City of Millions

By Jacob -
Yesterday, I made a trip to the TCAA (Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority) in order to schedule my three aviation tests before we leave for Arusha in a month. As the TCAA is past the airport, it takes a couple of hours to make this trip. On my way back I snapped a few pictures with Carmen's phone. It is rather difficult to be inconspicuous when you are a white dude holding a big pink phone!

One of the intersections on the main road has been undergoing construction for while. I wanted to bypass this and so I took what I thought may be a shortcut.


There are a few main roads which intersect the city. Let's just say that when you leave these main roads driving can become interesting. You never know when you will have to turn around because the puddle is too deep or due to other complications... as a rule of thumb, we have learned to not be the first to make the tire tracks!



Yay! Pepsi. Usually, it is Coka Cola


With a population of 5.5 million people, the city of Dar Es Salaam is quite large. In addition, it is the 9th fastest growing city in the world. 

Some of the sections of the road were quite bad and I had to take care to not help smooth out the road with the bottom of my vehicle.

As I slowly worked my way along this road, I found time to think about the different world we are living in. So many different ways to live and perceive life. What I perceive as bizarre or different is really just normal life for the people of Tanzania. 

One thing which struck me was how common it is to see men wearing a kibarashehe (Muslim cap), to see women wearing their coverings, or to hear the call to prayer echoing through the city from the mosque. 

Muslim men praying at a mosque.


As I pass by the multitude of people, I can't stop thinking that this is life in Dar Es Salaam. This is life in a world where millions of men and women are held captive through Islam, animism, and the deceptions of Satan. I guess when you grow up in it, like this little girl, it becomes normal. But sometimes normal can be the most dangerous thing no matter where you are in the world.

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