Zanzibar - Dongwe Ocean View

Zanzibar-Dongwe Ocean View

March 15 -20

We woke up early and packed quickly. After writing a little on the blog and completing some emails, breakfast was ready and we enjoyed every bite. We walked around the grounds a little and then brought our packs to the front. Hamis picked us up by 11:30 and drove us to the Arusha airport. After checking our bags we wandered around some of the curio shops and then waited for our flight. By 2”50 we were on our way, flying over Tanzania, Dar Es Salaam, and then the Indian Ocean in the prop plane with about 75 passengers. We landed in Stone Town, waited for our bags to emerge and then out we went to see if we could find our transfer. Signs were waving and in no time we spotted the one that said “Edward and Lyn-Anne Dertinger” We hurried into the air conditioned mini van and one hour later we were greeted by Samson, the manager of Dongwe Ocean View.

After a tour and listening to Samson we immediately felt welcome and grateful to be here. We have the honeymoon suite overlooking the ocean. Its a small, very comfortable place with about 30 staff. They are all very cheerful people and we enjoy them very much. We set up a time to go snorkeling with an outfit called One Ocean. It meant a one hour transfer there and back, but it was the only way to see the reef off Mnemba Atoll Island, so we went with. it. We enjoyed the day and saw many fish, including dolphins. It was a good day and we were back in time for a swim and a light dinner.

The remaining two days we enjoyed finishing our books, getting caught up on the blog, beach walks and delicious dinner buffets here at Dongwe Ocean View. Samson sat down to talk with us after dinner last night to see if we have enjoyed our time here and we assured him that we have. Tomorrow we pack up and start the 24 hour journey home.

The past nine weeks have been packed full of adventure, to say the least. I find myself thanking Ed for pushing me to find the courage to come on this journey. I can honestly say I had some fears about it! Stepping out of comfort zone into a different world isn't always easy. We have met some wonderful, fun people along the way, to complete the journey. Cell phone networks are well connected here and I have been able to maintain frequent contact with home throughout our stay here in Africa. We have collected memories of a lifetime and look forward to reliving the adventure by sorting out our hundreds of photographs once we arrive home.

                                                      Dongwe Ocean View

Mount Meru Climb

Mount Meru Climb

March 11

We were up and eating breakfast by 8:00 am Our guides showed up half an hour early and we were happy they showed up. Apparently we have two guides, two porters, a cook and a ranger guide climbing with us. After breakfast, we were on our way to Momella Park gate in Arusha National Park. We were never given a climb briefing so decided we should read as much as we could at the gate and listen to as much of the Kili briefing as possible. We stopped off along the way for our guides to purchase some meat and stuff for us to eat for lunch. Once at the gate we were ushered to a waiting room to sit in until our guides and porters had organized our supplies and equipment into manageable packages. We met our very friendly ranger, named Joseph. He talked to our guides and told them we should be going up the long way in order to acclimatize rather than the short way, as they had planned. We waited about three hours and were finally on our way by noon, after signing the National Park record book. Just as we were about to leave, we were introduced to Jackomon, a fellow from Italy who had decided to climb Mount Meru. He and his guide and cook joined us and we shared Joseph, our Park Ranger.

We began the trek, walking through open grassland and siting buffalo, giraffe and zebra, along the way. Next came a steady climb uphill as we entered Montane Forest. We stopped for a picnic lunch under a well known Fig Tree that formed an arch over the trail. After lunch, we continued heading through the forested slopes, looking for Black and White Colobus Monkeys which reside in the canopies of the forest. UP, up, up, up, we pressed on until about two hours away from our destination, it began to rain and then pour. We were soaked in no time, but cooler. It was time to pull out my ipod. This situation called for Adele to give me strength. Soon I forgot I was walking and was actually dancing up the hill. We began to site Mount Meru's ash cone and the surrounding peaks. By about 6:00 pm we reached Miriakamba Hut at 2516 metres, after walking 15 kms up hill.

We were shown to our room and provided a small bowl each of warm water to wash our faces, hands, and feet. It felt soooo good!! By 7:30 we were eating dinner; rice, veggie stew, some kind of meat for Ed, of course and soup. It hit the spot. We sat and talked for a bit with Jackomon and then headed to bed.

