I have been home for about a week, and I couldn’t help but notice the considerable difference in the pace of life between home and Tanzania. One way the “pace of life” of a place can be measured is through the average speed at which people walk. I was in downtown Chicago the other day and, as usual, everyone had a place to be and was walking extra fast to make sure no time was wasted. Quite the opposite is the case in Tanzania. Not only do people walk slower, but they aren’t always in a rush to get somewhere. On a typical walk through Dar, hundreds of people can be seen hanging out on the side of the road. This includes people hanging out in their shops, waiting for customers next to a bajaj (it’s like a golf cart taxi), or just talking with friends. I really appreciate this difference in culture. While this way of living may be seen as less productive through American eyes, a slower pace of life is very relaxing and pleasant. Even the restaurants were slow. Most of our meals at restaurants took an hour to come!

An elephant in Ngorongoro Crater

Another aspect of Tanzania that is simple is the cuisine. Every restaurant or food stand has more or less the exact same menu: rice and beans, chicken, goat, chips mayai, etc. Chips mayai was by far my favorite dish, and I must have had it at least 15 times in my five week stay. The best way to describe it is as a french fry egg omelette. I admit that it is nice to resume eating American food again, however, eating Tanzanian food acted acted as a cleanse for me considering I’ve been eating American food my entire life. I had an amazing time in Tanzania, and I can’t wait to make it back someday!

Cape buffalo in Ngorongoro Crater