My final week in East Africa was filled with fun! I left Iringa on July 7th and took a “mini vacation” by myself. I flew from Iringa to Dar es Salaam on a very small commercial plane and that experience alone was exciting. I had never flown on such a small aircraft and was able to sit right behind the pilot and see some extraordinary views. The image of the small plane is not the exact one I rode on, but it is a similar size! I spent a few nights in Dar and was able to explore and enjoy the city more by trying different restaurants, walking on the pier, and going to shopping areas. Walking through the markets definitely helped me to feel more confident in my Swahili and I was able to bargain quite well to get some paintings practically at the local price, in comparison to what is charged to tourists.

 

I also went to Zanzibar, an island off of the coast of Tanzania, by a ferry for two nights. Here I stayed in a nice hotel, went on a spice tour, saw red colobus monkeys in Jozani forest, explored Stone Town, and went to Kuza cave where I swam. I enjoyed learning about the history and culture of Zanzibar and it was interesting to realize how different Swahili is in Zanzibar compared to the mainland.

 

After this, I returned to Dar and went to Nairobi, Kenya. I absolutely fell in love with this city and hope that I can live here over my gap year after I graduate undergrad. I was slightly nervous before arriving due to the ongoing protests and the way the media reports, but I never felt worried once I arrived. I stayed with a kind family that gave so much more insight into the political situation than I ever could have found on my own through news platforms and other forms of research. Tanzania and Kenya are vastly different in many ways, and some of the differences I wasn’t expecting. While I was only in Nairobi for my short stay, I hope to one day see more parts of the country as there are so many things to do. While in Nairobi, I fed giraffes, went to the biggest mall in East Africa, overlooked the city from a very tall building, tried different restaurants, went to the market, and more. It was truly an incredible time.