After two exhausting eight-hour flights and a three-hour Dutch layover, we finally landed in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. For our first day we went to Davis and Shirtliff, Mwenge Market, Mlimani Mall, and two restaurants on the coast of the Indian Ocean.
After two exhausting eight-hour flights and a three-hour Dutch layover, we finally landed in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Our first day in Dar es Salaam was very warm, humid and busy. But don’t worry we are all fine and having a great time! After a welcoming breakfast that consisted of a variety of cuisines, we set out to our first destination: Davis and Shirtliff. You may know them from their slogan “Know H2OW through experience.” As the name suggests, Davis and Shirtliff are a supplier for water-related equipment in East Africa. Rosemary, a water engineer for Davis and Shirtliff, gave an incredibly informative presentation regarding the intricacies of water/waste supply and distribution. Their variety of products were demonstrated for their potential solutions in our future designs.
We went to the Mwenge Market next. Upon arrival at the market we were instantly pulled to different store fronts where people were trying to sell us different products. There were wood carvings hand made by the Makonde tribe from the south of Tanzania renowned for their wood carvings. Items varying from paintings, earrings, and jerseys were purchased at the market. This experience served as the first significant culture shock for the group as the prices for these items were entirely dependent on a bartering system. The first price was almost never the final. While some managed to negotiate a better price, some failed to negotiate entirely.
In contrast to the local Mwenge Market, the Mlimani Mall was a much more familiar experience. There was a large parking lot, massive super stores, movie theaters, and set prices at checkout. The Chelsea game was on in a TV store front, lucky for the guys, as others went to go find ice cream for a refreshing treat.
Apart from the amazing life experiences We enjoyed today in Dar Es Salaam, we went to two amazing restaurants on the coast of the Indian Ocean. We had some amazing food and the laughs were just as good. It was amazing to finally get to meet everyone on the trip and we are very excited to go to Iringa tomorrow.
- Blog post by Emma and Ajay
