By Emilia Sten and Anna Kevin (Originally Published Sep 25, 2013)
The market tour consists of five different kinds of markets. Tinga Tinga market, fish market, the Wonder Workshop and the wood market.. Tinga Tinga is a type of painting that was developed in Dar Es Salaam. The paintings are colourful and often made with humour, like a caricature. At the Tinga Tinga market, you can admire all the lovely art and watch it as it is made or buy some to take home.
The fish market is exciting for those who are not afraid of the smell of a little fish. You can watch them catch the fish by the shore and see how they cut them to pieces. Seeing them put the knife straight between the eyes can sound harsh, but it’s a way of seeing the real Tanzanian life.
At the Wonder Workshop, you can see how people use their imagination by creating art from things you otherwise would throw away. The workshop is run by people who struggle with different disabilities. You can read more about this workshop in the blog post “Wonder Workshop, Where Arts Meets Innovation.”
The Wood market is located on the main road. You can find jewellery, clothes, paintings, and famous wood sculptures here.
Bargain is the key here, and you have to be patient because everyone wants you to buy things. Knowing how much you should pay for your shopping is difficult, but the local team leaders who are with you the whole tour can help. It’s also much cheaper than back home.
Food is excluded, but as part of the tour, we stopped at a nice lunch place called Samaki-Samaki in the city centre of Dar Es Salaam.
