Tonight marksmy first night in Tanzania and my first taste of what life is really like for the locals (kind of). Our first night is spent in Dar es Salaam -about the size of Amsterdam- before tomorrow's 10 hour+ drive to rural Iringa to meet our Tanzanian counterparts. We are staying in a hotel - a nice surprise for us all after a hectic 15 hour flight with a 'HOT' transfer at Abu Dhabi. First thing we all wanted to do when we arrived was have a shower.
I spent my evening shower trying to clean myself from a drip in the pipe where the shower drain had split. Before too long I noticed a second shower head -meant for your butt- but it works! Then... OMG it's freezing.
While I spent time flittering between a warm burst pipe (at this point there was water everywhere, except on me) and a shower head that only spurted out freezing water I laughed to myself... yep, literally. The local residents just outside can only dream about being in such a luxurious predicament.
I continued getting myself ready for dinner in my room which was boiling hot -and those who know me know I am NEVER hot. I desperately wanted to open a window but I couldn't: I had no mosquito net, no idea where my deet was and due to the 15 hour flight was a little late taking my anti-malarial this afternoon. Instead, I had to find other -less effective- ways to try and cool myself down.
Again, I reflected on the locals -they also have no mosquito net, no deet and would probably love to be stuck on a plane for 15 hours and have access to anti-malarials. I, on the other hand, will eventually find my deet and will sleep safe in the knowledge that I will be provided with a mosquito net tomorrow.
I am lucky.
No comments:
Post a Comment