Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
TANZANIA AND ZANZIBAR
'As wide as all the world, great, high and unbelievably white in the sun.......'
Ernest Hemingway on Mount Kilimanjaro
18th October
And so into Tanzania which appeared lush and green with rich, dark soil full of banana trees, tea plantations, fields of maize, potatoes, beans and even sunflowers. Huge sacks of potatoes lay on the grass verges for sale and stalls were laden with tomatoes, onions and cabbages. Densely wooded areas stretched into the distance to mountains that followed us on both sides.
We were unable to find the camping site in Tukuyu and so continued to Mbeya close to the Mbeya Mountain Range and an important agricultural region. We took a room at the Karibuni Centre, a clean and quiet Mission place in a secure compound with welcoming people and good, cheap food.
19th October
We drove into town and in a little side street, found Mr Umkadam who sold Land Rover spares. He fortunately had bearings, gaskets and seals to try and cure a loud squeak that had developed on a rear wheel. We also found a garage where they would change the bearings on the rear wheels for us straight away. A young boy, watched over by his 'teacher' as he called him, did a great job, both of them working through their lunchtimes and the heat of the day. Another guy came to watch and noticed a big crack in our spare wheel carrier attached to the rear chassis, probably a result of bouncing over many rough roads. This was welded once the wheels were finished and the whole job came to 15,000 shillings (approx £12)! Bill also gave them money to go and buy their late lunches.
20th - 22nd October
We took the road to Iringa today following the Tanzam railway on our left and passing through many villages, the landscape much drier now, with many grey and bare trees looking thirsty for the rains.
We camped at The Old Farmhouse before reaching Iringa, a lovely campsite in a quiet and relaxed setting with big, shady trees and lots of space. We had an evening meal in their restaurant as we had heard very good reports. The restaurant was an impressive, thatched building with thick, mud brick walls dividing the interior, beautiful, clay charcoal burners providing heat and a warm glow and candles and fresh flowers on every table. Drums even announced our arrival! What an atmosphere! The food and service were excellent. Tender beef steaks from their own cows, various vegetables from their own plot and a delicious dessert. Wow, what a treat! We also met Jill and David there from Dar es Salaam and they very kindly welcomed us to stay with them once we arrived there.
23rd October
We treated ourselves to a breakfast in the restaurant this morning, only to find that all the tables had been arranged outside on the lawn in the sunshine. Lovely!
We drove into the town of Iringa situated 1600 metres up, overlooking the valley of the Little Ruaha River and therefore enjoying a really pleasant climate. We really liked this spread out town with its excellent fruit and vegetable market and many other interesting stalls. We found a good bakery, somewhere to buy yoghurt and cheese and a supermarket that sold us some excellent pork fillet. A Tourist Information Office and its staff were celebrating their opening day and they gave us lots of good advice, as well as welcoming us to their Riverside Campsite. We discovered this to be in another lovely position, with plenty of space, hot showers, helpful people and excellent buffet meals in the evening.
24th October
Many people had recommended a visit to the Ruaha National Park with its beautiful scenery and relatively few visitors, being that much further away from Dar.
We drove back up into Iringa and took the road for the Park. The tar soon became a dusty, red, dirt road and villages became fewer, until it was just the very dry and thirsty woodland on both sides of the road. Still many beautiful, giant baobabs however, Fever trees with their pale bark illuminated in the sun, Flat-Top Acacia trees with a rich, ochre bark and twisted branches, succulent milk bushes and spindly shrubs with round, pink, flower heads or scarlet, feathery flowers growing upright on thin stems.
Having descended and left the cool of Iringa behind, the heat closed in and 3 hours and many corrugations later, we arrived at the Park gate next to the Great Ruaha River. The water appeared quite low, revealing large rocks and boulders with crocodiles sunning themselves and hippos in the shallows.
We saw many animals on our afternoon drive following the river, including a female lion that we sat and watched for nearly an hour. We planned to camp outside the park and return in the morning, as our permit allowed us 24 hours. We seemed to have been driving back along the dirt road for some time looking for the campsite and as it was beginning to get late, we stopped to ask directions with a local guy who was filling his vehicle engine with water at the side of the track.
