NALA and the disorderly conduct.

(Painted by Agniely Mfaume in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  2014

QUIET! QUIET, darn it! QUIET, I want to sleep!!! … That’s what I screamed from the top of my lungs at one night when I wasn’t able to sleep because the music at the hotel was playing at earsplitting level.

Ok, let me explain …

It was on the way to Nairobi, in a small, unfriendly town that didn’t even show on my map. I was very tired and looked for a dingy hotel, since those places are usually the cheapest ones. I quickly found one, had a look at the rooms and bathrooms, checked in and immediately lied down to rest a bit. Later I went out to grab a bite to eat and then went back to the hotel.

So I was lying in a dingy bed in a dingy room in a dingy hotel. I won’t even tell you about the bathrooms and toilets (in case you are eating while you are reading this). The smell in the room was of the “take-a-deep-breath-before-entering-and-hoping-it-will-last-until-the-next-morning” sort. And one look at the bedding told me that I actually don’t want my body to touch this at all.

Anyway, I didn’t have a choice and was actually almost sleeping when some person called DJ turned up the music to the maximum level. The speakers were vibrating, the windows in my room were vibrating as well and the old table in my room started moving around because of all the vibration. I got up and asked how long they plan on playing this annoyingly loud boom-boom music. The reply: 2.30am!

Seriously guys, what kind of crap did you have for breakfast?! This is a hotel and not a club, I replied. And those two music bimbos looked at me like some cartoon characters. So I asked them if there was a chance to turn it down a bit at least… but no way … somehow they managed to turn it up even more.

I couldn’t sleep and I got so angry and annoyed. Around 3.15am the music stopped and I was able to go to sleep. The next day I arrived in Nairobi and found a nice place to stay with a lovely host mother and I was able to catch up with sleep.

Wait a second, what’s that in my bag … oops, I forgot to drop off the hotel key J

So stop the noise and turn off the music, you retards, I want to get some sleep!

Yours NALA

NALA away with Papa Maasai.

(Painted by Ayoub Kimweli in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  2014

Not too far from the border to Kenya, near Longido, I stayed with a Maasai family for 3 days.

I pitched my tent next to their round mud hut. They offered me sweet chai (tea) and mama Maasai made lots of ugali (mush) with vegetables and chicken to eat.

I played a little bit of „throwing stones“ with the children around there. But it was usually only the boys who came out to play because all the girls had to help with the chores … washing clothes, cleaning dishes and so on. Well, I remember that from back home.

Two little girls, who always had snotty noses, became my friends. But I always had to clean their noses!

The next day we went out to pick up thorny branches which were used to fence in the goats; otherwise they would run away or dangerous wild animals could come at night and eat the goats. To prevent that from happening, we needed to build the fence.

Papa Maasai showed me many interesting things: one time he wanted to teach me how to make fire with two sticks. It looked very easy when he did it, but I didn’t manage it.

It was interesting nonetheless. Some other time here showed me 4 different kinds of wood that can be used to make medicine. And another time I herded cows with the son of the Maasai family. I like cows …

Mama Maasai made me a traditional Maasai bracelet with pearls.

I told them about my family and what it was like at home with them, before I started travelling.

After 3 days I went back into the saddle and headed for the Kenyan border, since my next destination was Nairobi.

I will tell you more soon. Until then …

Yours,

NALA

Womans with babies on their backs.

(Painted by Amiri Ramadhan in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro stores), Tanzania  2014  

Babies are so cute; I could cuddle with them all day long. They live in a wrap, tied closely to their mother’s back.

While a mother does the chores, the washing, peels potatoes, cooks, cleans the house, does the shopping, fetches water from the well, collects firewood or works in the field, the baby is always there with her, in the wrap on her back.

Sometimes one can’t even see the head, but only two tiny feet sticking out of the wrap.

Maybe there is even another baby in mommy’s belly. But sometimes it just looks like a pregnant belly (like in the picture here) and instead, mommy has only eaten too much mush … hihi.

Even I have gotten a big belly from all the mush I had been eating lately.