March 12

We were up early the next morning admiring the views of Kilimanjaro in the distance. After a breakfast of hot oatmeal and peanut butter sandwich, we were off to begin a tough day of climbing to the upper reaches of he mountain. We climbed at a steady pace through the forest, listening to the birds and Celine Dion! Hahaha! Ed is the adventurer romantic and I the romantic adventurer. By 1:00, five hours later, we reached Saddle Hut, nestled between Little Meru and Meru. After a little lunch and a rest, we set off to climb Little Meru to a peak at 3820 meters. Climb high, sleep low; this would help Ed with his climb tomorrow. We enjoyed the views and then descended back down to Saddle Hut. After dinner the guides came to talk about a plan for tomorrow. Thankfully Jackomon decided to climb to Rhino Point and stop, as I decided after reading about the trail and the final ascent. This meant that Ed would leave at 1:30 am with Nick (guide #1) to climb to the peak for sunrise. Jackomon and I would leave at 5:30 am with Mark (guide #2) and Jackomon's guide to climb to Rhino Point for sunrise. I was happy not to be alone. We were in bed by 8:00 pm, but of course, Ed could not sleep.

March 13

The alarm went off at 12:30 am and although Ed didn't think he had slept, I know he did. I'm pretty sure that if someone is snoring he or she must be experiencing one stage of sleep or another. Hahah. Off he went to find Nick to have coffee and porridge and promised to come back to say goodbye. He was so pumped, I asked him to leave his backpack in the room while he ate breakfast. Otherwise, he may just forget to say goodbye. The wind was howling, it was dark and we were encapsulated in a cloud. GrEaT! Part of me hoped Ed would opt to go back to bed and climb to Rhino Point, but I knew he would press on to Socialist Peak and I knew that it would be easier to nurse whatever the result of the climb was than to watch Ed come short of fulfilling his dream of climbing Mount Meru. At 1:30 am he came back to the room. I asked him to please turn back if visibility was so bad that he was in danger of falling off the ridge and he promised he would. I gave him a tearful kiss and saw him out the door as he disappeared into the fog of the cloud.

After that, I didn't sleep a wink; just laid there thinking happy thoughts. Finally 5:00 am came and I got up, got dressed and waited in the room until I heard Jackomon come out. We had tea and biscuits and then started our climb to Rhino Point (3800 metres). We were in time to watch the sunrise over Kilimanjaro. It was very cold, but we stayed for quite some time admiring the ash cone from above. It looked very much like I imagine the moon would look. I looked to see if I could see Ed on the top of Socialist Peak but nope. All I could see was rocks and a very narrow pathway over the ridge toward the peak. We descended and were back at Saddle Hut by 8:30 am.

By 9:45 am I could hear Ed's voice. There he was with a very spooked look in his eyes and a very bloated belly, but a grin from ear to ear. Still smiling, I thought! The first thing he said was, “I promise I will never do that again.” “I'm done with climbing mountains.” It took Ed five hours to climb to the summit through the dark cloud and wind. There was no pathway after Rhino Point and in some parts it was necessary to crawl. In true Eddie fashion he was early, even for the sunrise and Nick reported to him that they had climbed too fast. No surprise there as at 4565 meters, Ed reported feeling the nausea of altitude sickness. After a little debriefing, Ed was snoring.

At 1:00 we had a quick very cold breakfast. It was terrible but I gagged it down knowing the food energy would be needed for the descent ahead. Off we went. We descended to Miriakamba Hut. We arrive around 4:30 and after a rest were eating dinner; soup, rice, stew. We hoped for a good night rest.

March 14

After breakfast we continued our descent of Mount Meru, passing through the Park gates of Momella through the forest and grasslands of the lower plains. When we arrived at the place where we started March 11, Joseph completed the certificates stating our successes and we were soon on our way back to Moivara Lodge. It was wonderful to have a shower again and relax in the lawn chairs by the pool. 

At 6:30, Hamis showed up to drive us to Kahn's BBQ. This was a all part of the climb package. Kahn's BBQ doubles up as an auto-spares store by day and a popular and very earthy BBQ by night. We were given a heaping spread of grilled meat, salads and Zanzibar pizza. There was plenty to share so we invited Hamis to join us. After dinner we went to bed, dreaming of Zanzibar.

                                                           Ed and Lyn on Little Meru Peak

                                                          Ed's pathway to Socialist Peak

                                                    Yeah!!! Ed on Socialist Peak

                                               Sunrise over Kilimanjaro from Socialist Peak

                                                            Picnic Lunch at Fig Tree

                                                                     chameleon

                                                 Sunrise from Rhino Point, LA

                       

                                View of cinder cone from Rhino Point

                                              LA at Rhino Point

                                                Ed at Kahn's BBQ

Goodbye Intrepid Travellers

Goodbye Intrepid Travellers

March 10

We were up early eating breakfast and taking group pictures.  The plan was to meet our transfer to the next leg of our journey at Shoprite in Arusha by 8:30 am.  I emailed the travel agent in Capetown while we were in Malawi and asked her to remind the people involved in the next leg of our journey, that we will be in Arusha March 10.  The plan was that the taxi driver would have our flight tickets for Zanzibar and informatioon about our climb up Mount Meru  She emailed me a contact number and name of someone we could touch base with and Chris followed up with a phone call in Swahili.  All seemed to be well planned.  Yeah!!!!!

