Karibuni Kenya

When we arrived in Tanzani we went to Isaacs guest house in Namanga to see how the building work was progressing.  It wasn’t going too badly, although there were a few things which needed sorting.  Hopefully, though it should open in a few weeks, and then makes for a lovely place to stay on the border for anyone travelling between Tz and Kenya (more details to follow when it opens).  After a lively debate over drinks and chipsi mayai (chip omlette, very nice!), Isaac headed off for a Gorilla safari in Rwanda, while I headed to Dar es salaam to explore a bit more of Tanzania.

I went to arusha to enquire about a flight, but it was too expensive, so I had to bus it.  Thismeant another day in namanga, before leaving at 5am to arusha and from there getting a bus to dar.  It went smoothly, and I was soon on my way, given a coke, werthers original type sweet and a small bottle of water by the bus company for the trip, and stopping off for lunch in a little drive in where I got my self a bag of chips.  arrival in Dar was at about 5 in the evening, from where i had to try and find libya st. for my accomodation.

I had a slightly outdated lonely planet guide with me, borrowed from fishermans, and so after talkiing to a few people and working out roughly where I was I decided to walk.  Not realising the scale of the map, and with the sun setting, I thought it better to get on a dla dala to posta, where they all seemed to say they were going, although none of them knew libya st, and hope for the best.  It was a plan that worked, since there was a nice old man on the dala dala who knew where libya st wasand so told me when to get off and then where to walk.  With the street found, I booked in to Jambo inn and then had a walk round a few of the streets that night, and a meal of kassava, bananas beans and spaghetti cooked by a woman on a street corner.

The next morning I headed back to a few travel agents I had seen the night before to organise flights to Mafia Isalnd, a place that had come highly recommended by John and Sheila.  It was a bit trying, but eventually I found a palce called karibu holidays, who were very ehlpful and got me a residents rate for the 3pm flight that day.  As soon as I got the tickets I headed for the airport, since if there was heavy traffic I was running a bit late.  Te traffic was only light though, so I arrived at the airport early, checked in and then waited in the lounge for my flight