The Slipway
For all of Dar’s hustle and bustle, it is also a city that offers a number of escapes. If you’re looking for a good meal or a few comforts in Dar you’re not going to have to look far. Amazing restaurants, world class beaches and regular festivals offer plenty of activities for those looking for…
Nipe Tano
The fist bump, the high five, a lingering hand shake or an emphatic hug. These are all all things I’ve come to expect on a daily basis; in fact, throughout the day, every day. Tanzanians love to make physical contact. You’ve done something good? High five! You’re greeting someone new? Extended hand shake! Come across…
Diamond Platnumz
I’ve been thinking about the Tragically Hip a lot this week. The Hip, as they’re known in Canada, played their final concert on national TV, with massive viewing parties arranged across the country (becoming the 2nd most viewed television event in Canadian history). The Hip are with little doubt the most Canadian band who has…
Diversity
Dar es Salaam is a city whose precise character is hard to put your finger on. Each of the city’s districts, from the business district Posta and the expat haven Masaki, to the largest market in East Africa, Kariakoo and the sleepy beach district of Kigamboni, have a distinct feel; their own culture. Dar is…
Chipsi Mayai
We all have our hungover habits; our own theories of what we can do to recover more quickly from a night of drinking and get on with out lives. For some people this entails downing the greasiest food they can find first thing in the morning, while others choose to take the healthy route: trying…
DART Busses (Mwendo Kasi)
Once you’ve lived in Toronto and engaged with its never-ending public transit debates, it’s difficult to be optimistic. Toronto’s public transit debates have left me with a sense that any construction involving so much money and so many interests is bound to be tied down by endless hearings, council votes and political gamesmanship. Arriving in…
Dar in Photos
This post is bit of a departure from Dala Dala Dar’s usual style. I’ve slowly accumulated great pictures of Dar which haven’t thematically fit into any of my posts so far, or those that I’m planning, so I thought I’d post these orphaned photos up in one big photo-heavy post. Hopefully they provide a sense…
Architecture Pt. II: Preservation
For Dar, the future looks bright. The city is growing rapidly, new buildings are springing up left, right and centre, and new bus and rail transit is making the city easier than ever before the get around. And in spite of all this progress, Dar has been able to retain a large portion of its…
The National Stadium
One of the defining buildings of Dar es Salaam is the National Stadium (or Benjamin Mkapa Stadium). While perhaps less known than the PSPF towers in downtown Dar which dominate the skyline, the National Stadium similarly dominates its (more modest) surroundings. Anyone looking towards Temeke district from an apartment downtown will quickly have their gaze drawn…
Oranges
Some things you expect to change when you travel to new places. The culture. The architecture. The weather. These changes might be difficult to adjust to but at least they’re expected. As a result, sometimes the greatest shocks are the small changes you don’t expect, especially those that complicate something you thought you understood; something…
Architecture Pt. 1: History
After arriving, one of the unique features of Dar you’re sure to notice is the diverse architecture, especially downtown. Dar’s architecture really lacks a coherent feel, consisting of a seemingly random mix of modern skyscrapers, tin roofed shacks, 70’s era apartment buildings and colonial era architecture. Even the colonial era architecture is diverse, featuring a…
Dala Dala Dar 