Relocation Relocation Relocation

In late November last year, I packed a rucksack and a couple of suitcases and moved out of the flat in Tooting. It had been a surprisingly good couple of years in London but it was time to move on. It is now mid March, approximately four months later, and I am still living out of the same bags. I have lived in hotels in Earl’s Court, Dar es Salaam (3 hotels, up to 4 times in each), Mtwara, Arusha and Rondo. I have lived in houses in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, and all out of the same few bags. Suze has had roughly the same experience but with smaller bags and for an extra 6 weeks! Our belongings, which we were happily told would take about a week for the air freight and maybe up to 6 weeks for the surface crates, is still not here – and I could whinge about the dreadful service we have had from the baggage company for hours. Don’t get me wrong, I know that we are lucky to have it coming it all, and I feel privileged (bordering on embarrassed) to own so many luxuries when so many Tanzanians have less than the 3-bags-full (sir) that I am using. But if we had known that we had to rely on this stuff for effectively 6 months, then we would have packed somewhat differently, to say the least.
At this point I should mention how grateful we are to Suze’s boss and both our families for generously buying and carrying/posting the most useful supplies we could think of (chocolate, the Guardian, isotonic sports drink etc) to ease the wait.
Always good to hear from you, any of you.