The Tanzanian Paradox: Not Poor, Yet Begging for Food vA 127
(Sumbawanga, Tanzania) - Morning, my friends. Ah, let's go! - Goodbye. - Goodbye. Bye-bye. Goodbye. - Bye-bye. - Bye-bye. All the kitchen team was watching me. Let's go to Zambia! So today, we go to the Zambian border.
So it's 100 kilometers — it should be, a big part of it, dirt road — to the Zambian border today! Let's go to Zambia, guys! Hello. - Cool. - Hello. - Hello. - Cool. - "Sara, sara". - "Sara, sara." Hello. Good morning. - How are you? - Good, good, good. How are you?
Hello. - Where? - Zambia. Hello. - Hello. - Hello. Hello. - Safi. - Hello. - Salama. - Salama!
- You, you, you! Hello, hello. - Wait, stop! Stop, stop! - Hello, hello. - Stop! - Hello. - Nice. - Nice. - Cool. - Cool, cool. Hello. "Kamaka". Some donkeys.
It's been a while since I've seen donkeys. Hello. - Cool. - Hello. Hello. Hello. - Salama, salama, salama. - Hello. Hello.
Hello. - Hello. - Some gas. - Hey. - Hello. - Hello. - Hi. - Cool, cool. - Cool. - Cool. - Hi. - They were afraid of me. Oh, shit. Ah! The freaking rainbow bumps. Hello. Hello. - Hello. - Cool. - How are you? - Good, good. How are you?
- I'm good. - Good. - Yo, I like your bike. - You like my bike. Good. - Yeah, because... - Hi. - This is good for us for exercise. - For exercise, it's very good. Yes, indeed. Yes. - Yeah. So I just turned around to see what it looks like. - Ah, okay. - So maybe... You know, I admire it.
- You admire it. Okay. - Yes. May I take some...? - Yeah, it's okay. No worries. - Okay? Thank you. My name is Daniel. - Daniel? - Yes. - My name is Yves. - Yves. - Nice to meet you. - From where? - From France. - France? - Yes. - Ah. Where are you going now? - Zambia.
- Zambia? - Yeah. - With this? - Yes. - Or you can take some... - No, no, on this. - Zambia's side, at the border here — Kalambo. - Yeah.
- So after that, you can go... - To Mbala. I think it's... The first city in Zambia is Mbala, no? - Yes. - Yes. - Okay. Let me take a photo with you. Come to take a picture. - Oh, here is the school. - Yeah. - They... - You, come. - Ah, you want someone to come to take a picture. - Yes.
Come to take a picture. Come, come! - They don't know how to use it. Yeah. - Yes. It's their first time. Okay, thank you very much. - Asante. - In Swahili, to say "thank you"... - Asante sana. Have a good day. Goodbye. - Thank you. Good luck. - Thank you. You too.
Hello. - Where are you...? Where are you going? - Zambia. - Zambia? - By this transport? - Yes, with this transport. Yes. - Congratulations. - I appreciate that. - Thank you, thank you. Good.
Thank you, thank you. - Okay. - Have a good day! Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello. Hey. Hello.
- Money, money. - Hello. - Safi. - And here, I leave the main road. So this road, this paved road, is going to a big port in Lake Tanganyika, and the dirt road is going to Zambia. So I should have 50k of dirt road to the border now.
Good, good, good. Hello. - Nice. Where do you come from? - France. - France? Where are you going? - Zambia. - Ah, Zambia. - Yes. - Very welcome to Tanzania. - Thank you. - Very welcome. - Okay, okay. Thank you. - Very welcome!
- Okay. You are from? - I am from right here. - Ah, okay, okay. - Sumbawanga. - Okay. Okay. - Welcome to Tanzania. ...VIP driver. - VIP? - Driver. - Driver. Oh, you're a VIP driver. - Yeah. - Okay. - VIP. - Okay, very good. - ...one day. - Hm? - You visit my house. - Me? - Yeah. - No, but it's okay. I go to Zambia. It's okay. Thank you very much. - Thank you. - Thank you very much. But... - Another day. - Ah? Another day. Maybe, yeah. Maybe another day.
