African climate

Most Europeans think of Africa as being hot and dry. We have seen how water scarcity has devastating effects i Africa - food shortage, health hassards etc. For most of the year the weather is also hot and dry in Tanzania, however, Tanzania is also the most flood affected country in east Africa - and the rainy season is still on us.

I am involved in a project that will reduce or eliminate one of the most flood affected areas in Dar es Salaam...

Flooding in Dar es Salaam

Flooding in Dar es Salaam

Flooding in Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam Airport

Goat race derby - Tanzania style

If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is good.
                                               (Dr. Seuss)

Creativity is intelligence having fun.
                                              (Albert Einstein)


Last year we went to experience the Klampenborg Gallop Derby with some good friends. We dressed up and the women were wearing nice hats as it is customs for these events. We had a very interesting day at the race track - so when we had the chance this year to get VIP tickets to the yearly Dar es Salaam Charity Goat Race, which I guess is the closest you get to the more homely Klampenborg Gallop Derby, we said to ourselves: "why not check it out?", "How bad can it be?", "Let's live a little!" As it happened it turned out to be a very different and fun experience indeed!

With the actual goat races being the center of attention, the event was also a multi cultural charity event, where the masters of ceremony were like stand-up comedians and did not shy away from insulting the participants and their backgrounds; "MAKE AMERICA GOAT AGAIN" the voice from the oversized speakers blasted out.

People were dressed up in all sorts of costumes and the atmosphere were all a bit crazy - just the way we like it...

Free drinks and food for the VIP guests

The Goats are carried into the race track by their jockey

Ohhh the excitement

Two of Nordic origine

Let the race begin

And the race is on...

And the winner is number 7

Time to pamper the race goats

Today goat meat is replaced with pork

Two lucky winners - betted 10,000 tsh on number 7!

The loosers leave empty handed

 

Adapting to new realities

The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.                                                                                                                                           (Vincent Van Gogh)

Every morning I am walking with my two dogs. We often pass by houses where there are dogs barking when we pass by. The other morning someone opened the gate as we walked by. An aggressive German Sheppard dog came charging at us heading directly towards Riley. I grabbed Riley and released Maximus and they immediately started fighting. The German shepherd bit Maximus twice before he realized that this was not just for show. Maximus got the upper hand and pinned it to the ground by the neck. I then managed to separate the fighting dogs and gave the dog back to the guard. However, he did not manage to hold on to it so the fighting started again. The second time I made sure that the dog was secured behind the gate before I let it go. Later I went to the owner’s office to complain and he reassured me that it would not happen again.

We are changing the locks in our new house. Also an electric fence is being installed above the walls around our house.

A snake was killed in our garden by some workmen. I would have tried to find another solution than to kill it if I had been there.

Thea went off late at night on the back of a small vehicle. It was a thirteen year old girl driving it.

It takes some getting used to...

I walk Thea to school 7.20am every morning

Electric fence above the wall 

Thea out for a night drive with the girls

This fellow thought he would sleep in our bed tonight

Snake killed in our garden

A fish out of the water

“No, no, no. There's no such thing as cheap and cheerful. It's cheap and nasty & expensive and cheerful.”                                                                                   (Jeremy Clarkson)


My main means of transport around Dar es Salaam is sitting in the back of a Bajaaj, which is a three wheeled motorcycle taxi. Thea seems to think that it is so practical and wonderful that she is questioning the need for a car when we can just use the Bajaajs all the time. Hmmm.

So coming back to my Bajaaj after I had been somewhere looking at a car, my Bajaaj driver was sleeping in the back where I used to sit. So, I got in the front and started the thing and drove back to our hotel. It was a sore sight and many were laughing when they saw a Mzungu (white man) driving around in a Bajaaj with the local driver in the back.

I did, in fact, buy a car yesterday. Not a fancy one but it is ok for a second car. One I can use to and from our house (which is not yet ready to move into) and the Yacht Club. It is a Toyota Hillux Surf, six cylinders 3,4 cc engine with 185 HP. It has a few issues: a) the owner was a smoker -so I have named the vehicle "Stinky", b) the radio/gps/info screen is all in Japanese language, which makes it impossible to use, c) other cosmetic issues of which there are too many to mention. However, I am working on getting that fixed while I wait for the papers to clear.

