Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

I am from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, located in the East coast of Africa. I was born and raised in Tanzania, a beautiful country known for its sparkling Indian Ocean and the Serengeti Plains. Dar es Salaam comes from the Arabic language, which translates into Haven of Peace, which it truly is.

In a Nutshell:

Official Language: Swahili, think Hakuna Matata! :)
Population: about 4 million people
Currency: Shillings, to check exchange rate: Dollar to Tsh
Climate: Tropical weather year round.

Tourist Hot Spots: Mt. Kilimanjaro
                               Serengeti National Park
                               Zanzibar
                           

Located in the E. Coast of Africa
Map Link

Fun Fact: Tanzanite, a precious, royal blue gemstone is found only in Tanzania.

Swahili is the official language in Tanzania. Picture Link
Fun Fact: Hakuna Matata is a Swahili phrase

Tanzania known for its ethnic group of people, known as the Maasai. They practice semi nomadic lifestyle and old traditions. Also known for their bright colorful dress and customs. Read more Here- Maasai Culture

Fun Fact: The Maasai drink cattle blood during festivities and special occasions, such as childbirth. It is also a means of getting protein.

Mt. Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcanic mountain, highest peak in Tanzania. It is also the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters above sea level.
Read more here

Fun Fact: "Almost every kind of ecological system is found on the mountain: cultivated land, rain forest, heath, moorland, alpine desert and an arctic summit.
Read more here

Zanzibar is a small island about 30 miles off the mainland. Its clear deep waters and the large variety of spices draws tourists from all over the world every year.

Fun Fact: Zanzibar has the most carved doors in the whole of E. Africa.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai is located on the southeast coast of the Pursian Gulf. Less than 5% of oil is produced from the Emirates, however trade, tourism, real estate and financial services are the true sources of revenue. The city is known for its highest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, standing 828meters high!! Dubai is also known for its dessert safaris, camels, tonnes of gold, and the most symbolic 7 star hotel, Burj-al- Arab!!

Arabic is the primary language spoken in Dubai, followed by English. Islam is the prominent, though not the only religion practiced in Dubai, it flourishes with diverse populations, mainly expats! Modest dress code is practiced by almost all Arab man and women, modesty is also regulated in public areas.

Gold is available in abundance for trade. It is a symbol for wealth and good fortunes. This attracts tourists from all over the world to experience the true essence of dealing with gold.

Fun Fact: The world's longest gold chain is in Dubai, made up of 22 kg of gold with a length of 4200 meters!!

One of the best tourist attraction and active is the Desert Safari! Experiencing thrilling rides over the sand dunes of the desert completing the experience with professional Arabic

style belly dancing, food and music!

Mumbai, India

Mumbai, also known as Bombay, is the capital of India, located on the western coast of India. It is the 8th most populated city in the world, with an estimated 13 million people and it is projected that by 2020 it will have 28 million people,making it the most populated country in the world.

Mumbai has tropical climate throughout the year, with monsoon season, (heavy rain periods) between June and September).






Mumbai is vibrant with diversity, colors, traditions, cultures and food all coming together in one melting pot. It is the central place for Bollywood- comparable to Hollywood film industry, tourism and financial district.



Cultural/traditional outfits, usually worn at festivities and weddings.










Did you know: "the dabbahwallahs' (lunch containers) century old delivery system is recognized as one of the best managed supply chains in the world. Forbes magazine awarded the systems highest rating. Sigma Six- a rating shared with corporate giants like General Electric and Motorola, signifying less than one error per one million transactions." Youtube Link

More Facts about Mumbai







The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic places in Delhi, India. It as built in 1653 by the governer of the time, in memory of one of his favorite wife, a symbol of their romantic story. It is said to have taken about 22,000 people to build it and about 17-22 years. It is made out o marble and other prcious stones and craftmanship. It is recognized internationally for its architectural masterpiece.
Learn More Here

Bucket List- Greece

Location: Greece is located in south eastern Europe
Capital: Athens
Official Language: Greek
Tallest Mountain: Mt. Olympus, 9570 ft tall

Did you Know: "In Greece people celebrate the "name day" of the saint that bears their name rather than their own birthday." More Facts Here

Did You Know: "The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. The first Olympic champion was a Greek cook names Coroebus who won the sprint race." More Facts Here







Greek Restaurants and Cuisine

Greek food is known to be one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. It mainly comprises of colorful vegetables, lean meats, warm stews, whole grain breads, such as pita, use of olives and olive oil while cooking. Together producing not only healthy but very appetizing meals as well.






Greek History and Culture


Traditional Greek outfits especially worn during festivities

Ancient Greek theater at Epidaurus , built more than 2000 years ago, use to accommodate an audience of up to 15,000.

Bucket List- Turkey

Grand Bazaar

Turkish Food


Did you know: "Turkey is noted for having one of the three most famous and distinctive traditional cuisines in the world."












Mosques

Did You Know: Istanbul, the capital of Turkey, is the only city in the world, located on two continents (Asia and Europe) at the same time. More Facts

Ernest Hemingway- Introduction

Ernest Hemmingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Illinois. Soon after completing high school he joined the army as the World War 1 ambulance driver. In 1918, he was severely hurt hence returned home. This experience was the foundation of his writing, A Farewell to Arms.

Ernest Hemmingway in Africa

Ernest Hemingway was a travel fanatic and would travel to various countries in search for inspiration for his writings. He had  made two visits to Tanzania in his lifetime.

His first safari took place in 1933 with his second wife, Pauline. However, his trip didn't go as expected, he got really sick with dysentery, which is an inflammation of the intestine causing diarrhea with blood. Despite the circumstances he still found inspiration for his writing upon his return. His first travel description, "The Green Hills of Africa" didnt quite do so well, however his two African short stories, "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" were later recognized as the highlights of his writings.

His second safari took place in the winter of 1953, this time traveling a little too drunk with his fourth and last wife, Mary. Once again, his trip turned out to be very adventurous, a time during the Mau Mau Revolt, a revolt against the colonial rule in Kenya. Hemingway almost lost his life many a times, and was also declared dead at some point. But he survived the several crash landings and even after a plane blew up in flames. This trip inspired him to write, "True at First Light" however, he shot himself in 1961 before he completely finished writing it, which was then completed by his son Patrick.