- Another day, you'll visit my house. - Okay. Thank you. - You are very welcome. - Thank you. Have a good day. Siku njema. So this man was a VIP driver, and he wanted to invite me to his home — very nice. Hello.
Hello. - Hello. - Hello. Hello. Do you have food? - Yes! - Yes? Oh, okay. Good. I'm coming. Hello. - Safi, safi. - Safi. - Let's go here. Restaurant. Irene Mgahawa. Okay. What do you have? - Meat and beans. - Meat?
- And beans. - And beans. Do you have liver/offals? - No. - No. Okay. You have meat. - Yes. - And beans. - Yeah. - And rice. - Yeah, rice. - Okay. How much? - 2,500 Shillings ($1). - 2,500. Meat and beans and rice and vegetables. - Yeah.
- Okay. Do you have soda? - Yes. - Coca-Cola? Pepsi? - There is Pepsi. - Pepsi. - Pepsi. Okay. - Yeah. - One Pepsi. Can I sit...? - Do you want to sit outside? - Yes.
Oh, great. Thank you. Nice. Ah? - Welcome... - Karibu tule? Thank you. Good. Oh, Pepsi. Good. Thank you. - Very welcome. - Thank you. - This is what? - Bicycle. It's a tricycle. - Bicycle? - Tricycle. - Tricycle.
- It's like a bicycle. Yes. - Tricycle. - Yes, because it has three wheels. - That is good. Yes. Yeah. Yes, yes, yes. This tricycle is better than this here. - Yes, it's more comfortable. Yeah. (He brags about his English skills) Oh, here is the kitchen. Jikoni, jiko.
- Welcome... - Oh, nice. Oh, wow. Fantastic. Okay. A beautiful plate, guys. It's gonna be a bit complicated. Yes.
Thank you very much. Yes. Look at this nice meal. Some vegetables. Nice rice. - Safi, safi.
- Very good. And nice meat. Let's try the sauce. - Hello (old man). - All right. Oh, there is some... Nice. Look at that. There are some tripes. Fantastic. Very good. Let's try this piece of stomach. That looks very appetizing. Oh, very good.
Let's try the meat. Good. The meat is really good. It's very tender. The rice is good as well. It's okay. Thank you.
- White man, give me money for food. - That's always the problem. Why? Kwa nini? Yeah, but you didn't do... You give me.
Ay-ay-ay-ay-ay. Ah? Why? I make the effort to come to your country, and you still want me to make more effort to buy things for you. It doesn't make sense. - Mzungu...
- Me too, also. Give me. Give me. I am poor. Give me. Give me. Give me. Nipe. Please. Please, please. I am hungry. Hungry. - Hungry. Hungry. - Hungry, hungry. - Hungry. - Hungry, hungry. - I am hungry. - Hungry. I am hungry. - Hungry? - Hungry. - Hungry. - Hungry? Boss, how are you? - Good. How are you?
- Fine. - Good. - So, where are you going? - Zambia. - Zambia? - Yes. - By bicycle. - Yes. - 50 kilometers from here. - Yes, I know. Yeah, yeah.
- So, don't you have a bit of money for food? - Why does everybody ask for money here? - You know, Tanzania is a poor country, so... Must. - Yes, but you know... - If you see... - You're never gonna get rich if you beg. You get rich by working. That's how everybody gets rich.
Begging is never gonna make anybody rich. So if you wanna stay poor, you can keep begging. It's the best way to stay poor. - So, we keep working hard, but... - Yeah, but... It works. You keep working hard, and it will work.
Ay-ay-ay. Okay, bye-bye. - Bye-bye. Bye. - Ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay. Everybody begging all the time here. I don't know why I still keep overpaying because... It's a bit sad. Yeah. I paid triple the price here, and the result is not... It's just more people begging. I think I should stop overpaying. - Mzungu.
- Hello. - Salama. - Good. Hello. I'm sorry, guys, but it's kind of frustrating when a big part of the people you meet just beg for money all the time, it's just...