The fathers usually sit under a tree, chew sugar cane and play on their mobile phones out of boredom. Oh wait, I have to correct myself: In most cases they sit in one of those cheap plastic chairs and play on their mobile phones.

But of course there are also men who work very hard and transport heavy loads on their bicycles. I don’t mean to lump all the men in the world together, but I do see so many men of the “bumming around” type, or the “stare in the air” type and the “playing around on the mobile phone mindlessly” type; while the women do all the work without a break.

So… my dear men…please support your women and lend them a hand. And don’t give me all this “In our culture…” nonsense! Blablabla …

I will tell you more soon …

Yours,

NALA

NALA is fetching water ( Tanzania )

(Painted by Masoud Kibwana in Dar es Salaam, Morogoro stores), Tanzania  2014  

In Arusha in Tanzania I stayed with Joyce in a beautiful house in the middle of a huge banana plantation. Well, it wasn’t exactly a plantation, more like a huge banana tree garden… so endlessly green and lush and wonderfully refreshing.

There was no running water inside the house (which is rather common in Africa) and we had to go and fetch it from a well, which was about 500m away from the house.

So the three graces of us set out to fetch it and carried huge pots filled with water on our heads back to the house (which is the common way to carry pots or about anything else in Africa).

I enjoyed fetching water and at least this way I was able to contribute somehow to the daily chores and the water supply. When you have to fetch the water from a well and carry those heavy pots on your head, every day, then one thinks twice about wasting water or rather not.

After leaving Arusha I headed for Kenya and there I lived with a Maasai family for a few days.

Later I will tell you more.

Yours,

NALA

NALA in front of Mount Meru ( Tanzania )

(Painted by Abdulrabi Mwinji (left) and Omari Ally Fussi (right) in Dar es Salaam, 

Tanzania  2014  (Morogoro Stores, Tinga Tinga Cooperative )

Well, today I want to show you Mount Meru. I am so happy to see it at all, because usually it is hidden behind gigantic clouds, like the summit (which is actually called Kibo) of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mount Kilimanjaro consists of 3 summits and the highest is Kibo with 5895 meter.

Now you know it and you can drop some knowledge, in case someone asks you one day. 

In the pictures, next to me, you can see my new friends. It didn’t take much time or hesitation to make new friends here. I always only said “Hello my friend!” …. that is the best and easiest way to start a conversation.

And following those three simple words, I always get asked the beloved  W-questions (who, what, where, why, when …); you never ask, you never know. 

Otherwise communication was rather wishy-washy, but polite. On a 20 km leg I had to stop about 30 times to answer questions. But in most cases I just waved friendly and kept going.

There were always children running behind me or cycling next to me and asking if I wanted to be their friend, which I usually had to decline, since I wasn’t going to stop and stay there. 

Next I will tell you more about my other experiences while staying with the Maasai people.

Until then, take care!

Yours,

NALA

NALA at the market ( Tanzania )

(Painted by Gregory Mchopa in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  2014

(Morogoro Stores, Tinga Tinga Cooperative )

Well … let’s see what kind of delicious fruit they offer here?

Mango, yes!

Pineapple, yes!

Papaya, maybe!

Bananas, no, not again!

And why do they sell cucumbers here?

Apples, no I don’t like them!

But they also offer passion fruit, yes, I buy those. Deliciously sour … that’s the way I like my fruit.

Everything they sell here at the market has been carefully arranged at the table, sometimes in the shape of little pyramids and towers, how cute, because at other markets they only spread everything on the muddy ground on plastic covers.

There are even people who sell one avocado only.

I am buying some fruit and get a bottle of water from the shop.

It doesn’t take long and people approach me, asking all kinds of "W" questions, I had heard a million times before: What’s your name? Where do you come from?

Where are you going?  Why are you travelling by bicycle?  Where is your family?

Why are you travelling alone?  And I patiently answered all the questions again … and then there were more people asking me the same questions all over again …

I thought it’s time to leave and head towards Mombasa.

Bye, bye.

Chat later my friends..

NALA

NALA in Tanga ( Tanzania )

(Painted by Ayoub Kimweli in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  2014 

After arriving in Pangani, I had to pull myself together again first.

