Zanzibar - Reverse Culture Shock

My wife’s Uncle arrived safe and sound very late on Friday night and it was an absolute delight to welcome him to our home. Although our original plans were for a traditional Tanzanian supper with all the family (cooked by our house keepers), the childlers were long fast asleep by the time he arrived. We had saved him a plate of food; pilau, goat stew and a spinach like vegetable dish. It may not sound it, but it really was delicious. We enjoyed a beer and lots of conversation, clearly there was so much to talk about. I think it was the latest night we’ve had here!

After a breakfast of fruits, pancakes and Tanzanian coffee; on Saturday morning he was ‘treated’ to an immersive African experience. The children had given a lot of thought to what to show him for the morning we had in Muheza. They took him on a guided walk through the fields and local shambas (mini-farms), then into town to see the market and finally I would take him round the hospital.

It was really brilliant to show him where we have been working these last few months. I felt a strong sense of attachment and pride as we walked round. I talked him through the layout and organisation of the hospital as well as describing the day to day activities. Although it was Saturday, there were plenty of people around. It was also Kids Club at the Hospice which was great for him to see. This is an amazing weekend initiative that offers children with HIV breakfast and lunch as well as lots of games, whilst squeezing in their regular clinic appointment. It has provided an incredible support network for them and encourages compliance with treatment. Despite their diagnosis, these are now ‘healthy’ children which is quite amazing really.

I realised as we walked around, quite how much a part of Muheza hospital we have become in our time here. I introduced the various staff working and many others who were passing through the grounds (all in Swahili I am proud to say). I have become very fond of this place and am so pleased that we came to work here. We have achieved a lot. However, guiding a new pair of eyes around also reaffirms just quite how much more there is that could be done. The rusty and wonky beds, the dubious mattresses, the collapsing bedside tables, the tired paint, the building works in progress (not to mention the lack of ITU and anaesthetic equipment, the very tired x-ray machine and a host of other things). The tour concluded and I think we both had much to think about. It was a very informative experience for all. Hopefully, we can continue to support the growth and development of healthcare services here. I pointed the ‘tour group’ in the direction of home, whilst I briefly returned to the wards to see my post op patients.

It was then an early lunch and off to the airport in Tanga. We had a 14.15 flight to Zanzibar! This was a trip that I have been so looking forward to – an anticipated escape and reward that has enabled me to knuckle down and get on with things these last few weeks.

The flight itself was delightful. We walked out of the small terminal onto the runway to be greeted by our small single prop plane that could carry 12 passengers. The Top-Gun-esque Indian pilot dressed in pristine whites and golden epaulettes (with the compulsory shades of course) spoke the Queen’s English and took very good care of us. It was amazing to see the region from the air and to fly over our regular weekend beachside retreats.

We had arranged to stay one night in Stone Town before moving on to two ‘beach resorts’ at either end of the Island. Treated to this holiday, we would be staying in some very nice hotels and would see another very different side to Tanzania. Arriving at our hotel in Stone Town was a slightly strange and surreal experience for me. 

The Tembo Hotel oozes Afro-Indian style opulence. I smiled broadly as we walked through the large, dark wooden, brass studded doors, to a foyer housing reception. This led straight out to a courtyard with a pristine marble fountain, luscious plants and that very inviting and soothing sound of trickling water. But then as I walked through the hotel, past the swimming pool and bar to the beach, I found myself quite overwhelmed. I had stepped into another world and was surrounded by affluent and scantily clad Wazungu (not all of them could carry it off), who were lounging in the sun sipping various cocktails. 

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable being immersed into such an environment. So many white people! All clearly having an excellent time. But their time seemed such a world away from what our lives have been these last few months. It was surprisingly difficult, and I now understand the meaning of ‘reverse culture shock’.

But this is all part of the rich experiences of life. Whilst on the one hand you could spend hours unpicking the social injustice of it all, such an approach is often not very productive and certainly wouldn’t help me to enjoy the holiday I was going to be having regardless of how I was feeling. The girls were all beside themselves with delight I am pleased to say. I took a deep breath, took a brief time out by walking along the beach and threw myself into the fun that I knew we all needed.

A beer also helped.

Whilst the hotel did not serve alcohol, there was a bar 10m down the beach that did. I enjoyed a cold bottle of Kilimanjaro and relaxed into my surroundings whilst the children were making the most of the hotel pool. When it came to paying the bill, the 6,000TZS price tag made me stutter. Whilst just a little over £2, it was 3x the price of what you would pay in Muheza. I found myself playfully commenting in Swahili how expensive the beer was, which delighted the waitress (clearly very, very few Wazungu ever even try to speak the native tongue). She empathised, and this led to a short conversation. I surprised myself by my near fluency in understanding the fact that this was a tourist bar, not a local bar (where beer was much cheaper), and then by explaining where we had come from and what we have been doing in Tanzania. This impromptu dip back into my Tanzanian reality was in fact extremely therapeutic for me and I walked back to the hotel ready to embrace the next few days and enjoy them.