Tanzania Tid-bits

what we have learned in 6 weeks abroad (three to go)..

The people of Tanzania are honestly nice people, but they look at us like we are aliens. It turns out we could quite possibly be some of the first white people some of them have ever seen in person. This is especially the case at the hospital. Each person that sees us or walks by does a double take and pauses for a second just to get a longer look. One of the doctors described it like seeing someone with purple skin walking around a doctors office back in America, so yeah… I can see where that would be weird.

The transportation is unique and a little scary. A lot of people drive (or so it seems) because the traffic and roads are really terrible. I’ve been to Nicaragua and Belize where they say there are “no really traffic rules” but here is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The city of Dar has a couple million that live here so although many people drive, a lot of others take public transportation. This includes the DalaDala (bus), Bajaji (3 wheeled mystery vehicle), or a pikipiki (motorcycles). There are taxis which we take if it gets late but usually we prefer the Bajaji. It is more expensive than the bus but at least there are not body parts of strangers touching us at all times like there is when a DalaDala is full. The pikipiki is pretty much a no-no all together. We were all pretty enthused by them and wanted to start taking them places until we started working at the hospitals. There are at least 10 people in the ER every day with severe injuries from pikipiki accidents. The Bajaji drivers are also nice (relatively) and since we now know how to haggle we can get across town for less than 10,000 Shillings ( about $5 USD). That being said…

The price is right!!! The exchange rate in Tanzania is about 2,000 Shillings to 1 UDS. So a typical ride to the hospital in the morning is $5,000 making it about $2.50. After being here for so long we have all begun to adapt to the Tanzanian economy. So, when a Bajaji driver tried to make us pay 7,000 for a ride to the hospital we are outraged. This is usually followed by some haggling and then embarrassment that we were so furious over about $1 UDS. To further explain the difference in prices here, at the hospital a patient can come into the ER and need stitches and gauze it only costs them about 5,500 shillings (stitches 3,000 and gauze 2,500). That is literally less than 5 USD. That is like going to a movie on a Tuesday night (I miss $5 Tuesday’s).

Snow might not be such a burden after all. Technically it’s “winter” here in Tanzania. This means about 85 degrees and a humidity index that I’m afraid to look at every day. There is not a time where I am not sweating or hot. Now I know, “Heather it’s Africa, you chose this life” that does not mean the heat doesn’t hurt. It is also the dry season. It has rained a few times but that just means brief moments of welcomed shade, and then an increase in humidity. Is there something higher than 100% humidity? If not they should make a special Tanzanian scale.

**this is not everything we have learned but after submitting our final papers and reports to Dr Deane (yay!!!) I started to realize how long we have actually been here and how soon it will all be over (sad)**

This weekend we are going to Morogoro to hike. Our trip director Ben says it’s about four hours away but he loves it. It’s also hard hiking which I’m pretty excited about because although we are able to run (sometimes) a little physical activity never hurt anybody.

Well maybe it’s hurt a few people here and there….