Back to Dar!

Saturday was my last day in Mombasa. I spent the morning with Amin Uncle, Anaar Aunty and Sheema (their daughter). They were the people who kindly let me stay at the resort from Wednesday to Saturday. 

They were so nice and welcoming and I hope I get to see them again sometime. 

Then, when I got back to Nurjan's house, we went for a drive around the city. Mombasa is not a very big city so we were able to get around from one end of Mombasa to the other. I got a picture of the famous tusks in the city. 

Then we went for BBQ and I had to start packing to leave. 

Sunday morning I was up at 6 a.m. in order to catch the 7 a.m. bus that I was taking from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam. It was a 12 hour ride (they told me it would be 10...but this is Africa!). 

We got to the border (of Tanzania) quite fast, about 2 hours in. When I got to the Kenyan guy (the first immigration officer I encountered.) I told him that I already had a visa and then he went off on me saying "do you think I am incompetent?! This is my job. I know my job. And you should have told me this first then I wouldn't have to do this!" And he just kept mumbling "I am competent." Finally, he gave me back my passport and I was able to go to the Tanzanian guy who was a lot nicer! 

After getting through customs, it was just a matter of getting to Dar. While we were driving I got to see so much of the land. Tanzania and Kenya, both, are breath-taking. I didn't take pictures because that wouldn't do it justice. You have to see it in person to understand. It felt like a movie. I don't know if any of y'all have ever seen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, but when the main characters are on the bus to the city they go through the country side and that's what I felt like. I was in a movie that was show casing the beauty of the African countryside. 

For a while nothing really interesting was happening and I almost texted that to my aunt. Right after I sent that message, (though I didn't say nothing interesting happened) we passed an accident with a bus that was ahead of us and a car. The car was completely flipped and all the bus passengers were standing outside. 

There was one woman behind me who was exclaiming "Jesus, oh shit lord!" Over and over again. That scared me more than seeing the actual accident! 

Then we passed one more accident on our way which was of a truck (18 wheeler) flipped in a ditch. 

But after 12 long hours, I finally made it! My cousin Romaana and my aunt Zeby came and picked me up from the drop off point. You can't say the station because they kinda just dump you right in front of their office in the middle of the street. 

I'm glad to finally be back in Dar! It's like my home away from home (:

Also, the power has been going out every day in Mombasa and Dar. In Mombasa there was no generator but here in Dar we have one so that mostly everything will work. Just not the AC...