02 February 2010
12 December 2009
I’m back!
Our domain unfortunately expired two weeks ago and it’s taken a bit of time to sort it all out with the renewal. I finally managed to renew it for a further two years earlier today and now it’s back up and running again. I have two weeks’ worth of adventures to update you on!
Firstly, if you’d like to look at all the photos I have taken during my five weeks in Tanzania, here they all are:
Secondly, I have had some amazing adventures since the last time I wrote and I have experienced so much. I have met some wonderful people and seen some fantastic places. I can’t write about all of it now, so here is a list of the highlights:
- Flying in a tiny light aircraft to Zanzibar, the Spice Island
- Snorkelling off Bawe Reef and seeing the Great Northern Wreck
- Exploring Stone Town and seeing Forodhani Gardens and Beit el-Ajaib
- Staying at Mtoni Marine Hotel
- Having a back massage at the Mrembo Spa
- Having roast turkey at the Christmas party at Alliance Francaise
- Hanging out with Sabrina at Sea Cliff Village
- Visiting the National Museum and seeing Dar es Salaam city centre
- Being ‘Ladies Who Lunch’ at the Golden Tulip Hotel on Tanzania’s Independence Day
- Seeing New Moon at Mlimani City
- Drinking cocktails with my colleagues at Level 8 bar at the Kilimanjaro Kempinski Hotel
- Dining in style at The Palm
- Going on a shopping spree for handmade African presents at the crafts market at Slipway
Tomorrow I am planning on going to South Beach with Laura, Monday is my last day in the office and Tuesday morning I fly home.
I am feeling ambivalent about going home. On the one hand I really miss Tulpesh and the cats and I can’t wait to go home to Norway for Christmas. On the other hand I have got used to living here and I will miss Tanzania and all the lovely people I have met!
26 November 2009
On Sunday I met up with Laura and we went to Mediterraneo Hotel & Restaurant to spend the day relaxing by their pool. We got a bajaj there and had quite an adventure when it got stuck in the sandy roads near the hotel! I like going in the bajajs, they’re fun and it’s nice being out in the open. Thanks to Laura for introducing them to me!
We spent most of the day relaxing, reading and chatting by the pool, and of course swimming. It was really nice to just relax and wind down, and spend some time outside. I spend the working week either in the office or my apartment, so it was nice to get some fresh sea breeze and some sunshine!
The Mediterraneo pool:
We went to their Italian restaurant for lunch and I had delicious fresh pasta with spinach and ricotta in a mushroom sauce – very yummy! I had been craving Italian food and it was lovely eating right next to the Indian Ocean.
In the late afternoon we decided to move to their lounge, as it started getting quite windy and my back had had enough sun.
Relaxing by the Indian ocean in the Mediterraneo lounge:
Laura on her lounger:
In the early evening we got another bajaj back to our respective apartments. A very relaxing, enjoyable day all around!
On Tuesday night I went to Addis in Dar again, this time with Laura, Sarah and three of Sarah’s friends. Afterwards we went for a drink in Sweet Eazy, where I had a mojito to celebrate my promotion to Senior Editor! It was a really good night out and very interesting company!
Yesterday I went back to Slipway with Laura to visit The Green Room, a relatively new shop in the souk area where Sarah knows the owner. She was holding a pre-Christmas do and we had canapés and wine. I bought some Christmas presents, but I won’t say what they are! I also bought two postcards that Sarah designed, for my keepsake journal.
Lastly, I think I may have finally figured out where in Mikocheni B our offices are:
The red dot in the bottom right-hand corner shows Mayfair Plaza and Markham Suites, where I am staying, whereas the other dot is the Longman Tanzania office – maybe! I figured it out based on counting roads and estimation, so it might not be entirely accurate!
21 November 2009
I have unfortunately spent the last three days housebound and feeling quite ill after contracting a stomach bug somewhere. I started feeling ill on Tuesday morning, but it got significantly worse Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, when I was really ill. I haven’t been able to leave my hotel room, but my lovely colleague Irene has helped me get groceries and medicines. I started feeling better yesterday, and today I ventured out for the first time since Tuesday night.
