2-16-2012
We arrived in Dar last night after a fairly grueling drive
and ride. If I say it was grueling as a
rider, I hardly can imagine myself what it was like driving! From Mikumi to the outskirts of Dar the
traffic gets progressively worse. We
arrived in Dar what I imagine to be rush hour.
If it was not, I don’t know what would classify as “rush.” Our driver, Peter, whom many of you know from
your own trips is a great driver. He
accommodates the careening city buses with aplomb. Pedestrians dart to and fro. It is a nerve-wracking experience. You cannot afford Valium as a driver either,
or anything else that might slow the reaction time, although I cannot help but
think some of the other drivers, many of the other drivers, have had something
that disinhibits their brains from even self-preservation.
Along the road we did see several accidents. Leaving Ilula, near the canyon, there was a
semi a hundred yards up the mountain, on its side if I remember correctly. I am guessing it was the product of a
runaway, but with no deceleration ramp there to begin with. There is now.
We saw a burned-out container trailer, I am quite sure was there three
weeks ago and Carl confirmed it to be present five weeks ago. As we neared Dar, there was a huge traffic
jam. As we passed, we could see the
wreckage of a motorbike on its side lodged underneath the front end of a
coaster bus. We could not see the driver
of the piki piki, and we presume he was extracted, but of course we do not know
his condition. I sure hope it was a
walk-away! The traffic on that side of
the road was backed up for a couple miles.
Other than long and hot, bad traffic and terrifying drivers,
the trip was slightly marred by the fact that one of us “got sick” (American,
maybe Midwestern, possibly Minnesotan, euphemism for more graphic and colorful
terms for vomiting). We haven’t been
able to figure it out. Presumably it was
food poisoning, but others had the same food.
It started two hours or so after eating and she is much better this
morning, “90%,” she says. (She looks 90%
better too.) No signs of more dire
illness, either. I am simply an observer
here, so I don’t think any HIPAA regulations are trampled.
We ate at the New Africa Hotel, but none of us were very
hungry. The management did accommodate
the patient with a temporary room for cool comfort. Very kind!
The day dawned bright here at FPCT, but I promise you none
of us saw it. Carl and I were up first around
7:30 AM. Ok, so I had been awake for an
hour and I don’t know about Carl or Peter, for that matter. Regardless, we slept “lala fo fofo.” Like a baby.
It is 10:15 AM here, so I hope many who will read this are
sleeping “lala fo fofo” currently. We
are leaving FPCT at 11. This is after my
shower. We need not be in a hurry. We will have plenty of time for the
woodcarver’s market, Slipway and Sea Cliff at that. Next report is likely to be from Amsterdam! Safari Njema to us!
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