone Town which is also known as Zanzibar City. I made change in a shop and started my visit by purchasing some medicine in a pharmacy. It is a survivor pack of 10 tablets of paracetamol, a 1000 mg of vitamin C and flucor day that can provide fast pain relief of flu, cold and cough. Then, we visited the former slave market which is now a museum. If you are a foreigner visitor, you pay $ 5. The site is built the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Diocese of Zanzibar. ‘’Where are you from? ’’ Asks the guide. ‘’I am from Comoros, but my nephew is from here,’’ I reply. ‘’Ah! Anjouan? ’’ He asks. ‘’No, Ngazidja. I come here for a family wedding, ‘’ I precise. Then, we went down the streets of Mchangani where Ahmad used to live and go to the madrassa to learn how to read the holy Koran when he was 4 year-old.
Forodhani Gardens
We reached forodhani, a beautiful and picturesque place renovated in 2008. In fact, the rehabilitation of Forodhani gardens was inaugurated by the first lady of that time, her Excellency mama Shadya Karume on January 18th 2008. From that place, you can freely visit the Ngome Kongwe or old fort. According to historians, the original small fort was built by Omani Arabs in 1710 after the expulsion of the Portuguese from east African coasts in 1699. Ngome kongwe was erected by from material of a Portuguese chapel and stones. Then, the building was expanded in the 19th century and used as prison and the quarters of sultan’s Baluchi bodyguards. In the 20th century, it was used as barracks, repair shops and terminal of the Zanzibar-Bububu railway. The old fort is now a museum and many shops are held inside. You can buy traditional clothes, t-shirts, handicraft items, etc. It is also the place where the Zanzibar International Film Festival and Fashion is held every year.
The House of Wonders
Next to the old fort, you can see the ‘Beit al Anjaib’ palace which means the house of wonders built by the Omanis. The house of wonders was built for sultan Barghash in 1883. Its luxurious features include East Africa’s first use of electricity and running water. Those modern wonders gave the building its name. It held a museum dedicated to Swahili culture. Visitors can explore the architectural coupling of European style and Zanzibar’s tradition with its cast iron columns, intricate door carvings, coral rags and an open central yard. Unfortunately, one of the long building’s balconies collapsed in 2012, and consequently, the monument has remained closed for the public.
The palace is going to be renovated by the sultanate of Oman, especially the ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. Iron guns lined the seafront at Forodhani. The area is visited by many tourists who come to enjoy the sunset and eat street food, especially sea foods. It’s near the Zanzibar sea port authority in Malindi where people take the boat to visit Dar es Salaam.
Covid-19 vs flu
People in Tanzania do not wear masks to prevent the covid-19 epidemics. In an article published in the Zanzibar Mail, Mohammed Sharksy from SUZA says that the country is currently experiencing many cases of the spread of seasonal flu and fever. He adds that some people fear of the advent of the 4th wave of the covid-19 in the country. However, the situation has been described by the ministry of Health as normal between December and February and the public should not be worried.
The Saint Sylvester eve
That Friday 31 December, there were not special things to do. After shopping in the morning, I go the Friday prayer at noon. After the Djumwa prayer, I had coffee with a kashata cake near the mosque and went home for lunch. In the afternoon, mohamed the driver and I went to the beach. I tried to walk the 3 miles beach from bububu near the Golden Tulip hotel to the hotel Verde beach, but I could not as the sunset was approaching and I had to go back. There was a DJ animation around the beach to celebrate perhaps the New Year eve. The Saint Sylvester night was actually feted at a church near our home.
A covid-19 test day
There were about one hundred people that sunny Sunday, 2nd January 2022 to take the covid-19 test. The first thing to do is to go online and make an appointment on zanzibarcovidtesting.com. Then, you have to pay $80 for the PCR test either in cash or by check or visa card in favor of PZB (people of Zanzibar bank). If you pay cash, you have to fill in a form. Nevertheless, it does not mention the bank’s account. I asked a civil servant how I may know the bank’s account number. He filled the form for me. Then, I looked at two other tourists holding the same paper to make sure that the bank’s account number was the same. As I was assured that my money had to go to the PBZ, I became confident. I gave the government agent € 100, she reimbursed me Tsh 68.000. Next, I moved to a cabin in order get 2 batons covered with cotton in the noise for the test. I was a little bit scared, but it did not hurt. After three hours spent in the covid-19 center, I went back home exhausted.
