Day 22. Saturday, July 28. Dar es Salaam, TZ.

Day 15 in Tanzania.

Cathy and I had a long and sometimes hectic hike around the city today. We spent the morning in the market, a crowded and seemingly insane place, but we survived without being pick-pocketed (so far as we know). After making strategic purchases, we took a cab out of the area (how can a car move in that mass of humanity???) to the National Museum. That was a bit of a bust, but 1,000 screaming school kids added to the atmosphere, and I would go back next time. We walked out, made more strategic purchases, and returned to the hotel to recover. Tonight we'll get dinner, pack, and get ready to start home tomorrow.

Link to trip map.

As we were walking out for dinner at a nearby Indian Restaurant (The Alcove), the Tanzanian Yanga Football Club (soccer to us Yanks) was just finishing a winning game in a big tournament among East African nations (played here in Dar). The Yanga club won the 2012 Cecafa/Kagame Cup title for the second year running after beating rival Azam club in the finals played in Dar es Salaam.

As we walked through the hotel lobby, everyone inside was glued to the TV -- even the doorman ignored us as we walked out -- as the local boys were celebrating on the field. Outside there was shouting in the streets, high-5s, horns, and every sort of celebratory sound imaginable (except no gunshots or fireworks). We were a bit concerned about mixing with the energized crowd.

The hostess invited to sit inside and wait, but we decided instead to stand on the street and watch the world go by. With a guard (unarmed?) sitting next door, she thought it would be "no problem" for us to stand outside and wait. Soon cars and buses full of hometown Yanga fans were passing on their way home from the stadium, and as each group of vehicles passed by (pulsed by stoplights), the street merchants and the vehicle occupants would shout celebrations back and forth. Everyone was excited and having a grand time.

Eventually the clock rolled up to the hour and we went inside for dinner. Afterwards, we walked back on nearly deserted streets, again comforted by the machine guns on the corner. We stopped at the tree near the hotel (in view of the police) and got more photos of the fruit bats (flying foxes). I tried to get a video of the bats, but it was too dark. Fortunately, I had my new super-duper Dorcy high-tech LED flashlight, and I was able to spotlight the bats and get some cool video. Take a look at the cool video.