The first thing I needed to adjust to was the change in traffic pattern. I nearly yelled out a few times, You're turning into oncoming traffic! Turns out, they drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right. Most intersections consist of large roundabouts. The first traffic light in all of Arusha was installed about a year ago and crowds of people came out to view the changing signals. Speed bumps serve to slow down traffic as well as doubling as pedestrian crossings. Most drivers are quite good about letting you cross. Public transportation consists of 'dalla dallas', minivans with seating for 10 and capacity for 20. Once any available space has been taken up, people will hang out windows or the sliding door for added space. Apparently, I can join the melee as a driver once I've aquired my resident's permit, although I'm not sure how I'll fare with the change in driving directions and general organized chaos...
We arrived in the middle of Mike and Maggie (our Country Representatives) moving house further outside Arusha. We pitched in and helped pack up their things into their two vehicles. Moving vans are not an option here as the back roads can be particularly difficult to navigate at times. We averaged about two trips per day and managed to get them settled into their new home by week's end. Now that's moving TZ style!
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