Saturday, June 16, 2007

6/8: Kariakoo (Dar, Day 2)

The ATM across the street from our hotel takes MasterCard. And it looks like the MasterCard system is up and running again, so now I have tons of cash.

This morning we worked on training materials for our project, and this afternoon we visited the Kariakoo Market. It’s only a few blocks from our hotel, and is the largest and most crowded market I’ve seen in my life. Under plastic awnings surrounding the large concrete building, a maze of vendors laid out their goods. Lots of beautiful produce – peppers, onions, cabbage, eggplants, plantains, and fruit I’ve never seen before – shady electronics, random footwear, toiletries – it was all there. It was amazing to see all these gorgeous vegetables, and then find that they don’t serve them in the restaurants. It’s all meat with either rice, ugali (a stiff porrige made of corn and cassavah flours that you roll into balls and dip in sauce), or chips. I hope I have a kitchen in Kigoma so I can have vegetables at some point during this trip!

We really wish we could get out to Kigoma, because we’re a little bored here in Dar. There’s not that much to do but walk around, and it’s all pretty the same. Add the heat, crowds, and pollution, and we’re done!

I’m really starting to feel like I’m in Africa. I think I was in a haze of jet lag for the first two days, and initially I really did feel like I was in the Caribbean. But for some reason, today it really hit me that I’m here. I can’t really describe it, and I wish I could bottle it up for all of you to experience.

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