I met up with Sabrina, who I went to Aston University with from 2002 to 2006 and who I knew through a mutual friend. I knew that Sabrina was from Zanzibar, so when I finally found out that I was definitely going to Tanzania with work I immediately contacted her on Facebook and was very pleased to find that she was living in Dar es Salaam!
Me and Sabrina:
We had a delicious steak lunch at the Karambezi Cafe at Sea Cliff Hotel. Sea Cliff is a lovely place, situated on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean.
Me at the restaurant – to the left in the photo lies the beautiful Indian Ocean:
We chatted away over lunch and shared a delicious brownie for dessert:
I am planning on seeing Sabrina again this coming Friday and meeting her adorable daughter Sarah. I had such a lovely time today and I cannot wait to meet her daughter!
20 November 2009
On Tuesday I was picked up by Sarah, a former colleague of a current colleague of mine. She took me to a restaurant called Addis in Dar, which predictably serves Ethiopian food. Once there we met up with her friends Joanna and Salma.
Sarah and Joanna outside on the balcony:
Salma and me:
The food was absolutely delicious and the company was lovely!
I tried these dishes:
- Delfin Misir Kai Wot
- Prawns Addis in Dar (not proper Ethiopian food, since they don’t have prawns there)
- Tibs
- Pumpkin Wot
- Ayeb Begomen
- Misir Wot
- Doro Wot
- Yebeg Alicha Wot
I also tried Ethiopian honey wine, which was delicious!
If you want to read more about living and working in East Africa, head over to Salma’s blog!
17 November 2009
Today I went out in the morning with Belinda and Deo from the sales team here in Dar es Salaam.
Our first stop was Makongo High School, which used to be a military school used to educate soldiers, and is still run by the military. We met with the vice-headmaster of the school and one of the history teachers, and was shown around the school and the classrooms.
The students with green trousers or skirts are studying for their O-levels (four years) and the students with red trousers or skirts are studying for their A-levels (two years):
An A-level classroom:
Our second stop was Shaabaan Roberts Secondary School, where we met with the headmaster and was then shown around the IT room, the school hall and the library.
Our last stop was a local bookshop that stocked school books, among them an IGCSE title I have recently versioned:
It was a very interesting visit and I am very grateful to Belinda and Deo for taking me!
16 November 2009
Yesterday I visited the Bongoyo Marine Reserve. I got the boat from Slipway, where I met a lovely British expat called Laura. Once on Bongoyo, which is a beautiful uninhabited island, she introduced me to her friends Rob and Lotte, and kindly invited me to spend the day with them.
Bongoyo has stunning, white sand beaches, and this is one of them:
Rob and Lotte already had one of the beach huts nearest the Indian Ocean, and invited us to share it. Rob also lent me his snorkelling gear, and I spent the time before lunch snorkelling in the crystal clear, warm waters.
Lunch was absolutely delicious – freshly caught, grilled prawns:
Lotte and Rob:
Me and Laura:
I had such a wonderful day out!
Here is my updated travel map:
15 November 2009
On Thursday I continued working on the East Africa title, and went for lunch with Rosebelle to a restaurant called Safari Carnival (or Carnevoure, as the receipt said!). I managed to take a photo of ugali, complete with annoying fly:
On Friday we went for a buffet lunch at Fairy Delight at Shoppers Plaza where I had a lovely curry, and tried kitumbua, a sort of not sweet rice sponge. I also got to meet the local sales team – Justine, Belinda and Deo:
I also took a photo of the main office, which is shared by Radar, our distribution company:
Yesterday I went to the Slipway and had a relaxing day. I visited the shops in the souk and the local crafts market, and bought my Secret Santa presents. The lucky person will get some lovely things! I also got a couple of other presents. I had a lovely lunch at Mashua Waterfront Bar & Grill and an ice cream at Fairy Delight.
