ARUSHA

I contemplated for months on how to write this specific start of our journey in Africa. I decided, I wanted to be honest, true and transparent. I read a lot of books and brushed up on history to feel more comfortable to articulate my thoughts. I am, too, guilty of feeling uncomfortable in a foreign space. Is it foreign space or is it foreign people? And how often do we talk about it?
Do you often wonder what makes you uncomfortable? Do you wonder if you ever make someone else feel uncomfortable? With social media delivering current news and information to our finger tips, we can openly and honestly talk about racism and how it affects us. Travelling has always made me more humble and modest and spiked my curiosity for different cultures and races. I would like to start blogging about my travels in Africa keeping in mind how I felt that very first day when I landed and how I felt when my trip was nearing its end. My experience in Africa was like no other. It was a place of warmth, generosity, love and kindness.

Arusha: About Us

Arusha: Image

Arusha is a small town in Tanzania at the base of the volcanic mountain, Mount Meru. Mount Meru is Tanzania’s second highest peak, after Mount Kilimanjaro. Most people fly into Arusha’s small airport as it is a gateway for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as well as for most safari destinations. We had many national parks to visit and so we started in Arusha. Upon landing, we were greeted by a representative from the tour company and driven to Arusha Tourist Inn, a small, very basic budget friendly hotel. There are not many hotels in this small town and most places will be very basic. Note that Arusha is 1400m above sea level and you may need some time to acclimatize, so take it easy on your first day.

Arusha at first may feel very busy and overwhelming even though it’s a small town. We settled into our room and later went for a walk to the famous monumental clock tower, located in the centre of the city. Urban legend has it that this tower is situated in the exact middle point between Cairo and Cape Town. But let’s not allow the facts get in the way of a good story. Just around the corner from the tower is a coffee shop called Africafe on Boma Road. Africafe is a well known spot for tourists and locals alike, and serves great food and beverages. As the sun was setting, we decided to walk back to our hotel and get some rest. The 10 minute walk to our hotel felt long, uncomfortable and completely out of our comfort zone. We had just spent one night in Arusha just to get some sleep before we embarked on our journey to see the national parks.

Arusha: Accessibility Policy

I want to revisit that very first day in Arusha and ask myself what was it about that quiet, long, ten minute walk in the new town that left us feeling so unsure. Was it being in Africa that made us feel unsafe? Was it because we passed many Tanzanians along the way and didn’t know how to feel and interact? Was it because their skin colour was different from us? These are questions we don’t ask and ponder about often. It's important for these questions and feelings to take place so we can be aware of our feelings. I was lucky enough to indulge in these thoughts myself so I can ask those hard questions to myself replying with even harder answers. I am more aware, more sensitive, more open and less biased.

I believe this is how seeds of racism are planted, without us even knowing it. Systemic racism has been practiced for years and it has trickled down to generations without humanity even raising an eyebrow, or worse, even realizing it. Overtime, has racism been reduced to a feeling? Racism is planted in our subconscious mind allowing us to respond to our embedded instructions of our thoughts, reactions and actions. Who knows. This is a perspective only a few would ever own up to.

Back to Tanzania

Arusha: Accessibility Policy

ARUSHA

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