Departure and Week 1

We almost didn't believe it anymore but it did work out in the end. A few days before our departure, we were able to sublet our apartment after all. So besides packing, we also had to clear out the apartment. Late in the evening on Tuesday, everything was done.

On Wednesday at 6.00 a.m., we headed towards the train station. Next stop: Zurich Airport.

The almost ten-hour flight was pleasant and went according to the pattern of sleeping, watching movies, eating, sleeping...

On the way to Dar es Salaam, Swiss Airlines always makes a small stop in Nairobi to let passengers disembark and allow new passengers who fly back to Zurich to board the plane.

Shortly before landing in Tanzania, we filled out the entry form, disembarked the plane, stood in line at the first counter to submit the form for review, stood in line at the second counter to give fingerprints, went to the third counter to submit the passport with the form and $50, and then went to the small waiting area to receive the passport with the visa sticker after a few minutes. Karibu Tanzania.

With the luggage, we left the airport and waited for Severin (Cédric's brother who lives in Dar es Salaam), who picked us up. Since he wasn't there, we tried to reach him on his mobile phone, but it didn't work. When he joined us after a short time, he looked a bit destroyed and immediately told us that he was just robbed in traffic and had no phone and money left. Okayyy... however, his slightly shaky hands revealed that this is probably not an everyday occurrence here either. Slightly unsettled, we drove through the nightly Dar es Salaam towards Makongo, a suburb of Dar es Salaam, where we arrived safely at our hostel 'Teddys Home Hostel'. (You can find more information about this in the second post about the Mulimuli Project)

On the first day, we drove to Dar es Salaam with the bajaji (for you readers, it may be more well known as a tuk-tuk, as it is often used in the Asian region). The first stop was a shopping center because Severin had to get a new SIM card for his mobile phone. After a coffee, we continued to a market and then to the beach, where we tried the first Tanzanian beer.

On Thursday, we went to the bus station with our tents and luggage to take the bus to Morogoro, which is five hours away. A two-day hike in the Uluguru Mountains was on the program. The bus ride was unexpectedly pleasant. No daring overtaking maneuvers or horn concerts. The view from the window, however, was all the more exciting. Market stands with pineapples, mangoes, bananas, etc. Life seems to take place at the side of the road.

The next morning, we set off on our five-hour hike. From the city, we headed towards the mountains. Again and again, we passed small villages where we were greeted by the residents. Luckily, Severin speaks fluent Swahili and was able to communicate well with the people. In the late afternoon, we arrived at the viewpoint 'Morningside' (elevation of 1400 meters). We set up our tents and had dinner and freshly picked strawberries. The view of Morogoro and the green strawberry slopes was beautiful. The next morning, we set off again to descend to Morogoro. On the way, we passed a church. Since it was Sunday, everything was being prepared for the church service, and locals from nearby villages gradually arrived. A short refreshment was provided by a waterfall before we arrived back in Morogoro and went directly to the bus station after lunch to take the five-hour journey back to Dar es Salaam on the same day. On Monday, we relaxed and spent the day at the hostel.

Yesterday, swimming was on the agenda for the first time. We left before noon to go to an island near Dar es Salaam. We spent the afternoon on Mbudya Island swimming in the crystal-clear water, reading, and eating.

Today, another visit to the market is on the program. Tomorrow, we will continue to the classic Tanzanian tourist paradise. More about that in our next blog...