So, when people hear or see the term dolla dolla, you may reference a particular hip hop song or you may think of money. In Tanzania, it is the main source of public transportation. The dolla dolla is also referred to as the matatou or the boda boda depending on which East African country you are in. It is a cheap way to get from place to place.
But you must make some concessions: first there is no personal space in a dolla dolla, you are looking at squeezing 24 people into a 12 passenger van. Not to mention that you may, if you are blessed with a seat, be asked to hold a crying a baby, someone's groceries or some live chickens.
Now the dolla dolla itself is usually painted with a certain color strip which signifies to riders where the dolla is going. For example green is usually USA River to town and black is town to Njiro. But beware and make sure you ask the dolla dolla conductor before getting on because the routes may change without prior notice. My favorite part of the dolla dolla are the slogans that are painted on the minibuses. Some phrases include: God is in this car, Yeah Rasta, Inshallah, Black Idea, G-Unit, Don King, Lion of Judah, etc...
All in all you get what you pay for. A typical dolla dolla ride costs on average between 20 to 50 cents and they are usually efficient in getting around Arusha. So you gotta take the good and the bad.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Tanzania
Well guys I have been here for the last three months and so far things have been well. So I arrived July 15th and had the opportunity to stay with my classmates for about a week and catch up and see them. Then I moved to USA River, Tanzania (pronounced ohh sa), a small town about 45 minutes away from Arusha,Tanzania. It was bit hard to adjust to the rural life. I mostly missed hanging out with the girls and having their company. But now I can say things have gotten much better in USA River and my host family has been amazing throughout the whole time. I am accustomed to USA river during the week and back to Arusha on the weekends. I like the balance of the nature, peace and quiet in USA (my house is nestled between Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru so on a clear day I see both mountains) and the city life of Arusha.
For those of you who don’t know about Tanzania, let me give you a little bit of background. It is currently part of the East African Community which is comprised of five countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya. It has a population of about 41 million people, with over 130 African tribes and the country’s father was Julius Nyerre. Tanzania has been the only east African country that has not had any civil unrest or conflict within its borders.
The life expectancy here is 52 years and the average monthly salary is 40 dollars per month. So it is still very much a developing country. The country’s current president is Jakaya Kikwete and there is a 35% Muslim population in Tanzania (while in Arusha, I hear the call to prayer five times a day) and the capital is Dar-es-Salaam.
Arusha to me is like a melting pot of people. You have the locals, the expat community, foreigners and tourists who are all here because it is very international and there are a multitude of non-governmental organizations here as well as the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda). So in any given day you could meet people from all corners of the globe who happen to be in Arusha so that is pretty interesting in itself.
For those of you who don’t know about Tanzania, let me give you a little bit of background. It is currently part of the East African Community which is comprised of five countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya. It has a population of about 41 million people, with over 130 African tribes and the country’s father was Julius Nyerre. Tanzania has been the only east African country that has not had any civil unrest or conflict within its borders.
The life expectancy here is 52 years and the average monthly salary is 40 dollars per month. So it is still very much a developing country. The country’s current president is Jakaya Kikwete and there is a 35% Muslim population in Tanzania (while in Arusha, I hear the call to prayer five times a day) and the capital is Dar-es-Salaam.
Arusha to me is like a melting pot of people. You have the locals, the expat community, foreigners and tourists who are all here because it is very international and there are a multitude of non-governmental organizations here as well as the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda). So in any given day you could meet people from all corners of the globe who happen to be in Arusha so that is pretty interesting in itself.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Rwanda
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to return to Rwanda this past September while in Tanzania. It was a truly humbling and unforgettable experience. I honestly never thought I would be back in Rwanda but I was glad that I made the trip. What made the trip was the personal connections that we had in Kigali and Alain.
I met Placide two years ago on my first trip to Rwanda and both he and Alain welcomed me, Selina, Eunice and Michelle with open arms and made us feel at home. I felt at ease this second time around in Rwanda, so much so that I could envision myself living and working in Rwanda.
There were great time in Rwanda like finding and purchasing peace baskets from a women's cooperative where the proceeds went back to these women helping them to be self-sustainable. Also, the night Placide and Alain had us over for dinner and we almost suffocated from laughing so hard.
There were also sad times. Like visiting the genocide sites and reliving and remembering those that perished 15 years ago. The five days we spent in Rwanda were emotionally drainning but if I could go back again, I would do it in a heart beat.
I cannot say enough about Placide and how he made that week one of the most memorable of my life.
Inshalla
I met Placide two years ago on my first trip to Rwanda and both he and Alain welcomed me, Selina, Eunice and Michelle with open arms and made us feel at home. I felt at ease this second time around in Rwanda, so much so that I could envision myself living and working in Rwanda.
There were great time in Rwanda like finding and purchasing peace baskets from a women's cooperative where the proceeds went back to these women helping them to be self-sustainable. Also, the night Placide and Alain had us over for dinner and we almost suffocated from laughing so hard.
There were also sad times. Like visiting the genocide sites and reliving and remembering those that perished 15 years ago. The five days we spent in Rwanda were emotionally drainning but if I could go back again, I would do it in a heart beat.
I cannot say enough about Placide and how he made that week one of the most memorable of my life.
Inshalla
Welcome
Karibuni, Bienvenue, Hola, Sakpase,
Hello everyone, I just wanted to welcome all of you to my blog, a venue where I will try to keep you updated on what is going on with my life in Tanzania and beyond.
I invite you to also follow the blogs of Selina, Eunice and Michelle, three friends/roomates of mine also living and studying in Arusha, Tanzania.
Well it has been an interesting last couple of weeks to say the least. To give you a quick recap of that time here we go: four more of my classmates have come to Tanzania, the temperature has gotten increasingly warmer and I have become a lecturer at a University in Tanzania.
Hello everyone, I just wanted to welcome all of you to my blog, a venue where I will try to keep you updated on what is going on with my life in Tanzania and beyond.
I invite you to also follow the blogs of Selina, Eunice and Michelle, three friends/roomates of mine also living and studying in Arusha, Tanzania.
Well it has been an interesting last couple of weeks to say the least. To give you a quick recap of that time here we go: four more of my classmates have come to Tanzania, the temperature has gotten increasingly warmer and I have become a lecturer at a University in Tanzania.
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