We arrived on time and the taxi was waiting.  Our transfers needed for the next week were clearly listed and Hamis was our taxi driver.  We said our goodbyes to the Intrepid Travellers and off we went to Moivaro Lodge to enjoy a bit of luxury.  The Lodge seemed to be a base for people climbing Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro so they welcomed us with warm smiles even though we must have looked a little rough (like we hadn't seen a mirror in quite some time).  We checked in, sat down to a delicious cup of coffee, showered and then began to research who we were climbing Mount Meru with.  The hydro was out, so I couldn't refer to my email to get the phone number of the new contact person.  The Lodge reception was extremely helpful and after several calls, she tracked down someone who could give us the information we needed.  We took a taxi into Arusha to buy souveneers and touch base with the company we were climbing Mount Meru with. 

By sunset we were back at the Lodge and sat down to a very nice pasta dinner.  Next we unpacked once again and packed only light essentials for our climb.  Everything else was stored safely at reception.  We were excited to sleep in a bed, so retired early.  Tomorrow we meet our climbing crew at 8:30 am.

Intrepid Travel Group

Chris, Kioko and Sam

Serengeti and Onward Toward Arusha

Serengeti and Onward Towards Arusha

March 9

By 6:00 am we were all up and packing while sharing stories of experiences in the night. Everybody's story was the same, as I listened with horror. Apparently I slept through the visitation of a pair of hyenas pacing ourside around our tents and ravishing on the chicken scraps in our garbage. I much prefer watching the wildlife from the protection of the jeep over the veil of a piece of canvas. Chris assures me that when we are in the jeep, the animals don't see the humans. All they can see is the jeep. I go with it, even though I know that somewhere in that scenario human scent must play a role. Chris has also told us that once a lion has tasted human flesh, it becomes their preference. The message is, “STAY IN THE JEEP” Really the wildlife only attacks if they feel threatened or need to protect their babies. Otherwise, they seem to simply run away from the scent of humans. Herbivores like giraffe and wildebeest, zebra, etc. carry on life regardless of how close we are.

By 7:00 am we were in the jeep; one more game drive to exit the Serengeti. It was spectacular! On the five hour game drive we saw a pride of lions up close in a clearing, a herd of elephant and the wildebeest migration. It was an awesome conclusion to a very memorable Serengeti experience. Once at the gates of the Serengeti we stopped for a picnic lunch and then proceeded around the rim of the crater and into Masai territory again. The rolling hills, village views and views of the Masai dressed in their bright woollen cloth, herding their cattle in vast fields was a refreshing image to remember of Tanzania. Once through the gates of the Crater Conservation Area we continued to meet Sam and get back on the truck one more time. One last long drive to Mtowa Mbu, the half way point between Arusha and the Crater.

We stayed in Snake Campground for the night. I was happy to learn that it was named that because of the vast collection of African Snakes on display in a caged area. Once our tent was up, we had two hours to collect all our belongings together. Fortunately, we wore the same clothes for three days so we have a set of clean clothes for our climb. I wrote a note to Chris, Kioko, and Sam with a tip enclosed to present at dinner. After a quick shower to wash the Serengeti out of our hair, we were ready for our last dinner together. Dinner was prepared at the camp outdoor restaurant.

Ed decided that he would say a few words to thank the group of people we have travelled with for their part in making our experience memorable. Ed thought it a good idea for me to thank Chris, Sam and Kioko. I'm not sure about that. As soon as I bravely stood up to say my few words and give them each a tip, the tears came flowing. Overwhelmed with appreciation, I got it all out; thank you to Sam for driving us SAFELY with admirable focus over periods of driving that extended up to 15 hours on some days. I have no idea how he did it! Thank you to Kioko for excellent nutritious meals, introducing us to some African Specials and keeping our bellies healthy. Thank you to Chris who earned our trust and respect very early in the trip. We felt safe, all the way!

                                                                              Chris and Lyn

Goodbye to lockers 6, 7 and 10!

Kioko and The Girls

Serengeti National Park

Arusha to Serengeti National Park

March 7

We woke up at the crack of dawn. I was feeling much better, although the morning started with a sprint to the washroom; well maybe two or three sprints to the washroom. Darn; now I have to drink all that water. I reported my condition, which meant rice, bread and bananas only, for me, until further updates. The good news is that I don't seem to have a fever and my tummy does not hurt. I can do this. We packed our own lunches with a selection of salad makers, myself excluded, that Kioko had cut up for us. After our camping equipment and essentials were loaded onto a safari jeep, we jumped on the jeep that was to be home for the long safari drives ahead. Sam stayed behind to watch over the truck and our belongings.