The adventurous crossing from Zanzibar had shaken me up badly and I was happy to be walking on solid ground again.

I went to have a nice breakfast with a cup of hot milk (incredibly sweetened as always) and two chapatis (East African flat bread). Later I bought some fruit like bananas, mangos and pineapples at a little stall in Pangani, a small village near Tanga.

A cart full of green bananas was blocking the clay wall where I wanted to park my bicycle and that’s why I had to push it to the side a little bit.

Those green bananas are used for cooking and are sort of a substitute for potatoes. In some countries, like in Uganda, they mash these bananas and call it matoke, which tastes very delicious when eaten with peanut sauce and also with meat.

I was heading to Tanga at the East coast of Tanzania. In Tanga I stayed for two days to rest and relax before I continued my journey towards the Kenyan border and Mombasa.   

Back to the mainland - to Tanga. 

(Painted by Fadhil Ratab Raisy (Tinga Tinga Cooperative) in Dar es Salaam, 

Tanzania  2014 

From Mkokotoni on Zanzibar I traveled back to Tanga (Tanzania) on the main land.

This journey turned out sort of adventurous. We were supposed to leave the island at 2 pm, but ended up leaving only at 6 pm.

The sun was setting and it was a romantic atmosphere, floating in the soft water over small waves, the full moon starting to show in the sky.

On board with me were 15 men, 70 bags of rice, 1 Sony TV set, 45 oil cans and lots of milk in bags. Halfway through our journey, the waves started to get bigger and before you could say knife, the fish I had eaten before we left the island were reunited with their brothers and sisters in the sea.

I got really very sick. Then it started to rain and everybody tried to find refuge underneath a plastic cover that reeked of oil and fish. At 1 am we arrived in Pangani where we were anchored for another 4 hours. 

Some of the cold water from the plastic cover splashed in my face and I started smelling like oil and fish as well.

After deboarding , I pushed my bike on muddy roads through deep woods to the next village, where I got on my bicycle again and headed to Tanga.

Btw: I paid more than the double price for the Transport, than the locals, because I am

a little foreigner. ( as usual )

Best greetings from NALA

"On the Ship to Zanzibar"  (Painted by Kabongo Matata (left) and Joseph Msimbe (right) from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2014 )

My journey to Zanzibar

Finally, after almost 3 months in Dar es Salaam, I was on my way to the island of the spices – Zanzibar.

I had heard so much about it, but I had never imagined it to be so wonderful.

I was standing up front on the bow of the big ship I was traveling on and I was lost in my own thoughts. The fresh sea air helped me think. Turquoise blue, crystal clear water, the white shore looking like icing sugar, dolphins that you can swim with, deliciously fresh fish and seafood for little money everywhere … just like paradise!

I think, I had a gorged belly from all the those delicious food. ( hihihihihi)

More from Zanzibar, I will tell you shortly.

Stay tuned ..

Best greetings from

NALA

"Africa makes music"  (Painted by Juma Pella, Tinga Tinga Cooperation      

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2014 )

Everybody knows that the music in Africa sounds very rhythmically and happy… as far as traditional music is concerned. These days you can hear hip-hop and gangsta rap music playing everywhere. And they play it at an ear-splitting volume.

Let me give you a few examples what ear-splitting in Africa means:

Namibia and Zimbabwe:

Ordering a drink in a bar is almost impossible because they place huge speakers right on the counter and turn them up to full volume and you can’t even hear your own word. Instead of lemonade I always got beer, which I find rather disgusting of course.

Zambia and Malawi:

In small villages they like to place big speakers in the street and play sounds from movies, for instance karate fights or shoot-outs. You can hear the noise all over the village but you can’t see the pictures to the movie anywhere. Sometimes they also like to play music through a megaphone and entertain the whole village this way.

Tanzania:

Before you decide to stay at one of the cheap hotels, you better ask if they like to play loud music there or if there is a bar in the hotel. If you forget to ask, it can happen that you won’t be able to get any sleep before 2.30am since they are playing the music so loudly that the windows vibrate and the furniture in the room starts moving around.

