Tuesday 19 July 2016

17th July

After a breakfast of oranges, pancakes, eggs and plantain (a savoury banana that tasted like a combination of fried potato and sweet fruit) we set out on a "half hour walk" to see an important new bridge in Dar Es Salaam that connected to the port. Naturally, this being Tanzania, half an hour was more like one and a half hours, and by the time we reached the bridge we were sweaty, thirsty, and exhausted.

Nevertheless, the morning's walk was not without entertainment. We passed entire families piled precariously onto motorbikes, men casually herding goats across a busy motorway, and a teenage boy wearing ripped red skinny jeans with diamante studs, of course taking it very seriously.

Armed men in uniform stopped us at the bridge, first asking for money, then settling on the agreement that we would be forbidden to take photographs. Strapped into the go-pro camera, I shifted nervously, unable to take my eyes off the guard's gun. Our Tanzanian friends, meanwhile, seemed completely unfazed by this, openly taking videos of the bridge on their phones!

We had originally planned to visit the market after seeing the bridge, but ended up back at the swimming pool for the second day in a row, as the bus was taking too long. We ate chips and played cards, while some people swam in the questionably coloured swimming pool.

When went back for a curry and rice tea at the Salvation Army, and some of us bought the never before seen pineapple Fanta, which was so good! After the meal there was tea and biscuits, and then we all gathered together to sing the group songs, along with some of our favourite Tanzanian songs, led by Valentino. 

 

A perfect end to a perfect day?

Not for Carly.

 

The sun had gone down. We were all sat around, listening to music in companionable silence, when suddenly… Emily began to choke on water. After a dramatic coughing fit, she spewed a gush of water all over the ceramic tiled floor.

Ensuring that Emily was safe and well, we decided not to clean up the water, assuming that it would evaporate in tomorrow's heat.

How wrong we were.

 

All of a sudden, from the depths of the night, came an unexpected visitor. A beast of a beetle, a winged assassin of the insect world, descended upon the group.

Carly leaped feet into the air in fear, and, in running away from the disgusting creature, slipped on Emily's puddle of vomit-water and did an impressive sliding skid, 2005 school disco style.

Hysterical laughter erupted around the circle. For a slow-motioned second, Carly's life was ruined.

 

 

 And so was her pashmina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lucy Beck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 comments:

  1. What a day!!! So many new experiences- not least the revelation that pineapple Fanta exists! Great post Lucy but poor Carly. RIP Pashmina. Hope every day is as good - minus the armed men of course....Love to you all xxx

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  2. Is it bad I laughed? ��

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  3. That would only happen to her 😂 Bet she was 'mortified' as she says. Have fune everyone 😜

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  4. Wow Lucy Beck...pancakes for breakfast, then chips, then curry and rice, they certainly know what you like!!! As for pineapple Fanta mmmmmmm
    Hope the beetle wasn't too terrified.....
    With Love

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