We arrived at the gates of the Ngorongoro Crater by 8:00 and waited over an hour for the registration process to be complete. Then we were free to explore. The crater was a spectacular site from the rim. When we descended into the crater we sited a large mass of animals including a herd of migrating wildebeest, zebra, a herd of giraffe crossing the road, rhino and menagerie of colourful birds flying overhead and fulfilling their roles in the food chain. We continued on our game drive until we reached the gates of the Serengeti at about 5:00 pm After a short break and refreshment we were on our way again heading to our camp in the Serengeti. Since the sun was beginning to set, we focused on hurrying over the washboard roads. Chris was at camp waiting four us and had our tents up already. Kioko had dinner made and we were all grateful indeed. Full course meal for Ed. Soup and rice for me. MMMMM!!!!!

Serengeti National Park

The wide open plains of the Serengeti, green afgter the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season and home to thousands of hoofed animal and fierce predators, is the quintessential image of Africa. Flat and rolling with long grasses, the plains get its name from the Masai word siringitu, “the place where the land moves on forever.” 

March 8

We woke up this morning with the hyena laughing in the grasses next to us. Our camp was not gated so we virtually camped in a camp right in the middle of the Serengeti. Fortunately there was a full moon last night so we were able to find a tree to back into and have full view of the Serengeti around us to watch for unwelcome predators, while performing our 2:00 am washroom habits. After a couple more hours sleep everyone was up, and eating toast and preparing for our morning game drive.

By 7:00 am we were on the road in search of cats in the tall grasses. We passed by a swampy area that had so many hippo, it looked like the swamp was filled with large grey rocks. We scanned landscape after landscape and soon came across a leopard walking towards us. It actually crossed the road right in front of us. Next we came across a cheetah with four cubs. We watched her for a long time and were able to get some close-up views. It was awesome! We have now seen the Big Five plus one: elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, buffalo and cheetah. Back to camp for lunch and a siesta. We ended up retreating to our tent, protected from the tsetse fly after one bit me in the butt, right through my pants!!!

At 3:00 we went for another three hour game drive. We saw some very sleepy cats very relaxed in trees well protected from the sun and that pesky fly. At sunset we saw a pair of giraffe feeding on a tree. They carried on with life right beside us on the side of the road as we snapped one picture after another. Once back at camp we made a fire and chatted while Kioko made dinner. Reflections of experiences we have had together and funny stories were shared during dinner and into the evening. When the hyenas starting calling, we went to bed. Tomorrow is a big travel day.

Ed washing and drying pots. Yeah!!!!!

Acacia Tree

Small section of the wildebeast migration

Dar Es Salaam to Marangu and Onward to Arusha

Dar Es Salaam to Marangu

March 5

We were up before sunrise and could hardly wait to leave Dar Es Salaam. The journey ahead of us was very long; 560 km and it literally took us all day (15 hours) to do it. About 14 hours into the journey..... drum roll....... Mount Kilimanjaro was in our field of vision. WOW!!! It was soooo much bigger than any picture I have seen. The clouds unveiled the snow capped, majestic mountain for us. Kilimanjaro is the tallest free standing mountain in the world. Soon we arrived at Marangu Village and then completed the journey to our camp. We left everything in the truck, taking only essentials to our tents. We were camping on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. Our dinner, made locally, was tasty and well appreciated at 8:00 pm. We talked for a couple of hours and then retired for the night. 

Marangu to Arusha

March 6

We had a great sleep and had no trouble waking up for breakfast at 7:30. We met Maggie, a local girl who was our guide on the walking tour of Mshiri Village. We heard about the Village Education \project at Mshiri Village and passed many of the Chagga people along the way as they carried on with their regular day. We visited the primary school as well as vocational school which is very well equipped and supported by advocates. At the end of the tour we stopped for lunch made by one of the local ladies. It was delicious, but not appreciated by my digestive system. More on that later.

We continued walking to the truck which was in Marangu, located on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a beautiful walk surrounded by fertile fields, irrigated by streams fed by Mount Kilimanjaro glaciers. After a quick look at some village crafts we were on the truck headed to Arusha. It was predicted to take five hours to travel 120 km due to speed bumps along the way. We left at about 2:00 and arrive in Arusha about three hours later where Kioko picked up food for the Serengeti. We had a delicious cup of kilimanjaro coffee before heading towards our campsite about two hours away. It was a scenic drive and refreshing to see the Masai villages and people in their traditional cloth carrying on with daily life.