Kenya:

Some matatus (mini buses) in Nairobi are small clubs in wheels. The noise of the music is deafening and the lightshow blinding. And not only do you have to bear the noise of the gangsta rap, but also the noise of the traffic and the yelling bus driver. 

"Too many people"  (Painted by Mohamed S. Mkenda, Tinga Tinga Cooperation      Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 2014 )

Dar es Salaam, which some people also simply call „Dar“, isn’t the capital of Tanzania but the biggest town in the country with 8 million people from all over the world.

It’s very noisy here; too noisy for me sometimes, and too chaotic.

I was very happy when I decided to take a time-out on the island of Zanzibar.

I need a place less crowded for a little while.

Next time I will tell you about what to expect on Zanzibar.

Until then … take care and we will write again soon!

Yours NALA

NALA in Kariakoo  (Painted by Issa Mitole, Tinga Tinga Coop. Dar es Salaam, TZ )

Hello my friends,

I mentioned before that I was in Kariakoo because there you can find the biggest market in Dar es Salaam. The market hall behind me was built in 1974 and there they sell things like sewing machines, wellington boots, electric appliances, plastic buckets made in China and all kinds of clothes.

Never before in my life had I seen so many people in one place like I saw in Kariakoo. 

Merchants sitting underneath big umbrellas and selling vegetables like tomatoes, onions and avocados as well as many different kinds of rice and beans in many different colours and of course fruit like pineapples, bananas, lemons and mangos.

Some merchants have built little pyramids and towers out of the vegetables they are selling and others have spread their goods on plastic covers in the mud right next to the road that is packed with old cars and sooty dalla-dallas (busses).

In another street you can rummage through huge piles of t-shirts, pants, suits, shoes, bras, socks, panties, blankets and caps, and you can have your shoes cleaned, polished and fixed.  

It was very busy and hectic, yet very interesting. I bought some vegetables to make some proper pasta dish for my host family.

Stay happy and curious!

Yours,

NALA

NALA and the Askari Monument ( painted by Sakina Mukarram, Dar es Salaam, TZ )

Hello Friends

You see me here in front of an Askari Monument.

The Askari Monument in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is a memorial to the askari soldiers who fought in the British Carrier Corps in World War I.

It is located at the center of roundabout between Samora Avenue and Maktaba Street, a place that reportedly also marks the exact center of downtown Dar es Salaam. It was unveiled in 1927.

The other Askari Monuments are in Mombasa and Nairobi in Kenya. 

Also remember me, when you here in Dar es Salaam.

So now I am on my way to Kariakoo, a crowdy place with thousands of people, markets and dalla dalla´s.

Chat later

Yours NALA

NALA in Dar es Salaam (painted by André Pilz, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania)

Hello guys,

I know it’s about time that I tell you more about my experiences in Tanzania, but so many things have happened lately that I didn’t have a moment to write down anything.

Right now I am still in Nairobi and very soon I am going to travel up to Ethiopia. But I will come back to Kenya in about 3 months.

Anyway, what I wanted to tell you about Dar es Salaam is that it is big, dirty and noisy, with lots of traffic, and at the same time full of very friendly and helpful people.

There are many tuk-tuks in Tanzania (here they call them bajaj).

They are little “devils of the road” that bolt around everywhere, even along the pavements through crowds of pedestrians. And in addition to those, there are speeding motorbikes all over the place… on roads and pavements as well. The coaches are called dalla dalla and they pollute the air all over town while they crawl through traffic at rush-hour, which actually lasts all day.

I always have to cycle very carefully through the middle of all the cars and coaches because along the kerb is too dangerous. Once, a motorbike bumped into me when I was riding on the side of the road. Hence through the middle seems like the saver option to me.

The dalla dallas are always over-crowded. When they stop, people try to get on and off at the same time… big and thin people, tall and short people … all squeeze at the same time in opposite directions through the doors of the coaches. I just don’t get it!

For two and a half months I stayed with Fadhily and Abella and her lovely family in a nice suburb of Dar es Salaam. I had a great time there.

Soon I will tell you more about my time there.

Until then … take care!

