Ready, set, goat

On Saturday, Cristiano and I dusted off our fancy clothes and made our way to the Ascot of Dar, also known as The Dar es Salaam Charity Goat Races. I have never seen a goat race before and was having a rather hard time conceptualising how it would all work. Would the goats be each running in their own lane? Would they be following a bale of hay a la dog racing? How would I know which goat I’d bet on? So many questions. Prior to the goat races, I talked to the lady who runs the gym I go to (Fitness Centre, near the Irish Pub, cheapish, no a/c), as she is a goat owner. Here’s the DL on the goats: They are purchased in March and undergo a strict regime of exercise combined with a specialised diet so that they are in top form for the races. Mind you, there’s no doping allowed. Having got the skinny on the goats, we were keen to see them in action so off we went to the races. For each race, 10 goats are carried into an enclosed track by 10 black men who pop the goats onto the ground and hold onto their horns until the signal sounds. Booop and the goats are off.....at a slow trot and bunched together. They are followed by the black men who encourage the goats to move forward at a semi-constant pace with a padded yellow bar that extends the width of the track. Two laps of the track and it was all over. It wasn’t exactly a fast-paced race, despite the overhead commentary that suggested otherwise. It was a rather amusing way to spend a hot afternoon, especially as cold beers were plentiful. By the way, we did see some fancy hats at the race track. My favourite was a very stylish black and red creation that would have looked in place at the real Ascot. If you would like to see more pictures from the goat races and of Tanzania in general, I’ve posted them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=142434&l=7149a&id=676510693

One last thought about food. We have been on the hunt for a good butchery. We tried one called The Farmhouse, which caters to ex-pats and has amazing meat, including the best boerewors I’ve ever tasted, but it’s a little expensive. Our next stop was Namanga. Several people recommended that we try the local butcheries situated in Namanga, which is an area that is located relatively close to our apartment. There is a whole herd of butcheries in Namanga, each with a side of beef glistening in the window. I have to admit, I was a little put off by the fact that the meat does not come in a Styrofoam plate covered in plastic. In addition, my knowledge of the parts of a cow is extremely limited. I do not know where fillet comes from or a roast or anything else as a matter of fact, which is a bit of a hindrance when figuring out what to order. My first impression on entering one of the local butcheries was of an axe. More precisely, an axe being enthusiastically swung into a side of beef draped over a large block of wood. At every swing, small pieces of beef jettisoned off to meet the white wall and the butcher’s white coat. I stood there in bemusement, until I had to turn my attention to actually getting some meat. After some nonsensical back and forth, I got a kilo of stewing beef, which has subsequently turned itself into a very nice stew. I am definitely going to give Namanga another try. In the meantime, I’m going to study up on the anatomy of the cow.