The Election

While I was in Tanzania, I couldn't help but think that this country should be further along. It has all the natural wonders and ingredients of a great nation. 

I know I'm just an outsider looking in, and I know next to nothing about the country's history, but the people deserve much more action than what they've seen in the past. I'm keeping my hopes up that the newly elected president, the man they call "the bulldozer," John Magufuli, will be part of the change instead of politics as usual. 

Tanzania's new president.  

Bukoba

Originally I had no plans to go to Bukoba, a small lake town in northwest Tanzania, close to the Ugandan border, but when Mr. Kyabukoba insisted I had to visit his village, there was no way I was turning him down. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. Here's a short clip and some pics to show off its fertile beauty.  

The banana is a fundamental part of the Bukoba diet. 

Constitine Mutalemwa's father. If I remember correctly, he's in his early 90s. He speaks English and is a former physician. Luckily we caught him before he went to bed (6 p.m., when it got dark). 

Bukoba bricks. Made from soil, compacted, then fired. You can find these across the villages in TZ but not in the same color. Bukoba has deep red soil. 

Me and my man Edwin. Constitine's associate. He's an advocate (lawyer), future bar owner, and my friend. He looked after me while in his hometown of Bukoba. 

At one of the sixteen national parks in Tanzania. Yea, we're those guys... 

Samkai soup (fish soup). The simplest, but most flavorful soup I've ever had.  

The red soil of Bukoba. It reminded me of driving to Myrtle Beach as a kid. The soil changes from brown to red once you hit the Carolinas.

Fish market. No fish, right? The majority of the fish are small, bundled in potato sacks and sold as feed. 

A monument to MV Bukoba. A Lake Victoria ferry that carried passengers between ports of Bukoba and Mwanza. It capsized in 1996, killing over 1,000 passengers.  

On the banks of Lake Victoria (second-largest freshwater lake in the world). Samkai, banana, and white bean soup. Ingredients that you can only find locally. Edwin and I didn't have to look too far for his favorite dish.  

Pool. The preferred game of locals. Unfortunately for this local, home table advantage didn't work. JG 2, Edwin 1.  

Mount Kilimanjaro. Morning, outside my guesthouse. One day I would like to climb the highest peak in Africa. Unfortunately I'll have to wait till next time. 

Picture courtesy of Jenny Vigue. A quiet and brave French girl who I met at the guesthouse. She has loved Africa ever since she was little and read about it in books. She particularly is fond of Namibia, a country I've heard so many good things about.

Tanzania

From Cape Town I started to plan my next destination, but where to go? To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the rest of Africa. Not taking anything away from Cape Town. I love that city, but South Africa is a country that's much more developed and westernized compared to the rest of the continent. South Africa was taking the easy way out, the path most traveled. I mean, come on, I just did a video of a wine tour.

I knew I had to explore another African country or I'd be cheating myself. I started my typical process of searching Google Images for destinations and events, balancing cost and safety, and asking myself if I knew anyone in the area in case things got hairy. After a couple days of wrestling with options, I kept replaying a handshake agreement I had with Caroline, a former employee at JackThreads. It wasn't a contractual agreement, probably just two people trying to be polite. You see, after her summer 2015 graduation, she was moving back to her home in Dar es Salaam and I was traveling the world. It was set, I would have to stop by and say hello (thinking to myself that this would never happen).

As I began to research Tanzania, I realized just how impressive the country is. I was sold on TZ and had to go see it, and say hello to Caroline of course. 

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From the moment I arrived in Dar es Salaam, Caroline and her father looked after me. They treated me like family and genuinely cared about my wellbeing and happiness. They pretty much guaranteed that I would leave Tanzania wanting to come back, and I do. My experiences in TZ were so much richer because of their friendship and the level of access they afforded me. This mzungu will be forever grateful. 

Caroline (middle), her father Mr. Kyabukoba, and his wife. 

A view from my hotel in Dar. 

A Maasai man taking in the views. There are more than 120 tribes in Tanzania. The first president of Tanzania "ended" tribalism, a policy that is said to be working. That doesn't mean you stop being who you are, it just means that it shouldn't impact the unity of the country. 

Goat with veggies, beans, greens + ugali (maize = carbs) 

My new favorite drink. It tastes a lot like vodka. 

My friend Danny from California by way of Seoul. He and I had some great dinner time discussions.  

Cape Town - Family Braai

The longer I travel, the more I miss my family and friends back home. Not a big surprise, right? That's natural and something I planned would happen, so when I met Monét and Renae during the Franschhoek wine tour, and they invited me to a family braai, I happily accepted. Not to mention I have never been invited to a braai! 

Monét, Renae, and all the Schmidts made me feel so welcome. We ate, laughed, drank Amarula, and, of course, braaied.

Right before I left to start my journey to Jo-Burg, Mrs. Schmidt walked in and said, 'This isn't something I normally do, but I want to say a prayer for you. If anyone wants to speak up, they can.' People I had only just met prayed for me and wished me protection and safe travels. I never felt so much love from people who I had just met. It was a very powerful moment. I might have even shed a tear.

Although my family was thousands of miles away, they were my family for a night.  I just wanted to say thank you. I'll take that moment with me the rest of my life.

Getting our braai on. It's pretty much like our barbecue, or grilling out. It's all about drinking a cold one and sharing stories around a fire. 

I was appointed head braai master for about a minute. Just enough time to snap a pic.