We brought home many memories. Vivid images. New friends. Enrichment. Some final thoughts to share:
Economy
Tanzania is a "developing" nation. This means most of the people are poor while some are developing wealth. Tourism is huge and people depend on the tourist dollar for almost everything. Pricing is flexible, with high starting prices for tourists. While price negotiation is expected, we found merchants to be tough businessmen - they smile while you shop, look pained during negotiation, and disgusted after agreeing to a price and taking your cash.
Speaking of cash, US dollars newer than 2003 are readily accepted. Older bills, and decrepit bills, are refused. I wound up going to Barclays ATMs several times for cash infusions. The Barclays locations were secure, both electronically and physically. In Zanzibar City, Barclays central office looked like a military compound with an intimidating perimeter wall and guards using under-chassis mirrors to inspect incoming vehicles for explosives.
Phones
Everyone has a cell phone. Everyone. There are little businesses selling airtime everywhere you look. Roadside shacks, food stands, stores. There are cell towers everywhere, often in stark contrast to primitive surroundings. The only ones without cell phones were us, which wasn't a problem but it would have been nice to have one on Zanzibar to stay in contact with Abdul, our "private" concierge from Baby Bush Lodge.
Resources
Water and power were precious resources. Power was intermittent on Zanzibar. Notices on water restrictions were prevalent on the mainland. Most hotel rooms were equipped with manually operated electric water heaters. If you wanted to take a shower right away, forget about it - find something else to do for 15 minutes while the water was heating.
Moshi
We attempted to walk around Moshi on our own but tired of the constant attempts by locals to sell us goods or bring us to shops to sell us stuff. We learned later that shops employ these people and pay commissions when they bring tourists in. On a brighter note, we had an extensive walking tour with the help of a Zara guide, Emanuel, and enjoyed visiting places off the beaten path, like hidden public markets and balconies offering views few tourists ever see.
Kilimanjaro
Our mountain experience was spectacular. But it was hard not to feel bad for the mountain. The volume of human traffic and impact on it's environment is huge. 30,000 to 40,000 people climb the mountain each year. Trash litters the camp sites. Rocks and boulders conceal improvised rest stops with human waste and toilet paper strewn on the ground. It's the ugly part that no one wants to talk about. But when it's all over and you are back home reminiscing, the mind is flooded with the good parts.
Safari
Our safari had been shortened from 5 days to 3 days due to illness. We found 3 days to be almost too long. Face it, you sit in a dusty, hot, bouncing truck all day long. Yes, the scenery can be fantastic here and there, and there is some excitement and wonder when you see some of the animals, but the vast majority of the time is not glorious. Don't get us wrong, we really enjoyed the whole experience and there were truly special moments but 3 days was long enough.
Trainees
At Springlands Hotel in Moshi, two young waiter trainees really touched our hearts. Juma and Said. They made such an effort to teach us Swahili. Each day, new lessons. They had big smiles and big hearts.
Guides
We really appreciated the services of our guides: Freddy on Kilimanjaro, along with Hussein and Benjamin; Ally on Safari; Emanuel in Moshi; Ismael in Stone Town. Tips are their lifeblood and we always erred on the generous side. No regrets.
KLM
Our first KLM experience was world-class. Attendants were professional, courteous, and mighty attractive. A side note though: attendants smile much more towards Dutch passengers than the others. Food service went way beyond expectations in terms of frequency, quantity, and quality. I can't even imagine what the fancy classes were like and kind of glad we weren't in them. And the hot moist towels were heaven.
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This was a trip of a lifetime. Probably won't be the last one but this one meant so much to us. It took us to far away places that we had only heard about for much of our lives. There were tough physical challenges, spectacular beauty, gritty local situations, interesting people, outstanding native foods, the list goes on. It was big, it was special, it was our honeymoon.
-------------------------------------
Honeymoon in Tanzania
Part 1: Arrival
Part 2: Safari
Part 3: Kilimanjaro
Part 4: Zanzibar
Part 5: Memories
Economy
Tanzania is a "developing" nation. This means most of the people are poor while some are developing wealth. Tourism is huge and people depend on the tourist dollar for almost everything. Pricing is flexible, with high starting prices for tourists. While price negotiation is expected, we found merchants to be tough businessmen - they smile while you shop, look pained during negotiation, and disgusted after agreeing to a price and taking your cash.
Speaking of cash, US dollars newer than 2003 are readily accepted. Older bills, and decrepit bills, are refused. I wound up going to Barclays ATMs several times for cash infusions. The Barclays locations were secure, both electronically and physically. In Zanzibar City, Barclays central office looked like a military compound with an intimidating perimeter wall and guards using under-chassis mirrors to inspect incoming vehicles for explosives.
 |
| Contrasts in business: airtel minutes available in shack on the left, Land Rover repair available at the middle shack, as a freshly painted Land Rover drives by loaded with farm supplies |
Phones
 |
| Cell reception at Kili summit was excellent |
Resources
Water and power were precious resources. Power was intermittent on Zanzibar. Notices on water restrictions were prevalent on the mainland. Most hotel rooms were equipped with manually operated electric water heaters. If you wanted to take a shower right away, forget about it - find something else to do for 15 minutes while the water was heating.Moshi
We attempted to walk around Moshi on our own but tired of the constant attempts by locals to sell us goods or bring us to shops to sell us stuff. We learned later that shops employ these people and pay commissions when they bring tourists in. On a brighter note, we had an extensive walking tour with the help of a Zara guide, Emanuel, and enjoyed visiting places off the beaten path, like hidden public markets and balconies offering views few tourists ever see.
 |
| Public market off the beaten path |
 |
| Public market way off the beaten path |
Kilimanjaro
Our mountain experience was spectacular. But it was hard not to feel bad for the mountain. The volume of human traffic and impact on it's environment is huge. 30,000 to 40,000 people climb the mountain each year. Trash litters the camp sites. Rocks and boulders conceal improvised rest stops with human waste and toilet paper strewn on the ground. It's the ugly part that no one wants to talk about. But when it's all over and you are back home reminiscing, the mind is flooded with the good parts.
Safari
 |
| Where did I put those binoculars? |
 |
| Juma |
 |
| Said |
At Springlands Hotel in Moshi, two young waiter trainees really touched our hearts. Juma and Said. They made such an effort to teach us Swahili. Each day, new lessons. They had big smiles and big hearts.
Guides
We really appreciated the services of our guides: Freddy on Kilimanjaro, along with Hussein and Benjamin; Ally on Safari; Emanuel in Moshi; Ismael in Stone Town. Tips are their lifeblood and we always erred on the generous side. No regrets.
 |
| Ally |
 |
| Ismael |
 |
| Emanuel |
 |
| Freddy |
KLM
Our first KLM experience was world-class. Attendants were professional, courteous, and mighty attractive. A side note though: attendants smile much more towards Dutch passengers than the others. Food service went way beyond expectations in terms of frequency, quantity, and quality. I can't even imagine what the fancy classes were like and kind of glad we weren't in them. And the hot moist towels were heaven.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
This was a trip of a lifetime. Probably won't be the last one but this one meant so much to us. It took us to far away places that we had only heard about for much of our lives. There were tough physical challenges, spectacular beauty, gritty local situations, interesting people, outstanding native foods, the list goes on. It was big, it was special, it was our honeymoon.
-------------------------------------
Honeymoon in Tanzania
Part 1: Arrival
Part 2: Safari
Part 3: Kilimanjaro
Part 4: Zanzibar
Part 5: Memories
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