First days in Arusha

First days in Arusha

The time runs fast, and we have allready been in Arusha for three days. Everything is new for us, and there are so many impressions. I can only tell about some of them. We have been very well taken care of. Phyneous, our contact person from CHRISC has spent so much time with us these first days, and we are very grateful for that. Allready the day we arrived, he invited us to his home for supper. The next day he was together with us almost the whole day. I am impressed by the way we are welcomed.

Then, a little bit about all the new impressions. The first thing I noticed was the warm climate at Kilimanjaro airport. Then we bought visa. We payed and gave our fingerprints at one office, and we got the visa and were taken pictures of at another office at the airport. After some thinking we still couldn't find a good reason for not doing all at the same office. The taxi ride from the airport was exciting. I think we can forget about seatbelts in Tanzania.

The first days I and Lasse (and Phyneous) have spent much time buying nessecary equipment for our apartment, such as cleaning equipment and toilet paper. There are not many shopping centres, so you better go with a local person if you are looking for something spesific. Every time we buy something we have to bargain, except at the supermarket. For me, the first offer is usually "mzungu" prize; sometimes more than ten times the normal price. White, western people are called "mzungu". Going to the market in Arusha is a nice experience. First it may look like chaos, but you soon find out that the trading is easy and well-working. Some sellers may follow you even out of the marketplace, but most of them are nice and polite. You find everything you need there to make a nice dinner.

Our apartment is located east from the center of Arusha, besides a big field called Tindigani. Some days, more than ten football teams are training there. These days everything is green and beautiful because it is raining every day. I am both surprised an very happy about the beautiful scenery around here. When we go to Arusha, we use "daladala", the local minibuses. Today we were 18 persons in a toyota hiace.

Now I feel that we have settled, and I start to get used to our new home. People in the neighbourhood are nice and willing to talk. Some are not used to talk to western people, and are a bit shy. But it is extremely easy to brake the ice, especially when I try to speak swahili, which is the official language. I like this place!

On our way back home from shopping in a "daladala"

We'll have to learn to clean our shoes

Tilapia, the most common fish in Arusha. Lunch at a restaurant near CHRISC national office. 

Spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce

The "light of freedom" monument. It is a memory of Tanzania's independence. 

In the centre of Arusha

Buying rice and wheat at the market