In the evening I went to Rosebelle’s house warming party, and the journey there became a little bit too interesting when we were waved aside by the police and a policeman with a machine gun started arguing loudly with the taxi driver and eventually got into the back seat so he could be paid off. Money changed hands and then we were on our way.
Once there, I had a very nice time, and I met a lovely Kenyan lady called Catherine:
It was fun to hang out with them and to see a Tanzanian home. I even did some dancing!
Today I am planning on visiting the Bongoyo Marine Reserve, an uninhabited island just off the coast of Dar es Salaam. I can’t wait to swim in the Indian Ocean!
11 November 2009
My first day in the office has gone very well! I was picked up by Rosebelle, the East Africa Publisher, at 9am. The roads here are very bumpy and dusty, and rarely paved, so she drives a big 4×4 with good suspension!
In the office I met with all my new colleagues and I was shown around the offices. The offices are based in a residential building – the main office in the main house and the publishing team in what used to be the guest house. There are two businesses sharing one office – Radar, who distributes our books, and Longman, an imprint of Pearson Education (who I work for).
I was set up with a desk of sorts at the round table in the office, and got started on my first project: an A-level title in Biology for East Africa.
We went for lunch at a place called Rose Garden, where I had a delicious meal of goat’s ribs in a lovely sauce with ugali and beans. Ugali is made from maize and looks a bit like mashed potato. I loved it!
These are my colleagues Rosebelle, Margaret and Irene in front of the restaurant where we had lunch:
This is me in front of the publishing building:
After work I was picked up by my new driver (organised by Irene, who apparently knows everyone worth knowing), who took me to the supermarket to get some basic groceries and then back to my apartment. Since I had a big lunch and since there are no pots and pans in my apartment I had a sophisticated dinner of pot noodles – the low-fat version of course. ;-)
I am already planning my weekend – I want to do as much as I can while I am here! I would like to visit The Slipway on Saturday to have lunch at the Italian restaurant overlooking the ocean, find my Secret Santa present and do some shopping. On Sunday I would like to visit the White Sands Hotel and perhaps do a refresher scuba dive!
10 November 2009
10 am
After a long journey, I am finally here! My travelling started yesterday with getting a coach from Banbury to Heathrow T5, then getting a ten-hour flight to Dar es Salaam and then finally I was picked up by a taxi at the airport and taken to Markham Executive Suites, where I am sitting right now typing this.
The flight went well and it actually felt much shorter than it was. I sat next to a sociable Canadian water drilling engineer, and whilst the tv screens were out of action at the start of the flight we had dinner and chatted. I then watched Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, had a bit of an uncomfortable nap, ate breakfast and then we were here! The plane food was actually really nice, so well done BA.
My apartment is spacious, clean, light and has air-conditioning and internet access. I have posted some photos on Facebook.
This is the view from the bedroom area:
Now I planning on having a shower, perhaps a nap and then I will need some food!
8pm
Having a shower after a long journey always makes me feel a lot better, and today was no exception. I explored Mayfair Plaza, which is the small mall right next to my apartment. I found a Zain shop and bought a Tanzanian SIM card for 23p. Now I can send texts abroad for 6p a text instead of 49p a text from my O2 number. My mobile number for the next five weeks will be +255684883567. Feel free to send me a friendly text!
I had lunch at a Japanese fast-food place called Ashibe. It was decidedly weird. I ordered a chicken burger with fries and salad, but the chicken burger was just random bits of chicken held together by bread crumbs and teriyaki sauce, the burger had an egg white omelette where I would usually expect cheese and it was all quite soggy. Not the nicest meal I’ve had, but I ate the burger, omelette, top bun and chips and it filled me up.
I really wanted to try and find a supermarket so that I could buy lots of fruit, water and perhaps some bread to make toast, but the shop that looked like it might have been a supermarket had shut down. I’ll ask at the office tomorrow if they know of anywhere near.
Tomorrow I am having breakfast here at the hotel and then Rosebelle Otieno, the East Africa Publisher, is picking me up at 9am. My first day in the office!