A Look Back: an East Africa Summary

Children waving hi

Africa was an experience I will always remember. It was much different than our first leg in Europe having spent two months across 10 countries, in Africa across 5 weeks, we only traveled to two. Africa is a continent with so much diversity and we traveled to just two countries: Kenya and Tanzania, which are experiencing incredible growth in terms of infrastructure, technology and as a society. (Note to self: invest in Africa). I’m sure the Africa that is visited a few years from now, will be much different as today, just as it was different a few years ago. As I try and recall more of the details of this journey from our Kathmandu hostel, I figure a summary was in order.

Language:

Mambo / Jambo – Jambo and Mambo are both hello, funny, right?
Asente Sana – Thank you
Karibu – Welcome
Hakunah Matata – real, and it does mean no problem. It’s annoying however as when it is said to you it’s usually after the 20th time you have told someone to bug off. And they say “Hakunah Matata” as if to be like, “chill, just wanted to bother you, ask you for money or for you to purchase something from me”
Hapana – NO! This is a big one for all the taxi drivers, beach boys, flycatchers that will follow you all day long.
Habari – How are you…
“Missouri” – answer to How are you…
Dalla Salama – Good night

There are also words so nice, you say them twice:
Pole Pole = slowly – this is good to know when hiking Kili but not when crossing the street
Poa Poa = Cool, Cool
Sawa Sawa = Ok, Ok. Mostly we say it to confirm that we understand and we trust that whoever we are saying this to knows what he/she are doing.

Resources:
We have found that running water is a luxury. In the beginning we were positive when had found a shower in our accommodation. Now, after having learned the ropes, we have come to expect that though it may look like a shower, it may not actually function. If it does, the next hope is whether it has hot water, a probability that is unlikely. We got used to “splash showers.” I used a ton of baby wipes and when necessary washed my hair using bottled water (which is actually pretty complicated) or decided to hold off a day or two or five. When one did work, We’ve had to get used to the variety of dripping showers (nevermind any pressure at all) and holding our breaths under the frigid water.
Speaking of water issues: toilets. Hmm. Well I’m a pro squatter now. Many public bathrooms are just holes, sometimes tiled or plain cement. Also because Aaron and I are constantly in a car (long transport and safaris), I’m used to asking our drivers to just pull over to the side of the road. I’ve come to not mind it and am only partly joking when I say it is a lot easier and preferable to just go when you want to go instead of holding it until the next stop. Maybe Africa is on to something…

Washing my hair after day 5, no shower

A good looking toilet :)

Transportation:
As far as public transport, there aren’t many options in Kenya. Tanzania was a bit better, but there is still very much a lack of civilized public transportation. The roads are poor, jokingly Africans refer to the rocky roads as “a free African massage,” and the ditches and boulders in the road make what could be a 20 min ride over an hour. In Kenya, public transport is by way to get of Matatu. In Tanzania they refer to the same type of public van transport as Dalalah. These vehicles ride up and down, honking at pedestrians, trying to stuff as MANY people as they can (and do). These 9-12 passenger vehicles could have up to 20 people. The issue here is while cheap, it is not efficient picking people up and dropping them off every minute, plus it’s a bit uncomfortable when you neighbor could have his head on your shoulder, her baby on your lap or a rooster at your face

Doesn’t even begin to show how tight these Matatus/Dala dalas get

The “Johnson” Dala dala

Accommodation:
Toto, I don’t think we are in Europe any more. There aren’t many hostels in Africa. We have found that where we stay is usually a combination of camping, host houses, volunteer houses and “self-contained” rooms. Only a couple of times have we stayed at a hotel.
The camping is usually pretty nice. A tent set up with a couple of mattresses and a blanket, it’s quite comfortable.

Me, in our tent at Lake Naviasha

Typical safari hut

Food:
Kenyan cuisine is usually quite simple, I didn’t much mind it, in fact I liked a lot of it.
Beef stews with carrots, green peppers and red onions.
Rice, sometimes with potatos inside. Sometimes with peas.
Cooked Spinach, not American spinach but darker, bigger leafy greens
Japati – an African tortilla-like pancake, which I really like
Fruit, if you are lucky, tends to be bananas (yellow, green or red), pineapple and watermelon
And finally Ugali – which we didn’t like though Aaron would eat it if hungry.