It's just frustrating. And it's not poverty that makes that. I've been to many... I mean, look for example at Iraq. People were very poor, and nobody would ask me for money at any point. People would give me. So it's...
People would give me free food and would give me many things. So it's not at all linked to poverty. It's cultural. And it's... Africa is great in many ways, but in some areas, the begging is just too much. Hello. - Hi, hi. - Zambia is this way, no? - Kasesya? - Zambia. This way? - Yeah. - Okay, thank you.
Hello. - Hello. - Hello, hello. - Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. - He takes pictures. - Hello. - Cool. How are you? - Good, good. - ...take pictures of people... - Ah? - Why do you take pictures of people? - Ah, I cannot do it? - You cannot (but I don't get it). - I cannot? - You take pictures of people. - Ah, I cannot. - You haven't taken them?
- I can or I cannot? - Why are you recording? - Because I record my journey. - Eh? - I record my journey. - Do you have permission to do what you are doing? - Oh, I need permission. - Yes, of course. - Okay. - For example, you have taken a photo of me. Did I allow you... - Yes. - ...to take a photo of me? - I mean, it's a public space.
So I don't... - No, no. This is not a public space. - This is not public? It belongs to who? - Show me the photo. - Okay. - Taking a photo, you're supposed to be a journalist, right? - No. I'm not a journalist. - So, who permitted you to take a photo...? - Because it's a public space.
You know, if someone... - You must distinguish a public space. As a human being, I have my rights. - Yes. - Right? - Yes. - Should I come with my camera and take a photo of you without your permission? - Many people do it. Many, many people do it. - Many people? - Oh, yes. Many people. - Are they crazy?
- No, because they see my bike. - Are they crazy? - Because they see... No, they are not. I mean, I don't know. You tell me. But they see my bike, so they're like, "Oh, your bike is interesting." So they take a picture of me.
- By the way, we are immigration officers. - Ah, okay. - Where's your passport? - Okay. - How is the speed? - Slow. It's like a bicycle. Thank you. - Are you exiting today? - Yes. Probably not today. Probably tomorrow morning. It depends on what time I'll arrive at the border.
It's open until what time? Like five, six? - Five. - Five. So I will exit tomorrow, I think. - So are you going back to France with this bicycle, or you leave it somewhere? - No, I will go back to France with this bicycle via West Africa. - What do you do in France? - Engineer. - You're an engineer.
So you are on vacation. - Yes. - Bon voyage. - Merci. Hello. - Salama. - Ay-ay-ay. That's a not-so-pleasant last day in Tanzania. I hate when cops just tell you that you can't do something you're perfectly allowed to do.
Ah, man. Hello. - Safi, safi. - And when they play... I hate when they play like this, like, "I am the big cop. I am the one who has power over you. And I can tell you not to do something even if you're perfectly allowed to do it."
You see? Stand your ground, and nothing happens, because they know what I said was true. Well, now it's kind of weird. There is... It's starting to rain a lot, but there is no real cloud above me. I don't really get it. See? It's just a very small cloud, but it's raining heavily now. - Hello. - Hello. - How are you? - Cool, cool. Good, good, good. - Safi.
- Ah, nice people. Hello. - Cool. - It looks quite dark on my left. Hello. - Cool. Hello! - Salama.
- Hello. - Hi. - And the rain is catching me now. Hello. - Cool.
- Hello. - Salama. - Salama. - Cool, good. - Hello. - Hello. - Hello. Hello. - Hi, hi, hi. - How are you, Mr? Good? Stop, Mr. - It starts to feel quite remote around here. Wow. I am really in a forgotten corner of the world.
Hello. Hello. - Cool. - Hello.
Hello. Kamaka. - You are fresh. - Fresh, fresh. - Yeah, yeah. - That's what you call eating sand. Hello. - Salama, safi. - Salama.
Hello. - Good. - Hello. - Safi, safi. - Hello. - Yeah!
- Hello. - Safi. - Hello. - Salama! Mzungu! - Hello. Hello. Hello. Hello.
