Nowadays, it is quite easy to survive in Arusha without shopping like crazy on my annual leaves in Europe, or desperately trying to find people to bring stuff. Nowadays, I don’t have to pack Nutella, any book, clothes…in my bags for one year reserve as 12 years ago. I can now focus on the special goodies to fill up my bags.
But I’ll be quick to precise that I couldn’t complain even by then since 12 years ago things were already improving for the basic commodities, but 20 years or so before, listening to the old timer expats it was Soviet style: soap, toilet paper, toothpaste etc were not always to be found on a monthly basis! There are still some similarities these days for lack of planning but many brands are available so it is usually just a nuisance, no more. People were then stocking up whenever supplies arrived and were subsequently careful not to waste them. Truck trips were also privately organised to Kenya, with guards or friends staying on the truck roof to kick thieves away. These were trying to jump on the moving vehicles, open the back doors and throw goodies out. The roads were so bad and potholed that the speed was accordingly painfully slow.
Kenwood and the rest are now here, choice will always be less than in the West of course and not always at a good price. Not sure this woman is tempted by kind of shop. Probably that she has other needs to fulfill first.
sweet seller, common scenery with the garbage too.
as in the West, though on a different style, advertising is of the same kind: no shame no fear to lie outrageously about products or skills. Nice spelling by the way.
cell phone vouchers on sale. Poor woman, stuck in such a lousy box for the day.
shot from the jeep, hence the skewed frame. Perfect choice behind that lady in red. Perfect…sometimes my belly aches for laughing too much.
sidewalks in Arusha are often colorful and gymkhana style. Better wear boots sometimes… Mihuri means rubber stamp. Just give any design (even copies…) to those guys and they will cut you out a perfect stamp. Don’t take the word ‘express’ at full value though…
5 crates, full! That requires some practice to zigzag amongst the lunatic drivers and careless pedestrians.
grilled corn, everywhere. I prefer the boiled one with butter but this variety is only to be found closer to the Coast, I don’t know why.
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