Dar es Salaam

The next morning involved a reasonably low-stress ride to Morogoro and the main bus station where a large number of buses awaited to whisk passengers, and bikes, off to Dar es Salaam. A little haggling reduced the cost of the bike. Not as substantially as Mingi achieved some hours later when his marathon ride from the outskirts of Mikumi National Park saw him cover the 81 km from Doma to Morogoro by early afternoon. By that time I'd arrived in Dar after a 20 km ride from the main bus station. Turns out most buses go considerably further towards Dar, to their depots. Due to an accident, it took until 8.30 pm before Mingi arrived. A 6-hour trip, that I did in just under 3. Phew ! I'd spent that day and the following exploring Dar. It wasn't that thrilling but was the first time since I landed that I'd seen the sea. Getting around is cheap, local food is $3 - 4 , and coke and other soda 60 cents. Accommodation is a little more pricey due to being a large city. But still not more than $25, and around $15 for a dorm bed. 2 days later Madeg arrived. I'd met him in Livingstone and stayed in touch. Still recovering from tick flue, after a bite, he'd been largely using trains and buses to stay mobile. This stop was a stepping stone to the island of Zanzibar where we'd spend the next week combing the beachside.Read more