There are four basic options for getting around Dar es Salaam. First, on foot. Not bad if you are going a relatively short distance, but long walks can be a challenge with the hot sun and humidity, and sudden afternoon downpours (yielding lots of mud and giant muddy pothole lakes which often force you into trying to 'share' the available space with vehicles - something that is not natural for drivers here - although the tradeoff is that rain cools things off a bit). Gradually, my walking pace is slowing down, but I still walk faster than nearly everyone, adding to my 'sweat factor.' And walking is free, which is a big plus along with the exercise.
Second there are taxis. Taxis have no meters. Usually I have some idea how much a taxi ought to cost based upon the distance I am traveling, and sometimes drivers surprise me and offer a rate that corresponds to expectation. More often, there is a negotiation process, and we generally land somewhere between Tsh 4000 ($3) and Tsh 8,000. Sometimes they start as high as Tsh 20,000, and you are obliged to look them in the eye, put on a disappointed face, and offer another price option substantially less (hapana... elfu tano, or nooo... in a sad way that conveys the first offer was painfully high... 5000). To which he may accept or in an equally pained voice offer another price point, and so it goes.
Third, there are the daladalas (mini-busses), which deserve their own post. Daladalas are also often very well-used vehicles from somewhere else, with Chinese or Korean writing on their sides. I can now say that yes, I have ridden a daladala hanging partly out the door hanging on for dear life while it is zipping along. The positive spin on this is that there is a breeze and it's not as hot and sweaty as standing inside packed body to body as I am stooped over due to my height while trying to avoid banging my head on the metal grab bars jerry-rigged along the ceiling while keeping track of my laptop bag and few groceries. On the other hand, the outside version of riding is probably not a healthy practice, especially given the general wackiness that exists on the streets. Daladalas are a great bargain at Tsh 250 (20 cents), if a tad uncomfortable, especially in traffic when there is no breeze coming in from the window and everyone is sweating.
It is often said that no daladala is ever really full... which is not completely true, but close. There is no such thing as 'personal space.' Even if you do get a seat, you may wind up with someone basically on top of you. The conductor, standing in the open doorway and sounding like an auctioneer, yells out the destination over and over at each stop, adding more and more people, who create a tighter and tighter mass. There was a woman last night standing up who essentially flopped her body on mine (seated), as I did not dare to move my elbow located in the vicinity of one set of her private parts while another set rested on my head. More sweaty body contact than I bargained for, and there truly was nowhere else to go, except shift a bit, and that prospect seemed potentially even more problematic and unappetizing. During traffic jams, daladala drivers may decide to alter the route a bit to drive on backroads, leaving me to my sense of direction (often in the dark) to have a vague notion that yes, we are still heading in essentially the intended direction and we are approximately 'x' distance from the road the route normally is on. Yet, somehow it works, and part of the adventure is how it works.
The fourth option is a tuk-tuk/bajaji, or a small 3-wheeled mini-taxi. The big advantage of bajaji is that they can weave around traffic, go on the side of the road (including the opposite side), occasionally on pedestrian paths... something I have yet to experience first hand. I have two colleagues here doing rotations in the emergency room at Muhimbili National Hospital. Stories of accident victims have prompted me to draw a transport line in the sand between me and bajaji, who don't stand much of a chance in confrontation with an SUV.
Traffic in Dar is amazing, especially at rush hour. There are few main roads heading out of the inner city, and they are often clogged (SUVs, all Japanese, are very popular here). I am still trying to figure out a rhythm for commuting, relying primarily on daladalas, progressively starting earlier and earlier, finding alternate routes, and sometimes even getting a seat. This morning I was on the daladala at 6:30, arriving at the office at 7:10, which I think may be about as good as it gets to travel the few miles (including a good walk at the end). Evenings are more confusing and the default so far is to stay at the office as late as possible (only two people have keys for security reasons, so when they go, everyone must go), usually around 7:00 pm, and then go to dinner, commuting home later. Given that the office has an internet connection (albeit variable and slow... I think I have only mentioned my new internet meditation practice on Facebook) and air conditioning (assuming the electricity is working), it is a comfortable place.
There is no question that transport will continue to be a series of adventures. I will return to MUNI in San Francisco with a fresh new perspective.
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