Hols - VISA, back to Dar and Home to Mpwapwa
on Kev in Tanzania (Tanzania), 14/Jan/2009 05:27, 34 days ago
January 5thToday Sandra went to visit Marius and talk to him about his work in Dunga, which is a town in the middle of the Island. I went shopping, I bought some wine for Anne (who cannot buy booze on Pemba– Zanzibars sister Island) and a surge protector for Sandra.I went and checked my email again to see about VISA but there was still no joy. I must admit I was getting a little fed up with not having the freedom to travel. Zanzibar is a beautiful place and I really was enjoying my time there but without my VISA I could not but help feel a little trapped. I sent my PSO and PM text messages telling them to please sort it out.Sandra came back and met me outside the internet café – I was sitting in the street reading watching the touts try and sell things to the groups of Italians. The touts left me alone because I spoke to them in Kiswahili and told them I was a teacher from Dodoma and obviously I was a poor soul! Sandra and I went to Africa house to watch the sunsetand then met Lisenka at the Silk Route opposite Archipelo which is a fantastic curry house, I had Tandoori fish yummy! And a yummy sundae for desert which came in strawberry, chocolate, fudge and nut flavlours I could not decide - I asked for them all mixed together!January 6thWas Sandras last day on Zanzibar. We went down to the Mbweni ruins again and we stopped off in the church for a quick look. We bought lunch on the way - chapatis, mangos and a pineapple. It was very hot and the beach was looking lovely, apart from the dead sea snake. The put us off swimming a little bit... But I was such a nice day so we relaxed on the beach. I tried catching a big crab but he was too fast - I must have looked silly! We went to a slightly shaded and more quiet part of the beach, I was feeling a little wary especially as a guy appeared and was watching us... He eventually came over as we were eating lunch and said he wanted help, I asked what sort and he said he wanted work. I told him we were on holiday at a beach and there was no work for him. Sandra said she was feeling a bit uncomfortable so we moved away towards the hotel on the beach. I kept an eye on him and he followed us but disappeared when we sat near some other people. Its a shame he spoilt the beach but it is better to be safe!We went to the house as Martin and Yasmin had returned from Ethiopia, we chatted about our holidays and then Sandra and I packed up our stuff and went to see Lisenka.On the way a text message came through about my visa– it had been emailed to me and is ready for me to print. I went and printed it off and then we had dinner with Lisenka. At 7pm I took Sandra down to the ferry to take her back to Pemba. When you wear a backpack you get a lot more harassment from touts and locals. We had to run to the ferry because this time it was actually leaving on time (and not 3-4 hours late!) Sandra managed to get on board and the police were shoving people around on the dock, I left as some people started fighting! Stayed the night at Lisenkas as she is in the middle of town, this meant I could get my ferry ticket early the next day.January 7thI got up early to get my boat ticket, I used the same boat company that got me to the island. There are many different companies and some with very cheap prices but I want one I knew would not sink! The ticket was only a third of the price because now I am a resident - awesome! I spent two hours in mercurys restaurant eating garlic bread and drinking coke whilst waiting to get on boat. There was a long queue to get on, I should have taken off my backpack! The boat ride was ok, it gets very bumpy. On the boat they showed 'Mr Bean's holiday' which was a bit rubbish but entertained me anyway.Got to Dar and after walking away from the port toward town I found a taxi for 10,000tsh rather than the 20,000tsh they wanted at the docks! Got the taxi to Stephans, I would have liked to have gone and got a bus ticket but the ticket office is 12km from the centre and shut at 3.30pm... Back at Stephans and Ellen was in so I did not have to wait on the doorstep. It was nice to Stephan, Sara again (they both went home over Christmas and New Year), in the evening we went to the Mama Africa Circus which was a great show and reminded me of my trips to the circus in Bath!January 8thI got up to go and get my bus ticket for Mpwapwa. I could not walk the 12km to the bus stand, so got a cab. Bought my ticket from a guy who loved my scruffy beard and said I was like Bin Laden!?! His female co-worker asked to marry me and wanted to come back to England with me! (Welcome to Tanzania!) The only time the buses leave for Mpwapwa is at 6am in the morning so I had to get my ticket for the next day. I used the same taxi to take me to shoppers plaza - a little shopping mall where I bought some cuscus (spelt right?) and packet soups while resisting everything else in the shop (I did walk down each isle twice, gazing in wander at all the things I cannot buy in Mpwapwa). I walked back to Stephans past the massive US embassy.I then walked from Stephans to VSO (getting a little lost on the way...) I dropped off my passport and made copies of it. VSO had been burgled the night before which is a bit worrying but then I have nothing in their safe. I walked back to Stephans and on the way stopped of in an Irish bar for my lunch. It was a lovely bar on the beach and they did fantastic fish and chips which I washed down with a cold Safari beer.In the evening we went to the US embassy and watch a movie (Bangkok Dangerous with Nic Cage) this was organised my the marines stationed at the embassy and they did burgers and free popcorn! Back at Stephans I had an early night as needed to be up at 5am to catch the bus. Stephan, Sara, Ellen and Rita where going off on Safari to the Selous Game Reserve over the weekend. They invited me too but I needed to get back to Mpwapwa.January 9thGot a taxi to the bus depot and got the bus back to Mpwapwa. The ride was fine, apart from a kid two seats to my left kept being sick (it was like the scene in Team America, I have never seen someone so small be so sick but most of it went into a sick bag...) I jumped off the bus near the TTC and went in to see the rest of the team. They were happy to see me and I found out that I had 4 parcels and 6 cards waiting for me - I was so pleased it was a great suprise!Hurune, my mzee, was at home and had cooked me some pancakes and had a coke to welcome me - he is a fab guy, 78 and still going strong! In the afternoon I walked to Peters to pick up my laptop that I left with him for safe keeping. Before it got dark I looked at my garden and was a little disappointed as some of the plants are dying due to lack of rain, runner beans are doing well though!Thats the end of my holidays...Back at work again today, it is Wednesday 14th of January and there are no students again...Have a nice week, take care