It turned out that he owned the Ruaha Hilltop Lodge and he insisted that we go there and wait for him and he would be able to find us a camping spot. We arrived at the lodge set high up on the hillside and sat and had drinks as the sun was setting over the most spectacular views of the park. When the owner arrived it was dark and he apologised for the fact that the camping area was not quite finished, but felt sure that we would like to take a room in a large building on stilts built into the hillside, with wonderful views from the massive, wooden balcony which he suggested we use for sitting and eating. He even found us a sink in another room where we could wash up! He realised that we would normally have been camping but none of the rooms had been booked and so he was very happy for us both to stay there. He refused any payment, saying that he only wanted us to leave with a handshake in the morning. Such kind and generous hospitality! Another wonderful and unexpected treat! Thank you Alban, you have a beautiful lodge and we would certainly recommend it to anyone visiting Ruaha.
25th - 28th October
We returned to the Park this morning as our permit did not expire until 1 p.m. Instead of following the drying river, we headed out to the plains dotted with many acacia trees and huge baobabs.....symbols of a very beautiful and typical African scene. No big cats to be seen today however but plenty of other wildlife and we were very glad not to have missed this Park.
Back at the Riverside Campsite in Iringa, Torsten, Christina and Sylvie had arrived, it was good to see them again and we all enjoyed a buffet meal together in the evening.
We all said our goodbyes to Amanda and William, owners of the Riverside Campsite which we would really recommend to other travellers. Amanda had kindly given us some double-sided velcro to see if that would keep the edges of our tent together, now that the zip had gone completely. Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed when we later discovered that the wind was just too strong to keep it together and it peeled off. We also bought one of their clay pots for burning charcoal that we had admired at The Old Farmhouse but which we had missed being made locally.
With Torsten and family we left Iringa and headed to the Mikumi National Park. The surrounding landscape was very scenic with the road descending dramatically through rolling hills clad with trees that were getting their new green leaves, such a contrast to the dry woodlands we had left behind. The giant baobabs were also coming out in leaf and a few already had their creamy, white flowers. I never tire of looking at these amazing trees.
We stopped at a large, fast food restaurant, obviously a popular stop for coaches travelling to and from Dar es Salaam, as the car park was full of them. I felt as if I had been suddenly transported to anther planet, unappetizing food delivered in a matter of minutes on two, long rows of tables, or even faster food served up in brown paper bags from the many stalls. Loud music and a constant flow of people coming and going through the doors from on and off the packed coaches which stood with engines left running, waiting to leave as soon as people had grabbed their food! This was the first time that we had stopped at, or even seen anything like this and it took us back to the hectic western world!
Back to nature again with tree clad hills, as the road twisted through the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. It wasn't long however, before huge, juggernaut lorries tore by us from the direction of Dar es Salaam. One coach overtook both our vehicles on a blind bend with the large words IN GOD WE TRUST in the rear window! Crazy driving and risk taking and round the bend, not surprisingly, a massive lorry lay overturned in a ditch!
We all stopped at the Melela Muzuru Campsite not far from Morogoro. Situated on a small, cattle farm, it was on an area of dry, red earth with an enormous baobab tree. It was sadly very run down, so no showers and a toilet only if you were desperate, but it was a lovely, quiet spot and the local guy along with his family, did everything they could to make us feel welcome. We gave our last pens, notebooks and hairbands to John's large family of poorly clad and barefoot children, their skin and clothes covered in the red dust. They came to watch everything we did, one little boy bringing us a bucket of very brown water in which to wash. What luxuries we had compared to this family!
29th October
It was late afternoon by the time we all reached Dar es Salaam today, with camping on either the north or south beaches. We headed for Silver Sands Hotel north of Dar, where we could camp in their grounds just set back off the beach and a stones throw from the ocean. Probably once a really attractive place but now needing a little TLC, although there were hot showers and shady trees but lots of very large and vicious ants on the ground. It was possible to walk some way along the beach safely and at low tide long, sand spits stretched out to sea, at last the water really was so warm, just like a bath!