By the time we arrived in camp I had a huge head ache and with a couple of hours started feeling extremely cold. I had a shower and bundled up while packing essentials only for the three night stay in the serengeti. I fell asleep in the chair of the truck waiting for our camera and phone batteries to charge. Fortunately, by the time everyone was ready to go to bed, everything was charged and ready to go. I went to sleep hoping, hoping, hoping to feel better by morning.

First siting of Kili

Village Lunch

Zanzibar

Zanzibar – Sunset Bungalows

March 2 and 3

These two days have been an absolute refresher for us. The water is crispy turquoise blue and sand white and soft. The Indian Ocean is warm and we have enjoyed beach walks, swims, good food, good sleeps. I believe this is one of the paradises in the world. I have no idea how we are going to return to the truck tomorrow, except that it promises to take us to the Serengeti. The great thing is that we plan to return to Zanzibar after our Mount Meru climb. We will be on the East side of Zanzibar at that time and fly home from Dar Es Salaam.

Show Us To The Beach

To The Beach – YES!

March 1

We were first awake, so we went for a morning walk through Stone Town and the Harbour Front. It was fun waking up with the rest of the town. The alleys are narrow; actually wide enough for one scooter to get through at a time. Walking comes with the constant hum of beep beep beep and the ring ring ring of the little bells on bikes. Best move out of the way because the other option is to get run over. We past by a high school in the middle of morning exercises and when all the students turned and looked at us in the doorway, looking at them, we decided that maybe we were a bit of a distraction and left. We arrived back at Safari Lodge and ate breakfast on the roof top (included in our night stay). 

Our taxi van picked us up for our morning adventure; visit to the Slave Market and a Spice Tour. Our guide, Ali was a funny guy who enjoyed experimenting with different accents; British and American and he had many of the idioms we use down to a fine art. At the Slave Market, a guide took us down to the dungeon where the slaves were brought and held before auction. Hearing the tales of these times (late 19^th century) was staggering. 

We continued on our drive to a spice plantation where we walked and walked, stopping at various plants to taste or smell or see different parts of the plant sliced, revealing the fruit or dye or spice inside. At the end of the tour we received gifts woven from pineapple leaves. The girls have a crown and necklace with a frog pennant. The boys have a tie and hat. Ed had the bonus of sunglasses made from a pineapple leaf. Classy guy!!! We were now dressed for the occasion of our local lunch, a traditional African meal. It appeared that we were guests in someone's home, a mud hut where we removed our shoes and sat on a mat in circle formation. The food was placed in the middle and we all helped ourselves. It was delicious!!!

Next was the one hour ride to the beach; Sunset Chalets. When we arrived we were shocked and thrilled to walk into our room overlooking the beach. This time we have a bed with a 12 inch mattress, a fan, air conditioning, a balcony and our own washroom. What a treat; here for three nights!

                                                          Village Lunch (Spice Tour)

Our Intrepid Group dressed up for theSpice Tour
Above: Coconut drinks being prepared

 

Stone Town

Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar – February 29

Last night we hurried about that rubic square on the truck packing essentials needed to be in Zanzibar for four nights. We say goodbye to the truck, our tents, Sam and Kioko and while in Zanzibar we have accommodation with beds; imagine that. I sure am. Sleeping in the tent at Dar was difficult. It was like being in a sauna all night, so I ended up reading myself to sleep. The malaria pills we are taking sometimes cause insomnia or vivid dreams, so it was a bit of a long night as I read and took breaks to look for the Little Dipper and Big Dipper in the stars, through the screens in the tent. Just kidding; no Big Dipper and Little Dipper here. I did however, find Orion's Belt and the Southern Cross in the southern sky.

Finally morning came and we hurried to get ready with the hope of getting on the 9:30 ferry. Sam drove us to the dock and Chris gave us a heads up regarding the adventure ahead. “Carry everything you have in front of you.” “Tuck all travel documents inside your pack.” Good idea! We walked about one kilometre from where Sam dropped us off to the ferry dock through the very populated city, even at this hour of the day. When we arrived we waited in the air conditioned terminal while Chris bought our tickets. How do I spell relief? AIRCONDITIONING Yeah! A chance for the clothes we are wearing to dry out. Next we moved onto the ferry, much like a large collection of sardines packed and pushed together, all hoping to make it onto this particular ferry. We found seats on top with a little cover to protect us from the sun. The ride was so refreshing and we all ended up falling asleep, either hugging our packs or stretched out over top of them. 

Once we arrived in Zanzibar, we collected the stamp in our passports and showed our immunization records. We were picked up and driven to Stone Town and our accommodation for one night. Once we settled into our room with a bed and our own bathroom (how exciting is that?) we went out to explore Stone Town and find a place to eat lunch.