Yours NALA

NALA and the Animals 

( painted by Dorothea Adroph, Cosmas Modest Ngambe, Magreth John Liwembe, , Mohamed A. Chivinja (Mpochogo), Patricia Edward Chegefu , Paulo Saidi and Hassani Mboti from the Tinga Tinga Art Cooperative in Dar es Salaam / Tanzania.

The Story about NALA you can read below.

If you click here, you can see more Artworks from the Tanzanian Artists.

NALA and the Animals

Well, I have to tell you, I love animals a lot … and not only on my plate, but also in general.

I like elephants for instance and I would love to take a bath with them and let them shower me with water from their trunks and go up and down on the trunk-elevator.

Maybe I could even whisper something into their big ears?

I like giraffes because they walk so gracefully across the street with these big steps.

They love to eat leaves from acacia trees which have long thorns and the giraffes avoid somehow getting stung. I don’t like those big thorns. One must have a very nice view from the top of a giraffe!

I like all kinds of birds, especially the bigger ones. Flamingos are  beautiful when their rosy feathers glow in the setting sun. Many birds have accompanied me on my journey so far and watched me from above when I struggled getting up mountains.

I like Zebras … but I still don’t understand?!

Are they white with black stripes or black with white stripes?

I like playing hide-and-seek with little leopard and lion cubs.

Man … I hope they won’t catch me!

I like all small animals like tortoise, chameleons, urchins, squirrels and lizards that look like little dragons.

I definitely don’t like those monkeys with the red buttocks. I don’t like them at all!

And no big snakes and spiders. Ugh, they scare me like crazy!

Now it’s your turn. Tell me what animals you like and why. What do you like about them and have you ever seen them in the wild? If so, where?

No matter if you are young or old … just drop me a line!

You know that I am always happy about mail from you! you can do that here:

Next time I will tell you all about the big city Dar es Salaam and what happened there.

Until then … best regards!

Yours NALA

P.S. Come on guys, stop being such couch potatoes!

Just get up and write me a nice letter!

NALA and the "Kiss of Life" ( painted and engraved by Ephrem Solomon Tegegn      ( Ethiopia )  in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Now I have finished my holiday in Europe.

It was a nice time in Germany and the 4 days in London were so wonderful.

Since then, my favorite song "Kiss of Life" from SADE is not going out of my head.

In a few days I am back in Kenya and later I will continue my journey to Ethiopia.

There are certainly a lot to see and I will write you some more stories from my adventure in Tanzania. 

This artwork was made by Ephrem Solomon Tegegn from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, when he visited me in Dar es Salaam.

The SADE lyric of "Kiss of Life" was engraved on a wooden board.

More about this style will emerge when I'm in Ethiopia.

Stay healthy and curious.

See you

Yours NALA

Hitch-hiking on a bicycle ( painted by Joseph R. Mwalyombo, Dar es Salaam, TZ )

After about 10 km and still a little shaken by the encounter with the elephant, I suddenly heard a hissing noise … shhhhh. I was wondering where it was coming from!

Bugger!  I cried.

There was a bramble with about 8 thorns stuck in my tyre. One of the thorns had drilled itself deep into the tyre. I tried to break off the bramble without pulling out the thorn because I didn’t feel like fixing the tyre. But after a short while I noticed a huge bubble coming out of the tyre and when I pulled out the thorn the tyre burst.

Oh no … I felt very annoyed. I couldn’t go on like this. But right in that very moment a young Masai man on a rickety bicycle came along, and when he noticed me he offered to help and took me to the next village to buy a new tyre.

I sat on the rack next to a chicken. It had been sitting there for two days already. I put it on m lap and held it close and thought to myself… Yummy, I am going to have a McChicken today! I was starving. But the chicken wasn’t for eating; it was going to be exchanged for vegetables and maize meal on the market. That’s ok, I thought, because actually the chicken looked quite cute.

Soon we arrived at the village, and what happened there I will tell you some other time!

Stay curious!

Yours NALA

NALA and the elephants (painted by Mathew Simbila, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania )

After a few lonely legs along baobab forest and banana plantations I reached Mikumi National Park.

