When we first walked through the property that would become Gallivanters Hostel, one feature immediately stood out: the pool.
It was huge. Not officially Olympic-sized, perhaps, but when you are paying to fill it for the fourth time, it certainly feels Olympic-sized.
Yes, we filled that pool four separate times before we could finally open.
At one point, Kibwana and I were looking at the emptying pool and wondering whether the land itself was drinking the water. We could not understand how something we had supposedly repaired kept draining again.
It is funny now. It was not funny when we were paying the bills.
The problems we were not prepared for
The property had potential, but we did not receive a complete picture of its condition before taking it on. We knew the pool needed attention, so we paid to have it repaired and tiled. What we did not know was how extensive the underlying damage really was.
The first repair appeared to be finished, and we filled the pool.
Then the water disappeared.
We hired another fundi—the Swahili word commonly used for a skilled tradesperson or laborer—to diagnose and repair the problem. We trusted that the new work would solve it, paid for more materials and filled the pool again.
The water drained out again.
Every refill required an enormous amount of water, time and money. We were already working with a tight renovation budget, so watching the same expensive problem return was exhausting.
Three fundis and one disappearing act
Altogether, we went through three different fundis while trying to fix the pool. Each person seemed confident that he understood the problem. Each new attempt gave us hope that we could finally cross the pool off our growing renovation list.
By the third fundi, our patience—and our budget—were wearing thin.
When that repair failed and we tried to recover our money, the man ran off. Kibwana actually chased him down the road, but he escaped.
That was the point when Kibwana decided, “You know what? I can do this myself.”
He began studying the problem instead of relying on another promise. He worked out what had gone wrong, found the proper waterproofing substance for the tiled surface and repaired the pool himself.
Then we filled it for the fourth time.
This time, the water stayed.
The pool was not the only surprise
While trying to get Gallivanters ready for guests, we discovered one hidden problem after another.
The roof was in worse condition than we had realized. The bathrooms needed to be completely gutted and renovated. Then the rainy season showed us another major issue: the property flooded.
And I do not mean a small puddle near the front gate. The water could rise almost to waist level.
Once again, Kibwana had to study how the property behaved and find a practical solution. He worked on the area near the front gate, creating a ramp and drainage system that would help divert the water instead of allowing it to flood the entire compound.
That experience gave us a piece of advice I would now give anyone considering a rental property for a business in Tanzania: if possible, inspect it during the rainy season.
A property can look completely different when the rains arrive. Walk the compound. Check the direction in which the water travels. Look closely at the roof, drainage, bathrooms and exterior walls. Ask questions, but also verify what you are told. If you can, speak with neighbors or people who have seen the property through more than one season.
We thought it would take three months
Our original plan was to get the rooms ready within three months—three to six months at the absolute most.
Did we finish in three months? No, we did not.
It took approximately six months to get the first floor operational. By the end of 2022, we finally had the second floor ready as well.
On June 28, 2022, I recorded a short video from the property. The first floor was nearing completion: we were painting, bringing in beds and finishing the pool. In the video, I said that the pool had been the hardest part. At the time, I did not explain the entire story behind that sentence.
I was looking at the result of four refills, three fundis, one roadside chase and countless unexpected expenses.
What rebuilding Gallivanters taught us
The pool became one of our first major lessons in building a hospitality business.
We learned that you cannot rely entirely on what a property owner tells you about a building’s condition. We learned that confidence does not always equal competence when hiring someone for a repair. We learned to inspect the work, ask more questions and understand the basics ourselves—even when we planned to hire someone else to do the job.
Most importantly, we learned how capable we could become when the usual solutions failed.
Kibwana was not originally supposed to be inside that pool repairing tiles and applying waterproofing. He stepped in because the business could not move forward until the problem was solved. That willingness to learn, improvise and keep going became part of how we built Gallivanters.
Later, guests would relax beside the clear blue water without knowing how much work had gone into keeping it there. They saw the finished hostel. We remembered the empty pool, the wasted water and the day Kibwana decided to repair it himself.
Sometimes the funniest business stories are only funny after you survive them.
And yes—after the fourth refill, the land finally stopped drinking our water.