Stone Town is the old port town of Zanzibar. It reminds us very much of Old Jerusalem and the potential for me to get lost was high, so I kept very alert to where Ed was at all times. LOL After a good lunch we wandered the winding cobblestone alleyways checking out different shops and local markets or bazaars, as they are referred to. Fruit, spices, fish, cloth and anything possible to sell contributed to the collection of fragrances, odours, and colours around us. A local man had in his mind what he was sure Ed was looking for and began to lead him deeper into the heart of Stone Town. At one point, Kiwi Chris said, “Wait a minute; I'm not following him anymore; who knows where we are going?” I decided it was safer to follow Chris and the others. LOL We whistled to Ed and shook our heads at him. His new friend, however, didn't understand and continued to tag alongside of him trying to persuade him to go his way. As hard as we tried, we could not lose that fellow, so finally Ed pulled out some money and paid him off. He seemed to understand there wasn't any more money to be given and left us alone.

We enjoyed a beverage at Africa House, overlooking the harbour at sunset. It was very quaint, much like I would imagine a cafe in Saudi Arabia. The architecture was beautiful; very Arabic in nature. Once the daylight was gone, we walked to the harbour front where there was an evening food market; a large market of various street food all the way from lobster to Zanzibar pizza (fried pizza that tasted more like an omelet in a crust). Ed had a few tastes of pizza. The last words we heard from Kioko were, “Just don't eat food cooked from street vendors.” We decided it was best to eat the remainder of dinner in a restaurant so we walked to Mercury's (a restaurant named in honour of Freddy Mercury, who was from Zanzibar). Good food, good talk, good beverages, end of a good day.

                                          Ed and Kiwi Chris sharing a Zanzibar Pizza

                                        Shuttle to the Zanzibar Ferry
                                         Do you see any space?

                               Backpacks are called that for a reason.  Does this look a little awkward?

                                           Stone Town; so many colors to choose from

Dar Es Salaam

                                                          Lunch En Route

Dar Es Salaam

February 28

Up at 5:00 am and eating corn fritters and toast by 5:15 and on the road by 5:30. Off we started in the darkness to find our way to Dar Es Salaam. I slept for a few hours to help with the passing of time. It wasn't long and we were at the border. It didn't take long for us to get all sorted out and we were on our way again. Surely, I thought we would stop somewhere soon for a little snack or sip of tea. Nope! Sleep some more! Soon I woke up to the sound of humans and clearly some sights to record in the memory banks. What did I see?

• small dwellings with corrugated aluminium roofs surrounded by forests of banana trees
• shops: wood shop, tire shop, bike repair shop, carpenter shop, wood shop
• hedges of hydrangea
• stands selling banana, mango, avocado, pineapple, passion fruit, jack fruit, custard apple
• gigantic bags of plastic containers; an attempt to recycle
• stone-age type living conditions speckled with the periodic site of someone talking on a cell phone while standing outside the mud hut with the thatched roof
• over 100 different tribes of people co-existing
• school children parading to school in full uniform
• men in groups polishing their motorcycles

At one point the truck stopped for a moment and was swarmed by people balancing baskets on their heads. Kioko jumped out and quickly purchased some pineapple and bananas. Snack time? Ahhh; those bananas tasted so good. I devoured four of them and I think Ed matched my intake. Finally at about 2:00 we found a place to pull over and make lunch; the weighing station. 

Just before Dar, We drove though Mikumi National Park. Giraffe and elephant and spring bok showed up along the side of the road. Go figure!

Within a couple of hours we were entering Dar Es Salaam. Traffic this way, that way, horns blowing, fumes, oh the fumes, traffic jam, people everywhere. Sam, our driver just keeps on pushing through. We arrived at our camp on a beach outside the city, reasonably close to the ferry which will take us to Zanzibar tomorrow.

                           Gathering a few things for lunch along the way.

      Pineapple, passion fruit, bananas and avocado for sale beside the truck

Hello Tanzania

Enter Tanzania at Kaporo

February 27

Today was a long travel day. We travelled 530 km today across the border, leaving Malawi and entering Tanzania. We left at 5:30 am and arrived at our destination by 7:30 pm. As we travel from country to country on this very large continent, it always amazes us how the landscapes and vegetation, way of life, conditions and overall sense of each location changes as we cross from one border to the next. Driving through the southern highlands of Tanzania was spectacular. I just sat for almost the entire time looking at the views out my window and enjoying the cooler air as we climbed higher and higher. Chris warned us that we weren't asking for washroom breaks, indicating to him that we were not taking in as much water. I'm not sure if it was the cooler temperatures that lead to that or the dread of having to use a public toilet en route. Tea farms, eucalyptus trees, more shades of green I've seen in my life and kilometres of open natural landscape was refreshing.

