Architect Life in Dar Es Salaam

Habari gani! I can finally practice my Kiswahili! I am in Tanzania!  So if you don't know, in 2005 I came to Tanzania as part of a Fulbright Hayes group study program. It was a life changing experience for me and it made me a stronger, more aware architect and I wouldn't change it for the world. I met amazing people from all over the US and also some great friends who I stay in touch with from the University of Dar Es Salaam. So to have the opportunity to come back to visit twice since then has been awesome.  

Tz peeps should remember this place!

My friend Violet picked me up (bless her heart) at 1:30 am after my flight from Kigali (through Nairobi). It felt great to have good internet and convenience outlets for a little bit. 

Violet lives in Dar Es Salaam and is a practicing architect. She is currently project managing a huge project in the city (more about that later). She drove me back to her house which is a guest house behind a really big house in one of the wealthier neighborhoods of the city.  She just moved into this place (in Dar, you pay an agent to find an apartment for you then you have to give them about a month's rent as a finders fee). It was really cute, a 2 bedroom with a parking space, her rent went up from $120 to $180 per month, which is well under the US standard of 30% of her income.  She said that the first thing she bought once she started working was a car because she hated riding public transportation in Dar. They have to buy cars from Japan and have them shipped to Tanzania, there aren't any car dealerships in the country, so she bought her car online (gas is about Tsh 1950 per liter, which Is a little less than $1). The most curious thing about her place, though, is that the shower is open to the bathroom. There's no tub, you just shower in the room. So we got to Violets place and headed to bed pretty soon thereafter. I had brought her a few gifts... Deodorant, because it's about $13 in Tz, and some running shoes (she wanted black ones so they don't get dirty). The first thing she said when we got in the apartment was that she sprayed for mosquitos... Which is great, she knows me too well. I learned this trip that Malaria infected mosquitos are females and they always come out at midnight, so the mosquito net is really the best protection from mosquitos, interestingly enough, because the dusk mosquitos are not the dangerous ones.  But I survived the spray method.

The road to Violet's

The next morning we woke up and she cooked me breakfast (stoves here are called cookers) and we headed to the embassy, as Vai is leaving for Korea on Friday and needed to get her visa. We met Christopher (another UCLAS alum I met in 2005, also an architect) at his printer so they could print all the documents and we headed over. It was kind of weird being in the Japanese embassy in Tanzania. Somewhere I doubly don't belong. But there were some additional things she needed so we headed over to Kariako to meet her friend Rose, who sells African fabric. 

Kariako is like the shopping district in the business center of Dar. I guess it's like an African Santee Alley but about 3 times as busy, bigger, and selling all sorts of stuff from food to cell phone cases to clothes to handbags. Unfortunately I couldn't take too many photos because Vai warned me about pickpockets, but there were so many people, vehicles, and tables filled with items to sell. I actually saw a woman who had a bucket on her head actually lose the bucket... That never happens! 

Rose's office was in the second floor of the African fabric wholesale shop. It was air conditioned which was lovely. I asked her where she gets her fabric from and she said "China" which was kind of disappointing, but I guess that's the global norm.  

So we left there and headed over to Ardhi University (formerly UCLAS) to meet up with Richard. 

A Chill Day on Lake Bunyonyi and Back to Kigali

My evening at Bunyonyi Overland camp was super chill, with chicken fried rice on the patio overlooking the lake and writing away. After another jet-lagged and restless sleep, I awoke to what sounded like hundreds of birds chirping to the sun as it rose. The lake was beautifully calm with mist hovering over the water. After a quick breakfast I packed up and headed down to the water for a boat tour. My guide Augustine wanted to come too, and we set out in a long and wide motorboat. There was no oar to be seen so I said a quick prayer we didn't get stranded out there. 

Gus tries out his new selfie stick

The Gray Crowned Crane, national bird of Uganda

Lake Bunyonyi is the second deepest lake in Africa, at 900 meters... Which is crazy to me! There are a number of islands in the lake, one is a wildlife reserve with zebras and waterbok, and one is big enough to have its own school, church, and hospital. The terrace farming around the lake is super impressive, and steep, with mostly single women maintaining the crops. In the middle of the lake is Punishment Island, which has a crazy story. Until the 1940s, families would bring their daughter here if she got pregnant before she was married, because that meant they would not get a good dowry for her. The island is barely more than a clump of marshy grass. Most girls died within a day or 2, but some would get scooped up by a fisherman who could not afford a dowry. There is one living survivor of Punishment Island alive today, and there's a cool story on her here. 

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-39576510

Punishment Island

So we finished the boat ride and headed back towards Rwanda. The border was again, a complete zoo, and we waited quite some time at the Uganda side, but Rwanda was free and clear. We picked up a friend of Augustine who had been turned away at the border even though her son was Ugandan... And I heavily napped (jet lag style) on the way back to Kigali. Almost slept through Gus getting pulled over and everything. 

