A German, an Australian, and an American walk into a bar…

Sunday was my first visit to The Watering Hole, an establishment which caters to Moshi’s ex-pat population and is managed by my boss’s wife, Libby. The place is particularly popular among Westerners because it is the only place in town you can get a drink with ice made from boiled (purified) water. While we call it a bar, TWH is also a restaurant that offers some great food for those jonesing for a taste of home. Ovens aren’t very common in Moshi, so it’s THE place to come for a brownie, banana bread, or even quiche. The “cheeseburger” is about the closest thing you can get to an American burger in Tanzania. The Watering Hole is a personal haunt, however, because it is the only place in Moshi where I can access the internet to upload pictures! Unlimited internet is available at TWH for 1500 TSH/day (about $1.15).

Also at TWH on Sunday were Claire, the lovely Australian bartender, and Olaf, German poker shark. To the locals, we are all the same—mzungu—and because we communicate to each other in English, it was easy to forget that we are from such diverse backgrounds until Olaf went looking for the dust bin, Claire showed him the rubbish bin, and I saw them looking at a trash can.