Planes, dust and coffee houses

Having just arrived in Moshi, Tanzania I am starting with good intentions. I am going to try and update this blog every week or couple of weeks, more so as way or grouping together some of my thoughts than pursuing an agenda. Hopefully it will also continue through my upcoming cycle (Kampala – Johannesburg, Jan to May 2012). It isn’t meant to be a diary, and if you want to know exactly what I’m up to then send me an email.

I flew with Ethiopian Air, as always there were a few hiccups along the way, in the end they got me here on time and with my baggage. During my stopover in Addis, while sitting in a café, I had two interesting chats.

First sat down a Tanzanian man, on his way to Dar es Salam, he explained that he was on his way home for a visit. He worked as an orthopedic technician in Saudi Arabia. The interesting thing for me was that he has trained and worked for 10 years in KCMC, Moshi. I asked him why he moved abroad. He said quite simply money. He didn’t like the lifestyle and often went back.

The second person to sit down was one of group of Ugandans, you could tell they were all part of the same group as they wore the same “Jerusalem” hat. I asked where he was going? He was part of a church group who had been on a 10-day tour of Holy sites in Israel. I asked how they had got the money for such an expensive trip – he said simply that they had “saved up”, and that I should go myself, although I should probably reconsider my stance on God first…

On arrival in Kilimanjaro airport the first change that hits is the new finger print scanners. I had to scan both of my whole hands onto the computer system! Not that I am entirely sure what the use my finger prints will be. I spoke to an American in Moshi who said that Delta Airlines were not allowed to fly into Nairobi Airport because of lack of security (currently to get here by America you fly via Europe…). Really? Hand print scanning seems far more secure than anything I have seen in Europe!

A final and slightly more sobering thought, as the plane landed several large “dust devils” or whirlwinds could be seen circling the airport. At its driest there may be one of two knocking around, but this number shows just how dry the ground is. The area is hopefully for the arrival of its short rains, but its clear that this part of the country is just the southern tip of the drought affecting northern Kenya and Somalia. It’s terrifying to think what it must be like further north.

Ok, maybe to finish on a high note, there are number of places where you can get quality coffee in Moshi has exploded! And even better none of them are Starbucks or Costa. Yet…