Happy New Year

Every year just before New Year´s Eve there always comes the question on how to celebrate the New Year. In Germany there are many options to choose from: a private or a public party, if privat where and with whom. These are pestering questions which luckily, can be avoided in Tanzania.

Our plan was to go to Dar es Salaam supposing that in the huge city there would be the best partys. So after Christmas we phoned the people from the studenthouse in Dar es Salaam to tell them we would be coming. Altough I had already mentioned our visit a couple of weeks ago they now told us weh ad to pay rent. 10€ they wanted us to pay for each day and person including superior dinners such as toast and pots of rice, the pleasant company of the rats living there and highly comfortable bunk beds. Of course we were quite dumbfounded as nobody ever had to pay anything. The price was even way too high as the hostel next door only cost 7€. No way we were going to put up with this. We definitely needed a plan B. And as it always happens in Africa one only needs to wait a little for new opportunities to come up. After these bad news us girls all sat on the patio crestfallen munching the leftovers of the cookies we had. All oft he sudden Anna announced that a friend we met in Dar es Salaam could get a flat for us at Zanzibar. But that was nonsense, we could not possibly just go to Zanzibar like that. That was a silly idea. Nevertheless, the joking proposal soon got serious as we were asking ourselves “why not?“. Ele and Leo would be at Zanzibar anyway, their holiday was booked months ago and a friend of them from home would come, too. Within a few hours we contacted everyone to get our plan going.

Ele, Leo, Lena and I wanted to drive to Dar es Salaam already on Sunday but still we needed an accommodation. My organisation had sent me an email a while ago tellin me they were rearranging the team in Tanzania and that soon a Daniel from Germany would take over the management. Because I knew that Jan´s boss from the solar project was suiting this description I phoned him straight away. I wanted to know whether he was the guy now rsponsible for us as we were having trouble with the former team. Poor Daniel was obviously very surprised but nevertheless he promised us that we could stay at his house. Perfect! Lena wanted to stay at a friend´s house so it was only Ele, Leo and me who would need to go to Daniel. One of Daniel´s employees even picked us up at the bus station in Dar es Salaam and brought us to the house. For african standards the house was massiv and very nice. Because the house was located on the outskirts oft he big city it was also really peacefull. Daniel was not back home yet so his employee prepared some lunch with fruits for us.

After we had a little nap Daniel came back. We introduced ourselves to him, his trainee, the trainee´s mother and another visitor. Then we girls started cooking the dinner together with the trainee. We had spaghetti with mince and cheese! A dinner like that was a real treat for us. Because we had planned to nip down the town again to go to the rooftop bar called High Spirits we asked Daniel fort he best way of doing so. After a short consultation the others decided to join us and to go in the jeep. All seven people squeezed into the jeep and off we went. At the High Spirits we bumped into Nadja and her boyfriend who were in Dar es Salaam before going on their final trip to Zanzibar. We all sat together chatting while drinking some cocktails. Because the bar was about to close just after midnight the guys decided to move to another bar. Only for one more drink they promised. Although we were really tired having done a seven-hours bus ride earlier we could not just say no.

Still, we were a bit confused as we had to pay an entry fee for the next bar and the guys went directly to the bar to get some drinks. As the people were dancing to the live music we girls sat slumped in some chairs hoping to get back in our beds soon. Fortunately, at three in the morning we all left.

The next morning I was woken up by Leo who was staring at her phone in horror and screaming that we overslept. In a flash we jumped to grab our few belongings, throw on some clothes and rush out the house. It was quite obvious that the girls would miss the first ferry going to Zanzibar but there was still a chance to get the second one. About one and a half hours later we finally arrived at the Msimbazi Centre were the studenthouse was. While the girls continued to the port I would be staying at Tamara´s flat who was another volunteer from a different organisation who lived just a few houses away from the studenthouse. That way I could always drop by the studenthouse to get my stuff without paying rent. On Tuesday Anna and Jin-Ah came from Tanga to Dar. Sadly, Jin-Ah had decided to spent New Year´s Eve in Dar es Salaam. On the 31st it was time for our trip to Zanzibar. Anna and I had arranged to meet Anya at the port. Before, we had reserved some tickets so we only had to pick them up. Lucky we did so, as we were running late (as always). About a quarter of an hour before the ferry was supposed to leave we got on board.

As we arrived Zanzibar we were to lazy and tired to go by dalladalla with all our luggage but we found a taxi-driver willing to take us up north to Nungwi for a fair price. Ele und Leo had already sent us some messages describing the way to the flat. The place we were looking for was located right next to a small hotel and the building ways painted bright yellow. Some wooden stairs led up to a balcony which went with our rooms. One smaller and seperate room next door was rented out to two Swedish guys, the other rooms were all ours. Therefore, weh ad two large and comfortable bedrooms and a bathroom. After resting a little in the room we decided to go down the beach where we expected the others to be. It did not take us long to find Ele and Leo. The two of them were playing beachvolleyball with three other guys. There were the two Swedish guys and Filo who was Ele´s best friend.