Hello. - Good. - Can you see down there the last village before the border? So there is no accommodation on Google, nothing on iOverlanders as well. So, I'm looking for a place to camp, but I don't... It doesn't seem there is anything around here, any place to hide myself.
Otherwise, I'll have to find a local hotel in the village down the hill here, because it's probably... It's half past four. It's too late to cross the border today. Oh, nice. Nice. Nice.
So straight ahead is the last village before the border, and behind, it's Zambia already. Katete. Hello. - Cool. - Cool, cool. - Cool. - Good. Let's see if we can find a hotel here.
Hello. Hello. This really feels like a village at the edge of the world. Hello, hello. - Cool. - What's all these kids transporting bricks.
Hello. Hello. - Hey, hey. - Hello. Okay, I guess I'm gonna have to ask. - Morning, morning. - Hello. Morning. - How are you? - Hello. Good. How are you? - I'm fine.
- Good. Do you know if there is a hotel here? - Hotel? - Yes. - At the border. - At the border? - At the border. - There is a hotel? - Yeah, hotel. - To sleep? Ah? - There is sleeping. - There is sleeping there. - Yeah. - Let's go. Ah? - Do you come from Egypt? - You come from...? - Egypt.
- Egypt? No, France. - Oh, France. - France. Yes. - Oh, no problem. - Okay. - Yeah. - Thank you. - Okay. - Have a good day. - Okay. - So there is a hotel one kilometer from here at the border apparently. Hello. - Cool. - Good. - Cool, cool, cool. Hello. - Cool.
- Hello. Good. Hello. Hello. - Cool. - Oh my God! - Yeah. - Those horns! Hello.
So I am almost at the border. Let's see if I can find the hotel now. Hello. - How are you? - Hello. - Good. How are you? Hello. There is a hotel here? - Hotel? Yeah, there is. There. - There? - Yeah. - This house? - Yes. - Okay, thank you. No, no. It's okay. Tomorrow. - Yeah. - No, no. Hotel, hotel. - Hotel? - There.
- Here and here. You, stop. I'll ride it (your bike). - Ah? - I'll ride it. I'll ride. - Ah, no, no, no, no. - I want to try it now. - Yes, yes. But... After, everyone. No, no, no.
- I want to test that. - Yes, but everyone wants to try it. So I think this house there is the hotel. The hotel is here? - Here. - Oh, here. Hello. Hello. There is a hotel? - Yeah, hotel. - Where? - What? Hotel or guest?
- To sleep. A room. - Yeah, a room. - Here? - It's straight. Yeah. - Ah, okay. Here? Hotel? - The hotel is there. - No, but a room. - A room? - A room is this. - It's in there.
- Oh, thank you. Are there rooms? - Yeah, rooms here. - How much is it? - 12,000 ($5). - 12,000. - Yeah. - Ah, okay.
Ah, okay. Good. Can I put the bike inside? Inside? - Yeah. - Okay. Sorry. - Please. - Thank you.
Picture. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Picture, picture. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Selfie time. So here's my room, guys. You see? A nice bed that looks quite clean.
It's quite... There is a lot of space. You see? No need to recharge today because I'm just 20 kilometers away from where I'm going, from my first stop in Zambia. Look at my neighbor.
I have a cow as a neighbor. Look at my toilet. It's a very local hotel. Squat toilet. I guess that's for the... That's for the shower. Bucket shower. Uh-oh. Well, the... The color of the water doesn't seem very appetizing. I might not take a shower.
Maybe I'm gonna wait for tomorrow to shower. So you see, my bike is here. And of course... I don't know if you can hear, but of course, the hotel is at the epicenter of the noise of the village. Hopefully, it will not be noisy until too late. That was my last day in Tanzania.
Sadly, my last two videos showed why giving or even overpaying can be often very problematic because... You saw that in my previous video and in this video, every time I overpaid or I gave something, I ended up with more begging in the end, so I just created more problems. So... Anyway, that's the way it is. So that was my last... Last adventure in Tanzania. See you for the next adventure tomorrow. I go to Zambia. Ciao, guys.
2024-07-19 17:27