30th October
Jill and David whom we had met at The Old Farmhouse near Iringa, kindly invited us to stay at their lovely home. Such luxury with our own bedroom and bathroom! They were also great company, listening to their travels and to advice on our forthcoming trip to Zanzibar Island. Jill and David have kindly offered to take care of Moby whilst we are away.
31st October
Pouring with rain today but we booked a flight for Zanzibar leaving at 7 a.m. tomorrow and then found that were trapped in Dar's flooded streets, with traffic at a standstill. We only just managed to get back to the British Embassy in time before it closed, to pick up a letter of introduction, required for when we apply for our visas for Sudan.
1st November
Up at the crack of dawn and David had very kindly offered to drive us to the airport. Only about a dozen people on the plane, which left only a little behind schedule due to the late arrival of the stewardess who had had car problems! It was a short, 15 minute flight with amazing views of islands dotted in a turquoise sea.
Due to the unsettled weather we had not booked to stay at any of the beaches but took a hotel in Stone Town for a couple of nights. This turned out to be the right thing to do, as we had a lot of rain during our visit. Our flight timings meant that we had two full days there but the rain did not spoil our enthusiasm for this historic town full of atmosphere and welcoming people. We explored the labyrinths of narrow alleyways leading to colourful markets, mosques, old Arabic houses with decorative balconies and shuttered windows, rows of art and craft stalls with colourful Tinga Tinga paintings and of course, the very beautiful, old, carved doors on many of the buildings with either Arabic or Indian influence. Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the rock group Queen, was born in Stone Town in Sept 1946, although at the age of 9 he was sent to boarding school in India and never returned to Zanzibar. When we met up with Torsten and family on our second day there, we all had an excellent meal at Mercurys, a restaurant right next to the ocean and named of course after the famous rock star. Just before we left Zanzibar, we found some metal eyelets in a furnishing shop and plan to use these at the front of our tent cover and thread string through to tie it down!
5th November
Many thanks Jill and David for your kind hospitality. We really enjoyed staying with you both and wish you well in the future.
We returned to Silver Sands where we sadly had to say final goodbyes to Torsten, Christina and Sylvie. They will now be heading directly north to Mombassa to arrange shipping for their vehicle and trailer before finishing their journey and returning home to Germany for Christmas. We both wish you all a safe journey, it has been great having your company since Mozambique and we are full of admiration for little Sylvie, who at only 4 years old, has been a wonderful traveller! We also said goodbye to Rielle and Jeroen from Holland and Luxme their dog but feel sure that we will be seeing them again, as we are probably following a similar route up the east coast.
We took the dirt road to Bagamoyo, passing through a very flat, green and very wet landscape. It rained for most of the way and many children were having a wonderful time, splashing in the water that was pouring along ditches and gullies at the sides of the road. Villagers gave big smiles and waves as they sheltered under their thatched, mud dwellings.
We picked up the tarred road at Msata and were able to make up some time and at Tanga we took a dirt road that followed the coast to Peponi Resort with a large, shaded campsite, again only a few steps from the beach and ocean. We were pleased to find that the eyelets and string had been successful in keeping our tent covering tied well down, even in the wind and rain!
6th November
Torrential rain continued all night and hundreds of frogs and toads were croaking, so at least someone was enjoying it! The tarpaulin covering our tent kept us dry however and by 11 a.m. the sun was out and the frangipani in the grounds smelled beautiful.
We walked out across the beach at low tide and saw some brilliant coloured starfish in the shallow pools and in the evening we watched the dhows returning from their fishing trips. More rain in the evening again and we were told by Denys and Gilly (the owners), that the dirt road out from Peponi was under water and vehicles were unable to get through. Heavy rain in the Usambara Mountains near Lushoto where we were heading next, had caused this. We stayed another day to see if the water would subside. It was such a lovely campsite and so close to the sea that this was certainly no hardship!
8th November
The road from Peponi was now open and from Tanga we took the road north in the direction of Moshi and Arusha. At Mombo we turned off for Soni and Lushoto, climbing up through spectacular scenery amongst the Usambara Mountains. On our right was a sheer wall of rock and on our left the gorge of the Bangala River, falling away in a foaming, brown torrent to a more calmer river way below us, that then flowed through a lush landscape toward the plains. The people of the Lushoto District have been gifted with abundant rainfall and a fertile land famous for its fruit and vegetables, much of which is supplied to Dar es Salaam. The terraced fields were full of crops and numerous banana trees.