We landed at our camp, just outside of the town of Iringa, on the grounds of a local farmhouse. Since we arrived just after sunset, we quickly put up our tents, attached flashlight headbands to our heads and followed the signs to the refreshment station. It turned out to be a mud hut with comfortable furniture and lit with candle lanterns. Very nice and just what we all needed to recover from a long travel day. Kioko was busy making us dinner. He doesn't accept offers of help when making dinner. I think he just doesn't want us to know how he cooks some of his special dishes. Whenever I ask how he does it, the response is “Kiolo magic.” Funny guy.

Early to bed because the plan was to once again start at 5:30 am The roads are long and slow in sections. Tomorrow our destination is Dar Es Salaam

Chitimba Camp

Chitimba

February 26

Yesterday when our laundry was returned to us all neatly folded in bags, but wet, we scrambled to hang it anywhere and everywhere within our little abode in the hope of drying it before today. That's a pretty difficult feat in this humidity and with so much rain. Once again the bus became a staggering looking laundramat with something hanging in all nooks and crannies. Unfortunately, I left my nifty clothesline behind in the process for the next lucky traveller. 

The destination today was Chitimba, about 235 km, or six hours away. Chitimba is on the northern shores of Lake Malawi and very close to the Tanzanian border. Since it was pouring rain, it awns;t hard to get on the truck once again. Its been 32 days now with the yin and the yang of this truck. The truck provides us with the safety and shelter we need to travel the distances we have travelled and venture to the places we have been. We keep our luggage in locked lockers at the back of the truck while on the road and moving on and off the truck. Chris, our guide sleeps on the truck, so its a rare moment when the truck is left unattended. That said, you can imagine what it is like when all eight of us crave a shower at the same time or scramble to get ready in the morning for early departures. When we all need the lockers (rectangles approx 60 cm X 30 cm, stacked on top of each other six compartments high) the system becomes much like solving the puzzle of a runic square as one person moves off and then on and then to the side and then back on again and then steps up to reach to the top and then ouch , a metal door to the side of the head. Regardless, we seem to always leave by the targeted time.

We stopped along the way and purchased some local paintings from some villagers while Kioka bought some items he needed to continue cooking. It was brief stop and pouring rain, so we were glad to be on our way again. When we arrived at Chitimba Camp, we all decided to spend the extra $6.00 and upgrade to a roof over our heads and the possibility of hanging clothes to dry. We had the entire afternoon to fill. Curio shops were lined up on both sides of the road, stopping at the camp gate. We browsed all together and purchased an item each to help support the Chitimaba Village. Ed began to ask if someone would take us for a village tour. 

We still had a few hours of daylight and Ed had a strong curiosity to head out to the village for a walk. He began to ask different curio shop owners to take us for a village walk. I distinctly remember Chris, our guide, saying, “If you want to walk in the village, I need to talk to whoever takes you, first.” Ofocurse both Ed and the curio shop owners thought that was real funny and unnecessary. The curio shop owners were not allowed in the camp. Chris chose someone to take us. Chris watches over us pretty closely and looks for safety in situations. Washington, was our village guide's name and off we went, after he Chris and Washington exchanged words of instruction. Down the road and then down one pathway and another, across a river draining into a lake, through a grazing field, past the home of the medicine man and past various plots of land growing sweet potato and   kasava, at different stages of development and drying process. No fences in site, so the cattle were tied by one leg to a tree. One cow clearly thought the grass was greener on the other side and had himself stretched out on three legs with the fourth up in the air like a figure skater doing a spiral, as he munched on the grass in front of him. We visited the school, talked to a teacher and had a serious meeting with the principal who at one point in the conversation pulled out a giant, empty donation box. The tour was about three hours and we were glad we did it. We saw a lot in the maze of village that we would never have seen otherwise and Washington was good about answering our questions as we tried to make sense out of what we saw. The children were all very excited to see us and would run out from their houses waving and shouting “Jumbo, Jumbo” (hello), like we were their long lost friends; excitement of the day. LOL

By the time we returned it was dinner time and an early bedtime. We were to be on the road again by 5:30 am for the long drive across the Tanzanian border to Iringa.

                                           Are we there yet?

                                 Ed lending a hand to mash the kasava root into flour

                                                    Village Farming

                                              Source of clean water for the village

                                            Our village guide, Washington

Kande Beach Malawi

En Route to Kande Beach, Malawi – February 24

After a very long day yesterday, we fell asleep quickly regardless of the very loud party going on all around us. We travelled over 800 km yesterday, across two borders from Zimbabwe, down the Tete Corridor in Mozambique and finally arriving in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi. Total travel time was 15 hours, stopping only at borders and washroom breaks along the side of the road, when possible. 

