Villages

VISITING  VILLAGES

Remembering this blog is about Dr. Dillon.

 Many of the villages shown below have changed only slightly since Dr. Dillon strode through them.

 The differences today would be the electric wires and supporting poles, and the corrugated roofs.

In Dr. Dillon's time there would have been no wires, no poles, and rush-thatched roofs.

One other difference is today's inhabitants are fully clothed.

 This view shows tire tracks in the dust, 

and corrugated roofs and 

some stone walls.  

Also note the poles and the wires.

It was this photo, along with some others, that brought the following comment from a friend, who used to travel widely throughout Africa.  She said, "I am so impressed at how the villages of Tanzania have progressed into this century.  They are indeed doing very well.

  I congratulate them."

Perhaps this charming view down a village street, with a mountain rising up behind, was the same in Dr. Dillon's time, but the walls would not have been so permanent, and the roofs would have been thatched.

 In the distance from where we were, and in amongst the trees, is what I would call a village compound.  In other words, a collection of homes, built close together for protection from the outside world.

In the '60s in North America, this would have been called a commune.  But these did not survive - here in Tanzania, the concept continues to flourish. 

Closer to the compound above,

with some residents in front.

A sunny afternoon - lots to see here - electrical transformer, bicycles, vehicles in the distance, socializing in the shade.

All the women are somewhere else, working, or taking care of the children, at home.

A more modern scene - pavements, electricity poles, metal roofs, white car, and solid buildings.

.

The produce was usually displayed "outside" but under covered stalls, always remembering the rainy seasons swamp everything.

 A modern Tanzanian scene.

Because it is "modern" 

there are advertisements and vehicles.

Notice the trees well established and planted where a vehicle could park in the shade.

How many times have we been in a vehicle in a "modern" North American parking lot, unable to find any shade from the midday sun?

The line down the centre of this photo is the half-open window of our land rover.  We did not want to intrude into people's lives!

Here is an established supply centre for the surrounding area.

The ads and the goods are definitely different to what Dr. Dillon would have seen, and there would not have been bicycles, but the concept of a general store managing to supply the demands of a region, would have been similar.

And next door is the local "photocopying centre."

 

One of the cousins on our tour was a member of the "younger set."

He found this of interest!

And this one, too.

Local Artwork and Thank God!  Coca Cola!

But the further we got from larger centres, the more there was on display for local sale.


Here is a very common, and very vivid example of
materials for sale.

Do you want to purchase a mattress?

This is the place to go.

A very well-developed village stall offering for sale: nuts and seeds for consumption, and all kinds of spices and dried herbs.

Do you need a cable network?

Perhaps a hair cut?

If you own a vehicle, maybe you

should have a tune-up?

 If you need meat, here is a stall offering
fresh cuts you could buy.

Always an issue in hot climates: how to keep meat fresh.

The animals would have been slaughtered
that day, and the meat was being assaulted by flies.

If you had purchased this meat, you would have had to cook it all the same day . .

And, of course, wherever man gathers,

and for whatever reason,

he leaves his mark,

polluting his environment.

And Africa So Beautiful

surrounds the traveller

on all sides.

This Jacaranda tree,

planted by

Who-Knows-Who

stood tall and strong,

a gorgeous sight,

in central Tanzania!

 For more on the Jacaranda Tree, click on this link:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacaranda#Gallery

We are approaching the end of this Trail

Next post:

How transport has changed in Tanzania.

 Thank you for reading along!

It is thrilling how this blog is read around the World!