Every time I stopped to drink something, people engaged me in little chats, asking the same question, over and over again: „What are you going to do when you will come across wild animals, like lions or elephants?” My answer was always the same: “I will be very happy since I had never seen lions or elephants before!”

Until that day I hadn’t seen any wild animals before, besides a few warthogs and monkeys with red butts.

At the entrance of the National Park was a sign that warned of dangerous animals, but I didn’t worry much. I will get through there somehow I thought. They told me to keep a 70 m safe distance to elephants.

So I drove through the Park and only saw about 200 baboons, a few spring bocks and one kudu but nothing else.

I cycled along dreamily, looking left and right and enjoying the beautiful day. But stop!!!! Elephants at 2 o’clock in about 30 m distance on the right side.

Oh dear! What am I going to do? Do I keep on driving? I tried to figure out how to pass them unnoticed. Those 3 big ones ate green leaves for lunch and I thought they hadn’t noticed me. I said to myself: When I eat, nothing can ever disturb me. So I pedaled as fast as I could and drove past them as fast as the wind.

I looked at papa elephant and papa elephant looked at me. He stared at me and followed me with his big eyes. I drove as fast as I could, fast and fast, but always paying attention to the elephants until I had passed them.

Hurray, I had done it. I took a deep breath. I was happy that the elephants as well couldn’t be bothered by anyone while eating and that I was able to pass them without getting into real danger.

I continued my journey towards the big city … Dar es Salaam.

I will write you again soon!

Yours,

NALA

NALA on the Maasai Market ( painted by Antony J. Likuba, Dar es Salaam,Tanzania )

Hello my friends,

look at these super cute cows here! They are so cute, I could hug them all! Next to me you can see my friend Baraka ... and I am sure you can guess where I am right now!

Exactly...at a Maasai market with my friends. They are selling cows and goats here, and a little further down you can buy colorful Maasai fabrics and jewelry and shoes made of old tyres.

Baraka and his family allowed me to pitch my tent underneath a huge baobab tree. They offered me food (mush and beans) and we visited an onion farm and went to fetch water for drinking and washing from a green river.

I look up to these women here, who collect wood, fetch water, cook and milk the cows so the children have something to drink. The men, including my friend Baraka, are responsible for the security in the village. And the little boys herd the goats and cows.

The other day I went to a national park where I saw many animals, but I will tell you more about that some other time.

Chat soon

Yours Nala

NALA is feeding guinea fowls (painted by Stephan Chivinja in Dar es Salaam, TZ)

After I said good-bye to my hosts Tom and Pat, I raced down the mountain towards the city of Mbeya. I stayed there for two day to regain some strength and to wash my sweaty clothes. In a small restaurant I drank fresh milk right from the farm and ate chapati, which is sort of a traditional pancake. Yummy... something totally different to what I usually have for breakfast. With a full belly I got back on my bicycle heading towards Dar es Salaam.

After a few kilometers I noticed small chicken running across the road. They looked wonderful with those shiny blue feathers and grey dots. You know what kind of chicken I am talking about... exactly, guinea fowls! I got off my bicycle and waited, quietly sitting by the road side, hoping to see them at close range. Lo and behold... they came walking towards me, cackling, even though they are very shy. I started looking for cookies in my bag and when I found some I fed them to those little funny fellows.

They actually picked the crumbs out of my hand and that was wonderful. And all of a sudden Ms Peacock and Mr Crane joined us and wanted cookies as well. Mr Crane had seen me before when I pushed my bicycle up the mountain, sweating like crazy. No wonder that the guinea fowls came to me ... Mr Crane must have annouced me! Later on we said good-bye and they wished my a safe journey. Ms Peacock gave me one of her tail feathers as a present. With a big grin on my face I cycled through green, luscious landscapes and villages with simple mud huts. The people here are very friendly and don't always beg for money, unlike the people in Malawi.

There are so many more stories to tell ...

stay curious!

Your NALA

NALA in Tukuyu  ( painted by André Pilz in Tanzania )

Visit also NALA in TANZANIA on the Navigation at the right hand side.