Comoros

In recent months I’ve spoken to a couple of friends who have visited the Comoros. I realised it was only about an hour’s flight from Dar es Salaam, shorter than many domestic routes. Then I read that the Comoros are one of the world’s least visited countries, so I resolved to travel there when the office closed for the Christmas break.

So here I am. On arrival at the airport foreigners are spirited into a small room in front of a police officer’s desk. I crammed in alongside three Turkish businessmen and had to explain what I was doing in the Comoros. ‘Vacances’. This generated a very puzzled look, but I was stamped through.

The baggage reclaim area was one of the more chaotic I’ve partaken in, as it seems people transport huge volumes of goods from Tanzania, where it is cheaper to buy.

I didn’t have a plan for what to do after arriving. I had a short-lived pickle with cash (old ATM booth with nothing but the old wall marks of a machine) and no connection (WiFi or phone coverage). How the organised have fallen.

I made it to Moroni, the small capital and went on a walk to get a feel for the place. French, Arabic and Comorian (a sort of Swahili Creole) are the order of the day here, so I started to dust off the A Level French ready for the week ahead.