Tanzania: breathtaking places, special encounters and complicated questions

13 October 2024 | Jara van den Bosch

As soon as I stepped out of the airport in Dar es Salaam, the clammy tropical heat hit my face. It took me a while to get used to it, because I was used to the dry, dusty climate of Zambia, where I had just come from. I was doing a documentary collaboration project there, through which I had already learned a thing or two about East Africa. Of course, every country and area has its own characteristics, so this was the start of a new adventure. What made it extra special was that I was going on the road as a photographer and visual anthropologist for and with Explore Tanzania. I didn’t just want to capture images, but to be open to the stories, encounters and moments that you experience as a traveller. That took me to breathtaking places, resulted in special encounters and raised complicated questions.

First encounters in Tanzania
Back to the arrival in Dar es Salaam. On the way to my hostel, I learned my first Swahili words from Saferi, the taxi driver. It became the start of a long Swahili word list in my phone, which would come in handy later on. From previous travel experiences, I knew that it is often appreciated if you know a few words with which you can make initial contact. For example, I discovered that you greet peers or younger people with “jambo!”, but that you greet an older person respectfully with “shikamoo”. This often resulted in a surprised nod or a smile.

When we decided to walk to the center ourselves in Arusha, I saw a boy with a bag of fresh chapatis in his hands. He came from a local restaurant where more people were eating. The smell was delicious and the chapatis were freshly prepared on piping hot plates. We decided to take the chance (our Dutch constitution is not used to unknown bacteria, so you have to pay attention to what and where you eat). Among the Tanzanians we enjoyed the chapatis with brown beans. They were surprised, because tourists don’t normally come here, but they appreciated it. It turned out to be one of the tastiest meals we had in Tanzania – and without any nasty consequences for our stomachs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep asking questions
During my encounters with Tanzanians I have experienced warmth and friendliness, but also sometimes a certain distance or discomfort, caused by differences and inequality. As a visual anthropologist and photographer I am used to immersing myself in unknown worlds and learning to look from that perspective, as well as questioning my own known world and considering it as unknown *. In this way I try, for example, to understand and feel how others stand in life. The goal is not to put that in a box, but rather to reflect on what is happening between me and the other or the other. Continuing to ask questions is crucial in this and that is what happened daily on the journey.

Because how do you relate to the other who has a different life than you and in whose world you are a guest? Which ideas or systems are maintained and are they helpful or not? What role do I play in this as a tourist? Asking these questions helped to look beyond the first impression.

Nature and wildlife
One of the most special experiences was entering the Serengeti, the most famous nature park in Northern Tanzania. When we drove over the last hill, shaking and swallowing dust, we became silent. I had never been able to see so far! The vast savannah, apart from the hill we had just come from, could be seen everywhere. In the distance another jeep drove by and now and then there were some stray rocks and bushes lying between the grass. We were immediately rewarded because not much later we joined a line of vehicles to see three cheetahs, which were lying in the shade of a tree along the road.

The following days we set off with guide Edmund, who seemed to have a kind of sixth sense for tracking down animals. We learned a lot about different animal species and it remains amazing to admire them in their natural habitat. From enormous herds of zebras and wildebeest, monkeys, meerkats, elephants to young cubs in a mud puddle. And something you might not immediately think of: all the different birds!

 

Sometimes it is precisely the animals that we did not see that made the safari special. Where you are normally used to going and standing where you can, here you are not allowed to leave your tent at night and you hear the lions roaring in the distance. Edmund told us that the elephants know exactly where the tents are and can walk past them quietly. Early in the morning we set off in the hope of seeing animals. It was a kind of gigantic hide-and-seek in which the animals determined our daily program with their movements. Together with Edmund we searched for a leopard for two days, and I don’t think we have ever looked so attentively.

Impact of tourism
After the mainland of Tanzania, we travelled to the island of Zanzibar, an island full of scents, colours and contrasts. The difference between ebb and flow is magical, and it was special to see how you can walk very far between azure blue streams at low tide. It is almost as if the sea changed into a different world per part of the day.

I also noticed these contrasts and different worlds on Zanzibar in general. As a tourist on Zanzibar, you can easily stay in luxury without ever experiencing anything of daily life a few metres away. Where tourism offers employment and opportunities for entrepreneurs and the local population, it also puts pressure on local communities and nature. This was especially noticeable on the coast, where luxury hotels are advancing and local residents have less access to the beach.

 

However, there are also initiatives that try to bridge the gap between these worlds. For example, we visited the Jambiani Social Club, founded by Sine and her husband, where we learned how to use all (waste) materials from coconuts and trees. We also met Muuna, born and raised in Stone Town. She took us to the local market to do some shopping, after which we learned to cook traditional dishes at her home.

And now
Tanzania has left behind a lot of impressions. The breathtaking nature, wildlife, rich culture and colorful street scene. What I am left with are not only beautiful photos full of memories, but above all a reflection on my own worldview and questions that I take home with me.

* = You don’t necessarily have to travel to faraway countries to immerse yourself in another world. This can just as well be in your own place of residence, social circle or country. Wherever you are, you always take your own background, upbringing and way of thinking with you – and they are worth exploring.

This travel blog is written by Jara van den Bosch, photographer, filmmaker, visual anthropologist.

 

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