The day after Christmas my father and I flew from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam. Normally I have to take a 13 hour bus ride to Dar so the 2 hour flight was a huge treat that I later regretted. Sorry let me rephrase, its a 13 hour bus ride if absolutely nothing goes wrong. The bus doesn't break down, and there is no accident stopping traffic on the 2 lane highway (one lane in each direction all the way from Dar). Here is a warning for PCVs: NEVER FLY FROM YOUR SITE! If you are lucky enough to take a plane, you will quickly realize just how miserable the bus ride truly is. We left at 11:30 am and were in Dar by 2 pm. It was AMAZING! You did not have to worry about dehydrating yourself to avoid those bathroom breaks on the side of the road or deal with screaming children. But the best part of the flight was that I GOT TO BE THE CO-PILOT. The pilot was South African and super nice. As we flew from Mbeya he was explaining how the plane worked and explained that pilots were tuned into the same frequency so they could communicate their locations with each other. Air traffic control is not one of the things that Tanzania has perfected yet. Overall it was a really great experience. I was happy that I had someone to show me how planes worked. It's too bad I don't have a brother who is a pilot and can take me flying/ teach me the basics....oh wait, I do.
After we got to Dar, we checked into the hotel then met up with my friend Danielle for dinner. Danielle and I went to high school together and have kept in touch ever since. She has lived in Tanzania for the past 3 years and is completely fluent in the language. She lives in Dar and I have a habit of staying with her when I visit (the Peace Corps office is in Dar).
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| The plane we took from Mbeya to Dar |
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| The pilot who let me ride next to him |
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| Me and my friend Danielle |
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