While wandering all over the world it is inevitable that someone will enquire as to your country-of-birth. The vast majority of these new encounters follow a relatively easy path; where you’re from, what you’re doing, how old you are or if you’re married – but some take you by surprise and lead you to completely […]

Just recently I’d completed a project with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. It’s not the heat here, but more the humidity that gets to you. It’s just above the equator so the sun pretty much sets and rises at around 6am/6pm every day. But I […]

It’s been rather difficult keeping fit whilst living this hectic jet-setter lifestyle, but I try whenever possible by adding some “forced” exercise into my daily routine. Moving from one African country to another has its normal logistical challenges, but keeping fit is always a challenge — that’s why my little folding bicycle, which I picked […]

Just after sunrise the streets of Dar es Salaam start waking. At first, small groups of people move about in the twilight and it’s hard to clearly make them out against the road and lush vegetation. By their stride you can tell that some of the bags and bundles weigh heavily on their heads and […]

Finding a reliable taxi driver who can arrive on time and move you from place to place without any of the typical hassles can stave off the impending borderline insanity for a few more days. But if you happen to get a crackpot driver, remember to roll with the punches, keep smiling and stick to […]

Ordering food in some West African countries requires a certain approach and decorum. The most important thing to remember is that the menu is never representative of what is available in the kitchen; and even though the wait-staff are agreeable and seem to be able to deliver anything you ask for, it usually pays to […]

Only a week into my first project in Tanzania, and having a weekend to spare, I took the 2-hour ferry to the island of Zanzibar. Oh, Zanzibar — I remember reading about it whilst barely a teenager and my only means of exploring the world was by following the contours of atlas country maps on […]

For the past 3 months I’ve been working in the beautiful country of Tanzania, Eastern Africa — where the luscious vegetation of the coastal areas, fresh vegetables and fruit, delicious seafood and friendly people add to the excitement introduced by well-known icons such as Mt. Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam — the name alone, […]

On top of the limited access to basic healthcare, electricity, running water and high infant mortality rates, rural areas in Tanzania also suffer from very poor education — leaving some vulnerable to suggestion that a cup of specially blessed water will cure everything from diabetes and blindness to tuberculosis and AIDS. Which leads me to […]

Just the other day, at the Kempinski Hotel, I happened to wander in on the Miss Tanzania competition, no security, no badges — so I thought I’d pass myself off as a photographer from Man Magazine, interview some of the girls and take intimate pictures of the event. The drinks were free and the food […]