Dar Es Salaam

The name of the city translates literally as haven of peace. In accordance with this character, Dar Es Salaam has thus far been for me a sea of tranquility. I can't say for sure though if my experience is due to my residual jetlagged perception or a truly underlying state of the city. According to the guidebook and my basic understanding of the country's history, Tanzania in general is known for its laidback temperment and lack of political agitation relative to the region. Whatever the underlying cause, a sense of ease is pervasive. This may also have something to do with the vantage point of the photo, which was taken from the balcony of the air-conditioned hotel suite I stay in. After waking up this morning and having breakfast in a French cafe, I wandered around the city for a few hours in a kind of comfortable yet confused fog. Then took a bus to meet up with Daniela at the public health office where she works. Dinner was taken in the living room of Daniela's ex-boyfriend's family and consisted of ugali (thick corn porridge), vegetables, and chicken stew (all true). They live in a kind of typical down to earth working poor neighborhood of hovels and cinderblock structures located off the main road south of the city center. After two hours of chatting and chilling with the family, we headed over to a bar, had a few drinks with her friends and now posted back here at the cushy ranch. It's almost two AM and I'm wide awake but feel I should push myself to sleep lest I never become accustomed to the time.

I know this is only one paragraph of commentary and I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. I have no idea what this journey will lead to. For sure it will not be like this for much longer. But I am so grateful for the smooth entry and am enjoying it while it lasts. This weekend we'll head to Zanzibar for more vacation and then the real deal begins Tuesday.

In a nutshell my immediate future looks like this:
Tuesday - bus to Arusha Tanzania
Wednesday- bus to Nairobi Kenya then on to Mt Kenya Park gate at Nanyuki
Thursday through Thursday- climb Mt Kenya
Friday - either back to Arusha for two days or straight north to Addis (at least 40 hours in bus from Nanyuki)

I don't really know what I'm doing with this blog. Perhaps I'll write more after the weekend in Zanzibar, perhaps I'll wait until there is some monumental motivation. Feels kinda forced now, but maybe that's because it's the first one and it's late. Oh well, only one way to find out. Until then, Usiku mwema, which is one of the many words I'm trying to assimilate in Swahili and means good night. In your case probably good day.