Faces of Tanzania

Day Break Dar Es Salaam

After a 13 hour flight to Istanbul, followed by a 7 hour flight to Dar Es Salaam, I arrived in Tanzania. At 2 am the airport was desolate making customs a breeze. A full moon greeted me in the parking lot, and the moist air clung to my clothes adding immediate curl to my hair. I slept deeply on both flights so when I arrived at the transit motel down the street I was alert. I attempted to rest under the mosquito net, blades of the overhead fan whirling above my head, but the mosquitos struck as soon as I settled in. Morning light enticed to me to grab my camera, especially given the activity out my door. Dar was coming to life, store fronts opening, dishes being washed, and a parade of locals journeying down the dirt paths. My camera, and most likely my white skin caused a stir. Lots of stares, but also friendly hellos, and inquires about my photographs. Once again I was struck by the prevalence of English in the most remote places in the world. What was I investigating, one boy asked. Another wanted to know where my pictures went. Even though we were speaking the same language, how would I begin to explain a blog, a phenomenon I still don't quite comprehend. So I decided on a simpler truth, "They"re just for me.".