The beach was georgous: white sand and clear blue water. Still, there were far more tourists than there had been a few weeks earlier at the beach in Paje. After a nice refreshment in the cool sea while catching up on all the news we soon had tot hink about what to do in the evening. There was a well-known club in Nungwi famous for its “Full-Moon-Party“ which always takes place at full-moon. People came from the mainland especially for these partys. There was a lot going on in our small and cozy cabin in the evening. We four girls kept rushing from the bathroom to our bedrooms and back again trying to pick a nice outfit with clothes we shared and smearing the make-up on our faces we were able to collect. Filo, the only guy around, had enough after some time and took refuge on the porch. Afterwards, we walked over to the restaurant next door to have a bite to eat and for some drinks. Our group was completed by the Swedish guys and the friends from Dar who stayed at the hotel but gave us the contact for the flat next door.

The night was a real success! Just before midnight we arrived at the party. There was a fantastic firework, great music and a jolly atmosphere. There were three dancefloors and the place was right on the beach. At six o´clock in the morning we made our way back home as the sun was already rising. Because we had to catch up on our sleep it was nearly afternoon when we woke up and got out of bed. We decided to go tot he beach to look for a place to eat. There, we stayed fort he rest oft he day just relaxing in the warm sand letting the sun shine on our backs and the sound of the waves make us fall asleep.

We had a lot planned for the next day. After the landlord of our flat supplied us with an enormous breakfast (fried eggs, toast, different kinds of fruit, jams and even Nutella!) we went to a beach where you could have a ride on bananaboats. We climbed onto one of those yellow bananashaped boats which was attached to a jetski which then dashed through the Indian Ocean with us jerking behind. It is so much fun because it is hard to get hold on the slippery material while the banana is bouncing up and down, wobbling on the waves and the froth is all over your face. At the end oft he day we were all hopelessly exhausted. Nevertheless, we wanted to do something special in the evening as Anna, Anya and I would be leaving the next day. Also, I would have to say goodbye to Ele and Leo the next day as the two were planning to travel to South Africa after their trip to Zanzibar to spend some month there, too. So we went tot he Italian restaurant on the beach, ordered pizza and past. After we spent the candelight-dinner right on the shore we went to the rooftop-bar next door where we could not miss out on the cocktails. All this was like a reward for us for having gone on that spontaneous trip.

The next day we were leaving. After once again we had breakfast at the landlord´s we packed our backpacks. Saying goodbye to the girls was quite hard though. We had experienced a lot and had a lot of fun together. Of course it was not a farewell for ever but still it might be a little while until I saw those people again. Nevertheless, we had to hurry because we had to catch our ferry.

It took us three hours to drive to Stonetown and to queue up to collect our tickets. Nope, the lady at the counter said, there were no more tickets available. They were fully booked for that day. Oh blast! I mean we had to get back as work was starting again the day after tomorrow. But there was nothing we could do. Because Anna had tickets for the bus back to Tanga for midday the next day we had no choice but to buy the earliest tickets for the ferry. That was so typical, we never got something to work out the way we wanted it to. We decided to spent the afternoon in Stonetown while we were there. We strolled through the little alleys, got some food and settled in a little coffeehouse where we made some plans. Staying another night meant additional costs for an already expensive holiday. Fortunately, the same night was fullmoon which meant that there was going to be the Full-Moon-Party. Perfect! Our idea was to just leave our bags at the flat where Ele, Leo and Filo were still staying anyway and spend the whole night at the party. That way we did not have to pay any rent. Of course we asked the landlord for permission but he was very understanding and agreed. So we went ahead. Again there was a clothing-raffle and we all dressed up nicely. At the bar in the hotel next door we met two other girls from Germany who were not really jolly but came with us anyway. Just driving in that Taxi to the party was hilarious. We were squeezed in there tight, giggling and swaying tot he music called Bongo-Flava. Although there were not as many people at the party as there had been on New Year´s Eve I really enjoyed myself. Again, the music was great and everyone was having a good time.

The hours flew by and it was nearly timeto leave. Still, finding all our people and meeting them all took a while so we were already running late as we arrived back at the flat. By now it was 5 o´clock in the morning. In a rush we changed our clothes and grabbed our backpacks as the taxi was already waiting for us downstairs. Because of this we did not have a lot of time to say goodbye but luckily we went through all this the day before. Anna fell asleep immediately as wes at in the taxi and even I kept nodding of. Just in time we arrived the port and made our way to the counter looking like three ghosts. I have to admit that I have already experienced boat trips that were far more relaxing compared to this one as the ship was rocking forwards and backwards. Somehow we got to Dar es Salaam but still weh ad not finnished this journey. Although we wanted to avoid to make the whole trip in one day we still had to get back to our working places.

We jumped in a bajaji and drove to the busstation. Here, we had to seperate. Poor Anna still had a six-hours-drive ahead of her, Anya and I would be back in Morogoro in three hours. Luckily, there are always people selling food and drinks at the busstation so I treated myself to some Cashewnuts for breakfast. Shortly after, we arrived at the town in the hills completely drained.

It is a long time since I had such a crazy weekend. Still, it was worth every second of it. Although I was of no great use fort he rest oft he day, I can now say: it was so much fun! I would definitely do something like that again. I even believe that we will be soon remembering these days smiling to ourselves because of all the fun and laughs we had. This was probably one of the maddest trips I went on while being in Tanzania but still it was a great one to start the New Year with.