I first arrived in Tanzania in the Southern Town of Mbeya. When I got off the bus and the streets where crazy busy, this was the first time I thought to myself "What the hell on heavens green earth are you doing? Go home child."
The streets of Mbeya were busy, people everywhere selling something. Fish, Fruit, vegetable markets scattered all on the pavement of the busy road. On the roads were private cars, motor bikes, big trucks, small trucks and Tuktuks. We don't wait for anybody and you cross the road at your own discretion. At this point, serious culture shock hit. I haven't written about Tanzania as I had not dealt with the culture shock. This was serious enough to break me but I was not prepared to break this far in my Journey, I had come to far to back down and that warrior spirit would have to pull me through.
Tanzania's national language is Swahili. Everyone speaks Swahili with little or no English. You really just have to thank your lucky stars if someone sorts of knows English. Looking back at my pictures, I have no picture of Mbeya and a few of Dar es Salaam. I was just at the point of, "I want to get out of here as quick as possible".
In Dar es Salaam there is English, but again not everyone speaks English. Majority of the people don't. Life got really easy when I got to Zanzibar and found that because it is a tourist destination, almost everyone spoke English.
I thought perhaps I am being a spoiled child, things cant be this bad. But everyone I have spoken to about my stay and experience in Tanzania was not shocked. They all laughed it off because they did not expect it to be easy. They all had their struggles with traveling the country.
What was more difficult for me was that because I am not Caucasian, the people did not understand how I cannot speak Swahili.
Overall, there is a nightlife to be discovered. You are not allowed big bags in the club. Only clutch handbags ladies. The first country where I ordered a beer and I was asked "Would you like it warm or cold"... My face was priceless when I was asked this as I thought it very weird because I would imagine everyone enjoys a cold beer. Only to find out that a warm beer gets you drunk faster.
I have every intention to visit Tanzania again, and I know this time my experience will be better. At least then I will be better equipped knowing what kind of country I am visiting.
x0x0
#TheSoloWanderer