Hello: If this is the first time you have come to my blog on my trip to Tanzania, you might find it more enjoyable if you scrolled down to the bottom of the blogs. That way you will read the material (and/or just look at the photos) in the time sequence in which the trip occurred. If you choose to do this, when you scroll down the last blog that will appear is the wedding. Please note, however, that there are four more blogs. If you hit “older posts” the earlier blogs and pictures will come up.
The primary reason for my trip to Tanzania was to attend the wedding of Martin and Grace Maliyamkono. I met Martin several years ago when he was a student in one of my classes. He and some members of his family became good friends. He returned to Dar es Salaam four years ago where met the lady of his life. The family invited me to the wedding.
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Final thoughts:
The night of the day we returned from Arusha and our safari the moon gave an amazing show.
Somehow this display sums up so many emotions and experiences I had the three weeks I spent in Tanzania. I left Dar the day after our return from the Safari.
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Should you be planning a trip to Zanzibar I highly recommend the Kipondo Hotel (B & B). Hotel Kiponda, Nyumba Ya Moto St | PO Box 3446, Tanzania. Contact Salma (the general manager) either by e-mail info@kiponda.com or by phone at +255-777-431-665. Only consideration is to ask for a room not on the street. Street noise can be annoying.
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A hint about water. If you are like me and have a constitution that is susceptible to water in different countries be sure to buy a bottle of grapefruit seed pills and begin taking one two days before you leave and then every day while away including two days after your return. Using these pills and avoiding fresh fruit and vegetables, salads etc and drinking only bottled water I had no problems.
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These are the names of some books that I have read or heard about – on both Tanzania and Kenya. I thought I would share this information for others planning a trip or just curious. .
Jomo Kenyatta: Facing Mt. Kenya I read this book and found it very illuminating about the affect of colonization in Africa
Tanzania Trip Book : Lonely Planet I used this book when in Tanzania. It was quite helpful.
Jens Finck: The Rough Guide to Tanzania I also used this book while in Tanzania.
Abdulrazak Gurnah: Paradise. This is a story of life in Tanzania prior to colonization. Most interesting.
The rest of the books I have not read but have been suggested by others:
Tepilit ole Sartati: The World of the Massai Warrior,
Martin Meredith: The Fate of Africa: (history of African political history)
Out of Africa: 1985 film
Chen We Achebe: Things Fall Apart
Aidan Hartley: The Zanzibar Chest.
Emily Said Reutes: Memories of an Arabian Princess. She was Princess Salme, daughter of a Sultan who eloped eloped with a German officer in the late 1800’s.
This comment came from Mary Farris. She wrote a comment on this site but didn’t save it. Frustrated (as I would be) she wrote me an e-mail with her comments. I am posting it for her.
last night I spent an hour + 1/2 reading your blog and perusing your photos from Tanzania. At the end was a space for comments,and since it was all so fresh nobody had ventured a remark yet…….so I wrote a long note on several aspects of the trip and never pushed ” submit” and guess what? This computer innocent lost it! So rather than begin again I am sending you a personal message.
I was duly impressed with the time you had spent on producing the whole thing, but also with your photos which were terrific. I especially loved the pink flamingo blanket on the lake, the three giraffes, you in your Tanzanian outfit, ( you’ve got to wear that more…it looks great on you because you’re tall and can carry it well.) the many shots of Zanzibar; the streets, the buildings,the markets, the vendors, the sheer colour of it all…gave a vivid description of your amazing experiences. It seemed that it wasn’t all rosy and easy either with delays, changed plans, no food some days, and some tediously long trips without much comfort! So I really take my hat off to you for making so much of a unique opportunity, and then painstakingly recreating it for others.You must have a tremendous satisfaction however, at completing your blog and having your photos organized and labelled. Fantastic and thankyou! What’s next?? Hugs, Mary
What a wonderful trip! Thank you for sharing your photos, thoughts and commentary 🙂