The Mission Sisters made delicious jams, banana wines and cheeses and the local market at Soni provided us with fresh, homegrown produce all for just over £1! The orange passion fruits from the market were wonderful!
We stopped at The Lawns Hotel owned by Anthony, another Land Rover enthusiast. Instead of parking on the steep, green lawns, we stayed in the parking area next to a covered workshop so that we could shelter from the rain, which soon started in earnest once the grey clouds slid over the mountains.
9th November
Still pouring with rain this morning but later in the day we drove higher up the dirt road to Mullers Mountain Lodge, set in beautiful gardens on the side of a hill. Huge, white lilies grew wild amongst the trees and the cottage gardens were full of colour with borders of lavender, clumps of blue cornflowers, large, ornamental poppies and jasmine trailing over an old, stone wall, as well as many indigenous trees and plants. We sat in the garden for a brief, sunny spell but went inside the house that had been built in the German era, for lunch, as low cloud over the mountains brought heavy rain once again. We returned to Lawns Hotel where we decided to take a room in the old part of the building, the Hotel itself, being almost 100 years old. Our room had dark, wooden panelling, a huge fireplace and shuttered windows that opened out to views of the lawns and trees at the back. Some very wet wood finally took hold and the room began to feel more cosy. We had just enjoyed some of the Mission Sister's mulberry jam and bread when the lights went out.... a power cut, probably due to the rain as it was still pouring!
10th November
Lights suddenly came on at 7 a.m. but not in time to heat up the water, so it was a cold shower, but a good breakfast followed. We said goodbye to everyone including the dogs and had a last play with the puppies, all looking a bit wet and stained red from the mud.
We took the road back down through Lushoto and Soni to the main road again, stopping to look at the waterfalls and marvel at the views and how green everything looked. It had been like finding a Garden of Eden, a very special and beautiful place! Judging by the torrent of water raging over the rocks, we were sure that the road at Tanga would once again be well under water!
Continuing north, we passed through the Pare Mountains just to the northwest of the Usambara range. Near to Same the day cleared, the sun came out and we had blue sky amongst the clouds and our first view of Mount Kilimanjaro, fighting its way through the clouds with the sun shining on its snow clad peak. Great excitement and awe!
We arrived in Arusha and went to the Masai Camp just outside of town where large, overland trucks had taken up all the lawn spaces. The showers, that we were assured were hot for 24 hours, were also cold. We were offered another grassed area that was very boggy and wet. We were not impressed and would not return after one night there.
11th November
We went into town today where we were continually hassled to buy things, from newspapers, pictures, flags, carvings and just about everything else you could think of.
We decided to drive out of Arusha to find the Maseru Snake Park for camping. A nice setting but cold showers again and a water shortage, so no laundry to be done. By dusk however, 5 large, overland trucks had arrived and still more people had been dropped off by other vehicles. Nearly 200 people and only 3 showers and 2 toilets in the 'ladies'! We were totally surrounded by tents, every overlanders nightmare! It was almost dark but it was one of those times when you knew you just had to escape and we only just managed to find a big enough gap between some tents to do this. Our very close neighbours were very understanding about our need for a bit of space!
We drove to another Hotel, restaurant and bar that we had passed on the way to the Snake Park and where we were able to camp in the garden. What a difference! A clean ablution block with hot showers, a lovely quiet garden, excellent meals in the restaurant, where we ate as it was late and very welcoming people. We were glad we had made the move!
13th November
We needed to be in the centre of town to catch up on shopping and the internet and as the rain had returned, we decided to treat ourselves to a room in the Impala Hotel, which turned out to be an excellent choice. We were given a beautiful room that included an excellent breakfast. All 4 restaurants were reasonably priced, as was the hotel and there was a fast Internet to use. Such luxury, we decided to stay 2 nights!
