Today Ken didn't make breakfast again and nor did Dires but I didn't make yesterday's error and had Ken's egg with mine. (Should've had Dires' aswell)
After a quick goodbye to the lads, i was back on the streets. Leaving Dar es Salaam was pretty straight forward, get on the big road, turn right onto another big road, and stay on that road for what will be the next 8 days. (And people question why I haven't got a GPS!) I have to say I was expecting the traffic to be as a mad as a box of frogs but in reality it was more like a sleeping toad!
This made my decision to visit Dar even more justified! I must have built a high tolerance for nutty traffic as compared to other places, Dar was quiet, clean and relaxing. There was a bit of dust due to the roadworks but the road that was being built was huge! It was taking up a good 7 lanes and for some reason there was only traffic on one of the lanes. The other 6 lanes were 80% finished but cars couldn't use them so I ended up riding out of Dar completely alone as the buses and cars slowly beeped their way alongside me.
I wasn't completely sure what the rules were as there were motorcycles all over the place aswell and the odd pickup driving the wrong way down what seemed a one way street but there was so much extra space, nothing really caused a problem.
I experienced one section of poor road that lasted about 20 minutes but it was masked by the delightful nostalgic smell of Calpol. I took quite a bit of time trying to work out where the smell was coming from, I ended up not really noticing the lack of tarmac.
I stopped for some roadside food about 4 hours in. There are alot of chip venders in Tanzania that are very good. The meat is a bit out of my price range and the chicken generally turns to dust in your hands anyway so I just had chips with some bright toxic and watered down ketchup.
I arrived in Chalinze in good time. I was expecting a little bit more but not much. It was a one horse town and what on first impressions looked like a one motel town. I stopped to take a picture of the Tanzanian flag to add to my ride's collection and was immediately greeted by a Bill Cosby lookalike. When I stop and I'm immediately greeted nicely I normally take that as a good sign and continue the conversation. I asked "Bill" where I could find a hotel that was in my price range. In true Tanzanian fashion he mustn't of been doing anything worthwhile as he offered to walk me to a place. I asked for a "good" place, in the past I've experienced the bedbug ridden, fowl toilet smelling hard way of people's different perceptions of "good." I understand that they normally try and help out their mate and so they walk you an African mile to their mate's basement cell of a room that comes free with no electricity and a cigarette smoking cockroach sat on the standard single chair in the corner. What the locals don't understand is that I've just cycled 100km, the last thing I want to do is to be slowly walked through the sandy back roads when I can see perfectly decent hotels on the main road and just want them to give me the name of a good one!
Needless to say, I followed Bill for a good 10minutes and he pointed to a shed that didn't even have a sign and said, "is this good?" "No" I said, "this is not good" I thanked him anyway and walked back onto the main road and headed for where I sensed was good. I lost Bill momentarily and asked a policeman if he knew a place. Just where I was standing there was a tiny little guest house down an alley. It didn't even have a door, just a curtain, but behind that curtain lurked 6 tiny little rooms that had everything you needed. It was a gem of a place, really clean, nice double bed, decent shower and a TV! I was chuffed to bits. Bill turned up just as I set foot in the door as if to say, "Here! Found one!" I thanked Bill again and continued into my room. (And locked the door behind me)
It's always a nice feeling when you find a place at the end of the day because its like having immunity from voting in the Big Brother house. I've guaranteed myself another day on the gameshow "A ride for their lives" It's even better when you find a nice little cottage room that has a shop right next door to provide you with evening and following morning bottles of water.
After a decent shower and a lie down I then waited till my favourite time of the day to venture out and find a good place to eat. Just after 5 (around dusk) the sun's lost its intensity but its still bright enough to go for a walk, find a restaurant and not fear the darkness by the time you've finished eating. I was actually longing for rice and beans and not too far from my cottage I made a friend in a guy called Robert that was tucking into the exact meal that I wanted. "I'll have that please, exactly that, at exactly the same price he paid for it" my Swahili is really coming on! Robert owned the roadside stop and it was his sister that cooked me up a lovely bowl of rice, beans, cabbage and chicken soup. I sat with Robert and asked him to teach me some Swahili. On my way out of my cottage I impressed the shopkeeper with my knowledge of 1-10. I wanted a sentence to impress him further on my way back to the room. Robert taught me "see you later, see you tomorrow and brother, mother, father and sister" I had to stop him after that but I would use, "I'll see you tomorrow" on the shopkeeper which i was sure would blow his sandals off!
I thanked Robert and pre booked my breakfast of exactly the same meal for around 8:30 tomorrow. During the 20 metre walk between the road stop to the shop I experienced an almighty mind blank. Not only that, but the shopkeeper had changed and so this random stranger looked at me with complete confusion as I walked into his shop, froze with a brain fart as he asked me if he could help, I then asked him "how do I say, see you tomorrow in Swahili?" I then repeated what he said and walked out! I didn't even buy anything! He must've thought I had escaped the nutty house!
I felt a right tit but laughed myself back to my room to watch some Tanzanian TV and put close on what really was a delightful day. The cycling conditions were a huge pleasant surprise and I ended with a great local chat, local food and a nice room to stay in. Can't ask for anymore than that when your alone in Africa!
No comments:
Post a Comment