Have you ever gotten tapped repeatedly on the forehead until you acknowledged the fact that they wanted to get your attention? Me either, but! One of my travel buddies, Steph, has. We were standing on a packed bus, and, naturally, there’s nowhere to go. A very rude (which isn’t typical) Tanzanian, started tapping Steph’s forehead as if it was the most normal occurrence in the world. The look on her face said it all. I gently put my arm around her and boxed the Tanzanian out of our lives. Tapping someone’s forehead repeatedly saying “sista, sista, sista” is really very unacceptable. Haha.
So when I go into town to get food or travel, I get on the one and only dala (minibus) that comes through my village at anywhere between 6:30am and 8am. I like and dislike this. I dislike this because there is only one dala and it’s usually standing-in-the-doorway-room only. However, I like the fact that the driver and kondas (helpers) all know me and help me out. Right away we exchange the usual greetings and then they take my backpack (if it’s packed full) and put it in the front seat so I can squeeze myself into the doorway. They take care of me. They make sure I’m in the right place, and if I’m traveling further, they make sure I get on the right bus. In general, Tanzanian’s are extremely helpful. They will drop everything just to walk you to the correct spot for the bus, an unfamiliar guesti, or the shop that sells garlic.
Also, I find it baffling that no matter if you have a seat, are standing, holding a child on your lap, or have an armpit in your face; the price for the bus ticket is the same for everyone. Hmm.
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