Heads up:
Africans aren’t big on breakfast so expect a few pieces of white bread maybe with some margerine on it.
They are really big on tea. Other than bottled water, it’s been our primary liquid.

In the more Muslim parts of the continent there is much influence from India and the Middle East. We found ourselves eating fish with curry or eating traditional Indian foods. It’s not uncommon to walk into a restaurant that looks like it has a personality disorder: 3-4 menus: Traditional/local African, Indian, Chinese, Arabic foods.

A feast! Japati, potatos, rice, peas, carrots and even some steak

Animals:
Sure there are the safaris where you see “the Big 5” and the iconic African animals in their natural habitat. But, seriously, there are animals everywhere!!!!! Cattle, dogs, chickens, donkeys, monkeys, giraffes, hippos, goats, sheep, etc. For instance, you will just be riding along and there is a traffic jam of over a hundred cattle being led by some Masaai boy or you will be waking up from camping and there will be a monkey on your tent or be on back of a motorbike and drive right through a family of giraffes. It is AWESOME!

Hey! Monkeys on a tent!

Cows on the beach

Hippos walk at night

Monkeys are blocking our path

Safety/Money:

For the most part I have felt safe in Africa. For the major cities, you don’t walk at night and you should always be aware, but I’ve never been scared. Instead, the feeling is annoyed. It has been uncomfortable standing out. You just want to walk around and explore, but people are always coming up to you as they have something you should see, something you should buy, etc. The worst is that they start at you with a friendly, “Jambo” to which you feel obligated to reply “Jambo” back and then the next 10 mins you are trying to shake them off. It makes me feel mean/rude having to constantly say no to people or to be really short with them. The worst is when they walk with you and they act like they are showing you the way to the place that you are going and then they expect to be paid at your arrival. No dude, we knew where we were going.

Kenyan money is beautiful, covered in animals. The exchange is about 87KSH to $1 US, so it was easy to round up 100KSH to $1. Tanzanian money is super colorful. We learned a trick to fold each bill individually which made it very easy to count in your pocket or purse without actually taking it out.
Spending your money can be an exhausting task. Bargaining is the name of the game. Some rather enjoy the hunt and the task of getting a good deal, it’s in their blood. At our hostel in Moshi, sometimes a whole dinner conversation can be spent by girls comparing how they made out at the Masaai Market. Me, I hate it. I would rather browse, collect information such as price and quality, then make a purchase decision. The game of “name your price” doesn’t make sense to me. Going into a store asking how much something is and getting a reply such as “how much will you pay,” is draining. How about putting a price tag on your goods and letting me decide if I think it’s a fair price. Perfect segway to Knowledge is Power – always know what stuff should cost. Whether this be a pair of earrings, to a safari, to a taxi ride…literally everything because you will always be given the Mzungu price. Sometimes you will bargain your ass off and you will still find out you got ripped off. Also always confirm a price before getting into a taxi, buying food, or even getting a henna tattoo – I learned the hard way on that last one.

Beautiful Kenyan Shilling (KSH)

The colorful and easy to count, Tanzanian Shilling (TZS)

Me, hating to haggle

Culture:

We came across so many varieties of people and cultures. In Masaailand we met people/families and friends who lived within tribes and families whose lives revolved around their animals. We also visited Muslim cities where women were wrapped in Arabic scarves and burkas, sometimes covering their whole face. Of course too, we came to meet many modern Africans. It was astonishing to see them at one time intersect and live together though dressing, praying and even speaking differently.

Masaai Tribe

Arabic/Muslim towns

Landscape:
While we were only able to see a little of this big continent, even East Africa in general, I think we were still able to see a lot in our short time here. We witnessed plains of grasslands, lush forests with huge timber trees, swamps, mountains, craters, and paradisiacal beaches of glowing waters and sand. While sometimes I am sad when we leave a spot so quickly, we really do our best to do and see as much as we can, given time and budget.