The boy came running up the stairs shouting for me. I wondered what on earth was going on. Was there a fire? had someone hurt themselves? “Come quickly. There’s a giant lizard in the pantry.” I put on the flips flops and headed downstairs and round he back of the house where a small group… Read More »
I had no money which is why I was taking the dala dala bus not flying. Not that there were any tickets to Dar anyway (I had a look in a weak moment). It was the season when students go back home from university for Christmas and the roads and public transport were even busier… Read More »
After a hideous journey from Mbeya via dala dala and a boda boda ride from hell up the cliff face, I arrived at The Mushroom Farm with no information about the place. There’s a lot to be said for taking time to plan a trip properly but I usually like to go a bit free-form… Read More »
I needed to renew visa for another three months and so I had been planning on which country to go to, to renew. The options were to go back to Uganda or Kenya or try a new country. The new countries on my list were Malawi or Zambia. William had suggested that I could get… Read More »
I hate cartoons. I think I liked them as a child but now I’m not a child I have no desire to see one. However, I had the opportunity to go to see Frzen 2 at the cinema this week and so I thought I’d go out of curiosity. I still don’t like cartoons but… Read More »
It’s hard not to stop staring out to sea and watch the dhow boats sails or being punted past. When the sun goes down and I am at Waterside Bar with my friends, the sight is beautiful. The wood from old and broken dhows is valuable as a source of wood to make craft items… Read More »
I don’t have a very big flat – it’s only one room and a kitchen/bathroom but I have a large balcony and the view from there is great. However it is plagued by mosquitoes and it’s not really possible to sit out there at night when it’s cooler, for this reason. During the day it’s… Read More »
There are three tall coconut palms in the garden and often, when I am sitting on the balcony or at my desk looking out to sea, I hear a great thud and then see a coconut on the ground beneath the tree. I did wonder to myself how many people must die each year from… Read More »
I don’t mind dogs. In fact I quite like the ones who don’t snarl at me. I went to see a dogs home in Dar where people can take their unwanted pets or those they’ve found abandoned on the city streets. Personally I think there are too many dogs around the place especially dogs kept… Read More »
I wanted to see the sort of craft that goes on in Tanzania and had seen online a place called Chuma and it looked interesting. It took a long time to find it and there had been a flood so the driver was teasing his bajaj through great pools, down into huge water-filled potholes to… Read More »