Kariakoo

Dar es Salaam, like most other African cities, has a central shopping district. This is the best (and cheapest) place to get stuff. The shopping district here is called Kariakoo and it's one of those places where you can get anything. Need a power cord for your cell phone? Try Kariakoo. Looking for waterproof fabric to make a trampoline pad? Look at Kariakoo. Need a coconut grater, wheel bearings, 800 pounds of dried sardines, a bar of soap, or side mirrors for your car because they got stolen while you were at the movie theater? Yup. It's all there. If you can find it.

Obviously, Kariakoo isn't just a produce market (though they do have that too). It is a huge sprawling district with unmarked streets and tiny shops that are so narrow you can stretch out your arms and span the width. It's the place where everyone goes to get the cheapest price on whatever it is that they are searching for. Kariakoo gets up early and stays up late. I'm told that the actual market is only quiet for a few hours in the very dead of night.

I like going to Kariakoo; it's chaotic and probably not all that safe (but not unsafe just leave your valuables at home). It's one of those places where the experience is worth as much as what you buy. A big part of the challenge in a trip to Kariakoo is getting there. It's not all that far but you really can't drive there because there's no secure place to leave your car--if indeed you can find a place to park which I would venture to guess is about as likely as it snowing here. On the off chance that it is snowing in Dar and you do find a place to park with out hitting a car, cart or pedestrian I'm relatively certain that some part of the car or it's contents would be relieved of its duty by the time you finished shopping. (Of course, you can probably buy the same part back--but who wants to buy what you already own)? So that leaves public transport. I usually take a taxi and have a Tanzanian friend go with me. I'm not concerned about going by myself but it can be a challenge to find stuff unless your Swahili is really good because it is such a large area. It's one thing to ask for bananas, it's another thing to ask for a brake cable for a 2000 Mitsubishi Pajero.

My latest trip to Kariakoo centered on getting a few random items: 30 meters of satin fabric, 10 liters of coconut oil, and a 3/4 inch garden hose. I succeeded for the most part--the fabric was beautiful (and cheap: $1.20/meter). The price of coconut oil had doubled since the last time I was here. Who knows why but we visited enough sellers to determine that this was indeed the correct price. So I only got 5 liters instead of 10. We found the right diameter hose but not the correct legnth. I reckon that means I get to go back.