15th November
We finally left Arusha today, passing through the edge of the vast expanse of Masai Steppe with its rolling hills and low mountains and neatly fenced Masai villages. Plenty of grass for their large herds of cattle, which are still an important symbol in their lives. The Maasai men were draped in their bright red and purple checked shukas (blankets or cloth) and were not often seen without their distinctive, balled sticks, on which they leaned whilst chatting or watching their cattle. The Maasai also have wonderful artistic talents, which can be seen in the decorative beaded ornaments that they wear.
A good tar road took us to Karatu, about 20 kilometres from the main gate of the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and where we camped at the Kudu Lodge and campsite before our planned visit to the Crater tomorrow.
16th November
The road ascended steeply as we drove up to the Lodoare Gate but once inside, it was like entering a pristine world untouched by man. As we drove up to the rim of the crater, the green forests also rose steeply, layers of trees appearing to grow on top of each other, higher and higher until we were able to stop at a viewpoint and look down into the crater itself, which left us totally in awe. The huge, blue skyscape studded with enormous, white clouds, illuminated the pale greens and yellows of the grassland areas, the bright greens of the swamp and forest and cast blue-grey shadows elsewhere. We could see the stark, white area around the alkaline Lake Magadi at the crater's base and the thin, blue ribbon of the Munga River.Through our binoculars, we could make out herds of animals.
This amazing crater in northern Tanzania is just a small part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area that has been awarded World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve Status. There are many other wonderful lakes, craters, forests and gorges to explore in the NCA if you have the time and money. However at $260 a day to go down into the crater in your own vehicle, it had to be a very special trip and indeed it was, something never to be missed, completely unique and never forgotten.
The rich pasture and permanent water of Ngorongoro's crater floor, supports a huge, resident population of approx. 25,000 animals, grazing as well as predatory and the swamps and forests provide for others such as hippo, elephant, waterbuck and baboons. We saw our first male lions, four of them, part of a big pride that we had been watching but they were still fairly young with only a small amount of mane.
Today there are many thousand Maasai living in the NCA with their large herds of cattle, donkeys, goats and sheep. We had passed many on the dirt road around the crater rim, what a spectacular environment they live in! They are allowed to take their animals into the crater for water and grazing but not to live or cultivate there.
Only 4WD vehicles are allowed to make the descent into the crater as this, as well as the ascent is extremely steep and rough. The views on both routes however, were spectacular.
We had to be up and out of the ascent gate by 6 p.m. and we then drove to a designated campsite, saw the last, pink clouds disappear from the crater rim and had our evening meal surrounded by zebra. Thunder and lightning had been surrounding us however, long before dark and torrential rain suddenly caught everyone unawares. We were soaked before we could get up in our tent!
17th November
Heavy showers still continued in the morning but we managed to leave fairly early, although everything seemed to take twice as long in the rain.
We took the dirt road again, passing Maasai herding their cattle through the puddles, their shukas wrapped around them, the only splash of colour in the grey and misty morning. The trees stood dark and wet and low clouds hung over the hillsides like thick smoke, patches of sunlight filtering through to light up a patch of green for a few seconds, before more cloud took the brightness away.
The road began to make a gradual descent as we took the turn off for the Serengeti National Park where thousands of hoofed animals, particularly wildebeest, are constantly on the move over its vast plains in search of fresh grassland. They are also the main prey of the lions and hyenas.
About 70 kilometres before we would reach the Naabi Hill Gate for the Park, we began to leave the cloud behind. Spectacular skyscapes and beautiful, pale, golden plains stretching away to distant hills on the horizon began to unfold. It took us 3 hours over corrugations, avoiding numerous pot holes and skirting around huge piles of earth, deposited by lorries to repair the track. Once through the gate, we explored the tracks through the park around the Seronera area where we would later be camping.
Rain was badly needed. The plains were parched and brown and littered with rocky outcrops and masive boulders that suddenly rose out of the flat landscape. Areas were covered in beautiful Acacia trees, their flat crowns outlined against the sky and wild date palms lined the Seronera River, a ribbon of life through the endless plains and home to hippos. A vast ecosystem dominated by the migratory patterns of the wildebeest, which we soon saw. Herds of them along with zebra in never ending lines, emerging through the trees and across the plains, before crossing in front of us. Warthog and herds of topi, gazelle and hartebeest were plentiful and the occasional waterbuck. We saw buffalo, lion and hyena and plenty of bird life too.
