Exploring Dar

6 August 2015

Recovery

Due to retiring at 2000 last night, I woke around midnight but managed to sleep till 0400 then doze till 0645. That’s nearly 11 hours of sleep compared to the usual 6 that I make do with. My body must have felt traumatised from yesterday to have needed all that recovery.

Getting a taste of Dar

We set foot outside of the hotel after breakfast to visit the town centre. We taxied to the fish market then walked along the waterfront and around a little bit. Yeah, the fish market was rather pongy as expected.

There wasn’t much to see specifically but it was just to get a feel of the place and the life. We found a nice cafe for a drink and to escape the heat; it was only hot in the sun but otherwise quite pleasant in the shade. We walked to the museum but couldn’t justify paying money to see pots, spears and the usual.

We met British couple on their honeymoon who had their passports, money etc stolen from them while on an island south of Zanzibar. This served as a timely reminder for us to be vigilant. Kim did feel a little bit at-risk here due to the poverty but I didn’t see it any differently from Nepal. I suggested to him it is because of how black people are portrayed in the media. I had already done independent travel in Ethiopia and Sudan.

We grabbed lunch at a cafe called Mokka City then taxied back to the hotel. I was secretly relieved to see that our stuff was intact because we had been concerned about the veranda which was easily accessible from other rooms.We spent the rest of the day in the hotel and ate in.

Keeping valuables secure on the road

It’s always a tough decision as to how one should secure valuables while on the road. There are risks either way:

  • On your body while walking around town – you could get mugged.
  • Locked in your luggage in your hotel room – this could be cut open while you’re out or the whole thing carted away.
  • Locked in your hotel safe if there is one – hotel staff know how to open them; they routinely do it when guests leave with them slammed closed.

There is no perfect answer; it all depends on how we perceive the relative risks.

 

 

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