Back to the chaotic border

Our first stop was the Hotel del Mille Collins, aka Hotel Rwanda from the movie, as recommended from the Australian couple. The movie was actually filmed in South Africa, so the building was totally different, but it was amazing to see an absolute luxury hotel that was less than 25 years ago under attack and in the middle of the Rwandan genocide.  I had lunch on the terrace and listened to the live music, and of course the singer was singing all American songs but he mixed in one of my faves from here, African Queen. 

After lunch we headed to the Rwandan Genocide museum, which I had been really looking forward to. For those who don't know, because I didn't either, here is the short story of what happened. When the Belgians occupied Rwanda they separated the Natives into 3 categories.  Hutu (moreso) and Tutsi were the vast majority. The Tutsis were seen as higher class because they had more white features (they did tests like measuring noses) and were given special treatment. Then when Rwanda became independent the Hutus started developing a plan for taking their country back from the Tutsis, as the Hutus saw themselves as the more native people. So the country was in a lot of tension and then in April of 1994 The Hutu president was assassinated by Tutsis. This put all of the Hutu plans in motion. There was a super corrupt radio station and other avenues for the government and Hutu leaders to convince their people to get rid of the Tutsis. The craziest things I learned about this... Neighbors who were friends ended up killing their Tutsi neighbors. Hutus that married Tutsis were targeted because they were not keeping true to their Hutu race.  Women and children were targeted because they were the future of the Tutsis. Whole families were killed, but the Hutu wanted to torture the Tutsis first, so parents would be forced to watch their children die and vice versa. This went on for months and the UN did little to help. France was actually supplying arms to the Hutus. At the end, millions of Rwandans died, there were thousands of orphans, and Rwanda had to start to rebuild. The museum was great in explaining this and sending their message.  I can't believe it happened in my lifetime.  There was also an exhibit about other genocides throughout history, including in Germany, Bosnia, Armenia (which the US fails to recognize as a genocide), among others.  

Gus came into the museum with me which was pretty cool of him, and waited as I walked around the site, where 250,000 people are buried.  They are still finding the remains of victims even now, 20 years later.

Our trusted escort

Ironic since WhatsApp hasn't worked since I got here...

After the museum we chatted on the way to the airport, where I took my first class flight to Dar (I "bid" $50 and it was accepted!) which was a nice comfortable treat.  I gave Gus a volleyball t-shirt and bid him wawele (thank you in Ugandan). I was super excited to see my girl in Dar and start the part of my trip where I was with RAFIKI!

The Gorilla Trek

So after a jet-lag ridden sleepless night I woke up in my canvas chateau at Broadbill Camp, packed up my things and got my gear together. I was pretty proud of my forethought... I brought gaiters, trekking poles, waterproof pants, and hiking boots. Because I had arrived at camp so late, it was my first glimpse of the forest and the mountainous terrain at breakfast, where I met 2 fellow gorilla trackers (I still marvel at how well Europeans speak English considering how hard it is to get through a conversation in any foreign language). Breakfast was as typical... Juice, eggs, fruit, and toast. Probably the most reliable meal in East Africa. 

One of the drivers of another trekker had a great t-shirt on and I had to explain to him 1. Who the NE Patriots were and 2. How awesome they are and 3. That they play American football.

Sunrise in the mountains is a beautiful thing. Today wasn't as misty as yesterday afternoon but that led way to some amazing views of terrace farms steeper than the Banaue rice terraces, and a very discernible border of the protected Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest.  

The road I thought we would never make it up

We arrived on site and there were about 30 of us, to be grouped by our drivers into 3 groups for trekking. But I think you need a little background.

The instructions that the gorillas wouldn't follow

Gorillas are very close to us in evolution, but slightly less close than the chimpanzees. There are 2 types of gorillas, lowland gorillas found in many parts of the world (and many zoos), and mountain gorillas, found only in the Volcano Park of The Congo and Rwanda, and the Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest of Rwanda/Uganda. No mountain gorillas have survived captivity, and there are only 880 left in the world (this is up from a previous count). The trekking permits are outrageous ($600 in Uganda and $1500 in Rwanda) but a good way to control entry to the parks, as humans have to potential to bring disease to the gorillas. Gorillas live in families with up to 3 male silverbacks (the patriarch) and a number of women and younger gorillas. Families find a place to nest every night and usually wander the next day to a new location.  Families are usually 2 to 20 members.  Many families in Bwindi are "habitualized" which means that they have spent 2 years in training by the park rangers to be more comfortable around people.  The rest of the families would run away from humans. 