A shamba visit
That Monday morning, 3 January, I got the covid-19 test result. It was negative. I can travel to go back home. That day was also long for my nephew Ahmad. He had ear pain since Saturday night and could not sleep well. So, we went to Mnazi Moja public hospital. He paid Tsh 2,500 to get a personal health record leaflet. We had been waiting for 3 hours. As he was discouraged to wait, Ahmad decided to leave and go back home. He will see another doctor in a private hospital next day.
That afternoon, Mohamed, Ahmad and I went to visit our brother-in-law farm. The 5 hectare field was surrounded by a wire fence. You can find everything such as lime and lemon trees, cassava, jackfruit, coconut trees and some farm animals like turkeys, ducks, goose, chickens, goats and cows. ‘’After retiring from the Tanzania central bank, I asked myself what should I do? Staying at home and watch TV does not make sense for me ’’, he said. We visited the farm, collected some fruits, such as mangos, jackfruits, papayas, and lemons. There is a water supply in the shamba to help the plants growing and feed the animals. The farm is also connected to the public electric power. In addition, he had built a house in which he comes sometimes to work and sleep there. He has a young guy who helps him in his shamba. ‘’Planting, harvesting, and supervising have become my new hobbies’’ he proudly said.
Departure day
Mohamed and my cousin shinuna gave me a ride to the airport. I did not have time to see Ahmad that Tuesday morning. He went to hospital alone after the breakfast. My luggage has exceeded 40 kilos, but the Ethiopian airline agent let me go. An airport agent told me to go fill in a form on the ADC Comores website. He gave me the password. When I opened, I found information about the Comorian airports. However, I did not figure out what to do with that French only information. What’s more, there was not a form to fill in. I left Zanzibar at 17.30 en route to the Ethiopian capital.
Another transit in Adis Ababa
I arrived in Adis Ababa at 19.30. An Ethiopian agent gave me on board the accommodation voucher that I had to submit to the immigration service at Bole airport. As I am a transit passenger, I had to declare any amount in us dollar that exceeded $3,000. Once at the airport, I watched, filmed and enjoyed a traditional dance performed by young Ethiopians while waiting and queuing in front of immigration service windows. You can see on the wall of that huge airport hall, a poster of the country’s prime minister. I was the first to get on the Ivy Hotel bus waiting amidst other hotel buses coming to pick up their clients. ‘’Hello! How are you? Taste these peanuts, please’’ said a young guy holding a basket of peanuts. I took a handful of peanuts he gave me. ‘’I am selling peanuts. Do you want to buy?’’ he said. ‘’No, I don’t’’ I replied. When a group of passengers got on the bus, he offered them his peanuts to test and added ‘’I am selling peanuts and I take any currency’’.
We arrived at Ivy Hotel at 9 p.m. after 10 minutes ride. The receptionist gave us an electronic card that allowed us to open our rooms and get the light. She also gave us the password in case we need to use internet. I took a bath, did my prayers and went to dinner. The eating room is located on the 5th floor. It is always a self-service, but the tea is only available in our room. It’s Wednesday 5th January. The phone rang at 6 a.m. I hold on and listened. ‘’ it’s 6 o’clock, you have to wake up, have your breakfast as the bus is leaving at 7 o’clock to the airport’’ said the voice. I wake up, did my ablution, prayed and went to the dining hall to have my breakfast.
The other passengers and I left the hotel at 7.30 heading to the airport. I met again the same seller whom I promised last December 13th to buy some souvenirs from Ethiopia. There are many shops at the airport hall displaying interesting articles including traditional shirts for men, women and kids, cow skin bags, jewelry items such as rings and necklaces. ‘’Nice to see you again, you promised to come back,’’ the lady said. I told her that I could not purchase anything that time because my visa card had expired and I did not have enough cash to take what I really needed. ‘’May be the next time’’ she said.
We are now heading to Moroni via Dar es Salaam. It lasted 150 minutes. It’s like I am going back to Zanzibar. That is why I am saying that my trip was a madness one. During my three weeks stay in Tanzania, I visited some interesting places, watched, tasted, asked questions, read the newspapers, etc. Now, I can say that I know a little bit something about that beautiful and beloved country.
Chami Mouzawar
Contributing writer