We slept in a little bit until about 7:00 and were on the road again by 8:00 am. We stopped in Blantyre to collect food supplies and enjoy a look around. So many people have so much to sell and we can't help but feel bad buying from one and not the other. Within an hour we were on our way. Looking out the window at the sights is constant entertainment on the long rides as we try to make sense of what we see and try to imagine what a day must be like in the life of these people. Often we shake our heads, look at each other and say, “Where are we?” All subsistence farming is done by hand here; no machinery. We see one or two cars on the road once in a while. Primarily, people are walking or riding a bike to get from one place to another. We passed by several schools; gazebo style with rows of benches, much like at Backus Mill. Fields are plowed as two mules pull a blade guided by two men row after row. The landscapes are lush and strikingly beautiful! The lifestyle is harsh, natural, day by day survival.

We arrived at Kande Beach by 5:30 and opted to give the tent a rest for two nights. For 11 USD per night we are staying in our own little hut style room right on the beach. The tropical plants are stunning and the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline is giving us a peaceful contrast to the long rides on the truck over the past two days. 

February 25 – Kande Beach – Time to Chill

Last night it rained most of the time, coupled with thunder and lightening. We woke up to more rain, so played cards and caught up on journals and reading. We had offers to have our laundry done for us so packaged it all up yesterday. Right now, I imagine the wind is blowing those clothes dry; at least I hope so, since we hit the road again tomorrow morning.

There is a pig turning on a spit over an open fire at our site. I'm guessing that is dinner. The people on the truck next to us are cooking up a goat on a spit. It's hard to imagine that it will all turn into the sweet meat we are accustomed to calling pork. Generally, I try to sample everything, opting for vegetarian choices often. Ed, of course cleans up what I leave behind on my plate and eats everything on his. We really never know when we will be fed next, especially on long travel days, so the temptation is there, to eat too much to avoid future hunger pains. I'm careful not to do that since car sickness is actually worse than the hunger pain. Once in a while I slip a chocolate bar into the freezer when we see one at a petrol station. Pulling it out at just the right moment on the long journey rides, just to see the thrilled look on Ed's face is worth a thousand words.

 

View from The Dertinger Hut on Lake Malawi (Kande Beach Camp)

Harare

                                                                                                                                  

Harare – February 22

Harare is Zimbabwe's capital city and also it's largest city. We arrived in Harare just in time for lunch. Venturing out into the city like explorers in a new world we chose a pizza place for lunch and stuck together, as a group (eight of us). After lunch we went to the Art Gallery and for the post office experience. Everything is an experience and small tasks that take less than a minute at home seem to take a very long time. We met with success and eventually even found postcards to attach the stamps to, and posted them. Finding the location where we were to be picked up was an orienteering task in itself, but we found it successfully and by 4:30 the truck, arrived to pick us up.

We drove a couple of hours to a campground where we met another group of Intrepid travellers. It was interesting to talk to them, as they were travelling in the opposite direction, but following the same route. One fellow reported that in Zanzibar, he went out snorkeling. He jumped into about five feet of water and landed straight on a sea urchin. The spikes penetrated into his foot right to the bone and since the sea urchin has barbed spikes, they could not be removed; only clipped flush to his skin. Note to self; DON'T JUMP INTO UNFAMILIAR OCEAN WATERS!

Masvingo

Masvingo – Februrary 21

We were up early since today is a moving day. I could have stayed in Bulawaya a lot longer. It is a happy place and there is plenty of wildlife and landscapes to explore in Matobo National Park. We travelled 360 kms to Masvingo, the oldest colonial settlement in Zimbabwe. Masvingo is the base we used to explore the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. 

After setting up camp and lunch, we set off to the ruins for our three hour tour up to, down to, through and around the structures that make up the ruins. Beads of perspiration bubbled on top of our skin and literally soaking our clothing. We pretty much drank every drop of water we had. It was interesting to listen to some of the stories created about life in this settlement. The city's exact history is unknown, but research suggests a gold-rich civilization thought to be flourishing between 1200 and 1450 AD. The site consists of three main groups of stone structures: the Hill Complex, once thought to be the home of the witch doctor, but now believed to be the King's residence: the Great Enclosure, and the Valley Complex. A walk through the museum clarified some information lost in trying to understand the guide. The tour ended with, of course, a song and dance and tip bowl as well as a large spread of crafts and carvings for our purchase.

Once back in camp, we enjoyed a refreshment, email/blog time, dinner and finally, MY TURN for the shower!!!

                                                        Great Zimbabwe Ruins