So I was put in the group that would be tracking the Oruzogo family. It is the largest in the park, but I found out later it was the group that was formed with the intention of being the most physically fit, because it was the farthes into the forest. So after a briefing and a quick ride to the "trail head" (I use the term loosely) we were off. I was the only one who elected NOT to hire a porter for $15. I backpack all the time. We aren't even at 10,000 feet above sea level. How can I need a porter? I judged those who hired one (humble pie opportunity #1). I told my driver I couldn't believe some of the pants and shoes I saw on my fellow trekkers. Cotton pants? Sneakers? Good luck with that (humble pie opportunity #2). 

We first hiked up a steep dirt road and trapsed through a pea plantation to the trail.  The trail was ridiculous. A slippery, muddy from recent rain, STEEP trail down into the valley floor. I fell on my butt at least 5 times on the way down.  There was an intern training to be a guide that eventually decided to babysit me and carry my backpack (I declined his first offer but accepted his second) so I didn't slide down the whole mountain.  So much for being porterless.  The good news was everything I fell into was soft and fluffy and my waterproof pants (thanks high school era Abercrombie&Fitch for making quality trekking gear) were as hoped.  We got down to the bottom of the valley and it seemed like we had been hiking for hours.  Just to hike back up the next mountain. This is when it started to be REALLY hard.  Interestingly enough, going up was technically easier, but I was sweating my ass off and down to a tank in about 10 mins. I wondered if anyone else on the trek was struggling because I'm pretty sure it was just me. Not even the old married couple from New Zealand needed a hand held by a porter the whole time. I think the 36 hour transit, questionable African food, sleepless night, jet lag, and altitude caught up with me.  Or I am just THAT out of shape.  

Finally I got the message. 30 more minutes.  I persevered.  Option B was to elect to hire an "African Helicopter": a stretcher that is carried by 4 porters for the low cost of $300 (that's starting cost but increases based on how heavy you are). Started on a slight descent, pulling up the rear, and there he was, alone. A silverback, took a quick look at us and walked away, clearly over it. I was like, um aren't we going to stop? Is this it? We walked just a few more yards down the hill where the trackers were. (Typically trackers follow the families until they nest for the evening so they have a starting point to try to find them the next day, and then they radio the trek leaders). And there was the huge Silverback just lounging around. He looked up at us but seemed to oscillate between not caring about us at all and putting on a show. One of the people in the group tried to move a branch so she could take an unobstructed photo and he grunted at her, warning her that she was too close. She backed up and then he mocked her, taking that particular branch, snapping it out of the way, and laying back down.  It was pretty awesome to have real interaction with them. 

So we watched them eat bamboo and leaves. We watched children swing from and climb trees. We watched a female grunt at us and charge a little bit before the trackers controlled her. Then a male on the other side of us decided to plop right down in front of me and give a little performance, after which he pushed 3 people in the group as he ran through our group to get to the other side. Finally, we saw the youngest member, a 3 month old, chew on leaves and follow around his protective mother. Overall we probably saw about 12 to 15 of the 20 gorillas in the family.

Picking his fingernails...

Once the hour was up, we had to go back the same way we came (I was secretly hoping there was some express route out from the valley floor... Nope). The way back was much easier, but they did have me go in the front because the group is only as fast as its slowest trekker... There's humble pie #3. Hiking up the slimy, muddy, vertical trail out of the park was much shorter than I thought it would be, but we did (finally) stop for lunch which helped me get through it. Overall, it was an hour and 45 minutes to get to the gorillas... Seems like it's not a lot, but the other two groups went half as far in. I can't imagine doing it in the rain.

We all got certificates for completing the trek (Our leader, Sara, called them diplomas), and then it was time for tipping. Instead of cash tips, I brought volleyball t-shirts, because I have about a thousand of them and Africans love American t-shirts.  

On the way out of the forest we saw the coolest monkeys I have ever seen.  They are black and white and their faces look like a Star Wars character (but I've never seen Star Wars so you'll have to choose for yourself). Gus the driver liked them too, because he kept stopping to take his own pics.

So now I have arrived safely at Bunyonyi Overland Camp, perched above Lake Bunyonyi. It's beautiful and relaxing, but the wifi sucks, there's no hot water, and the lights go out every few minutes. Apparently the electricity in the whole city is out but we are lucky enough to have a generator that controls everything except hot water.  I'm holding out for my shower, they said it would be fixed by 7 or 8 (but in Africa time that could mean tomorrow)... But oh man a hot shower would be pure gold right now.

My neighbors are a very nice couple from Australia who I sat on the porch with and talked for a couple hours this afternoon about everything from African adventures to politics. They are on a 57 (!!!) day tour with people from all over the world that went from Capetown up to Uganda.  The one American I met from the group I asked, how did you get the vacation time? She said she quit her job... Seems like a theme for lots of American travelers in East Africa. Tomorrow I will have a quick boat ride on the late and we will head back to Kigali, flight is tomorrow evening to Dar Es Salaam.