Over the weekend I have gratefully borrowed a Jeep from some very good friends we met through Jill (aunty Jill who sadly had to travel back home yesterday).

Is having a car that important you may ask... To me it is! Ever since I arrived I have felt like a cowboy with no horse  -a fish out of the water. How do you think a badass cowboy would feel like if he had to rely on getting a ride on the back of someone else's pony going to the saloon for a whisky and a poker night!? -just not cool at all.

Anyway, now I have got myself a car and that feels good even though the paperwork might just take a week to clear before I can drive it (another "Hakuna Matata" moment).

Already, I am looking for a vehicle no.1 that can take us on safari. I am thinking Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol, Land Rover or similar. Now that I have a set of wheels it is less urgent - but I will still be looking at cars until I find what I like...

The view from the passanger seat in a Bajaaj

There is room for two dogs and a big guy in a Bajaaj

I can just drive the Bajaaj myself

My new (old) stallion "Stinky" 

Our first week in Tanzania

"Hakuna matata" is a Swahili phrase from Tanzania; roughly translated, it means "no worries". It is formed by the words hakuna (there is not here) and matata (plural form of problem).
                                                                                                             (Pumba and Timon in Lion King)

It has been a hectic week for the family Møller Larsen. Jacqueline is still working hard and she is at the same time managing a lot of practicalities regarding our move to our new house. Thea has started in her new school. Aunty Jillian is helping us settling in. She has been here a while and already she knows a lot of people and places.

I have been hunting for cars. This has been taking up a lot of my time. Cars are like many other things in Tanzania expensive and I do not want to end up with some overpriced vehicle which will cost me grief later.

Also I have been sailing my new HobieCat 16 and it is wild. In Ghana I was sailing a similar boat on Volta river – here it is in the Indian Ocean. Sailing a HobieCat 16 here can be compared to drive an overpowered tuned 2CV in a rally race…

Tuesday I participated in an actual boat race which took us passed big container ships in the Dar es Salaam harbor and around two islands. I have not been sailing for five years so it was hard work and I am still bruised with blue and yellow marks on my arms. Luckily I was with an experienced sailor from the UK and we ended up coming first after we had a terrible start. I nearly fell overboard four or five times but managed to stay onboard with some help from my helm Jason. Either I will lose my mojo or get hooked – I think the latter.

Today we were supposed to move to our new house, however the things need doing has not been done (no water or independent power supply in case of power cuts). Maybe tomorrow (hakuna matata)!?

First day at school for Thea

Dinner with my family

House renovation Tz style

Moving boundries

It’s impossible – said Doubt,

It’s dangerous – said Fear,

It’s unnecessary – said Reason

Do it anyway – whispered the Heart
                                               (Author: Unknown)

When we got the opportunity to go and live in Tanzania with Jacqueline’s job after five years in Denmark, it was not an easy decision. I considered myself lucky to have a job where I was happy to go to work every day and was met with the right amount of challenges. Thea and Jacqueline also thrived in Denmark, so the decision to jeopardize our comfortable life in Gentofte to move into uncertainty was far from easy. However, we made our decision in the end and packed up to go and live in Africa once again.

It is said that you regret more the things you did not do than the things you do. I guess only time will tell if this is the truth for us. However, in my family we are risk takers and I am convinced that we would regret not to go. In fact, I believe we would in many years to come speak of the time where we had the opportunity to go to Tanzania – the one country we have wanted to go to.

The moving business was painful but all that is now behind us and the first few days here have been full of new adventures. Jacqueline is working extremely hard getting her new organization set up and Thea is starting her new school and swimming classes this week. Me: I guess I need to find my new purpose in life as a trailing spouse.

Evening at the Dar es Salaam Yacht Club 

Trying hard to adapt to my new lifestyle -

PIMMS with my breakfast

From Ghana to Gentofte

Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.  ~Henry David Thoreau

How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.  ~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie

Sorry for the long delay in getting the blog updated. After 5 years and 9 month it is time for us to say goodbye to Ghana. It is with mixed feelings that we are leaving the country that has given us so many nice memories. We will carry those memories with us for ever!