By 5.30 p.m. we returned to Tumbili public campsite. Black clouds loomed again but the rain held off. There was a beautiful sunset and as darkness fell, we heard hyena and lion, not so far away, wonderful sounds that continued for most of the night.
18th November
We had to be out of the park just before 12 noon today with approximately 130 kilometres of rough, dirt road still to cover again before reaching the gate.
The road out toward the Ndabaka Gate on the western side of the park, took us through beautiful scenery. An almost continual line of tree-clad hills followed us on the left strewn with large boulders and broken by grassy plains, woodland, areas of wet black cotton soil, where the vegetation looked lush and green and swamp areas where the zebra splashed their way off the road as we passed, sending up sprays of muddy water. The Grometi River, which the herds of wildebeest have to cross on their famous migratory route, appeared every so often on our right, densely lined with trees. We saw elephant, hyena, giraffe and buffalo. Large herds of wildebeest were spread out over the plains or following one behind the other in long lines stretching into the distance. It must be an incredible sight when they all begin their migration and river crossing together.
When we finally reached the Ndabaka Gate, the guards fussed about the 50 minutes that we were over our 24 hour pass limit and we then had 140 kilometres before reaching the town of Mwanza. It was difficult to find camping there and a shock to the system after being in such beautiful and natural surroundings for the last few days.
We had our first view of Lake Victoria looking rather grey and uninviting and finally found camping on the edge of the lake at the Yacht Club. It was looking a bit run down but in a lovely position. The helpful people there opened up the toilets and there was a shower but it was cold. We ate at the restaurant at the hotel next door and the tilapia from the lake was very good!
19th - 21st November
Heavy rain continued on and off during our days in Mwanza and we finally took a room for one night at the Tilapia Hotel next door. We decided that after 3 cold showers accompanied by huge grasshoppers, cockroaches and thousands of midges that swarmed in off the lake every evening to settle on the ceiling, walls and floor, we deserved a treat, especially also after our disappointment over the ship, our story as follows.......
We had decided to sail across Lake Victoria with Moby on the MV Victoria, which leaves Mwanza for Bukoba near the border with Uganda. We drove to the north port and made enquiries at the gate about booking the ferry. A very tall and handsome Maasai came over to help us, clad in his bright red shuka and decorated with bracelets, bangles, necklaces and long ear-rings that stretched the huge holes in his ear lobes even further. He shook hands and whilst leaning on his long stick, he studied our map and then took us over to the booking office, his long strides matching two of ours! Before he left, we exchanged some English words for Maasai greetings. What a great guy! We booked a 1st class sleeping cabin for the 21st and was assured by the girl in the ticket office, that lifting our Land Rover by crane on to the vessel would be no problem..... they do it all the time! We both felt a bit sceptical but were looking forward to the trip. It would also mean, that a large section of roads that we had heard varying reports about regarding condition, armed bandits and convoys, could be avoided.
We drove to the ship on the day of sailing to check in and pay for the Land Rover and asked if we could be shown where our vehicle would go on the deck. To our surprise, we were shown a large and very deep opening into which all vehicles were lowered using some very dodgy looking, lifting tackle and a small crane, with a lifting capacity of only 2 tons! Vehicles had to be emptied before being lifted and we knew that Moby would weigh more than 2 tons, even after as much as possible was taken out from the inside. The Captain took one look at the well and truly packed Land Rover and agreed with us that this was not going to be possible! Why couldn't we have been told all this yesterday! Fortunately we got our money returned for the cabin but left feeling a bit deflated, although we could imagine an impending disaster had we gone ahead.
22nd November
It poured all night again and was still raining as we finished breakfast, so we decided that we had made a wise decision over taking a room.
Our plan was to drive to Shinyanga and then across to Kahama but first we checked at the police station in Mwanza about the route. They confirmed what we had heard about suspected banditry and the need for police escorts on various roads around Lake Victoria to Bukoba.
The landscape to Shinyanga was very flat, with many waterlogged fields growing rice and teams of oxen being used for ploughing. We stayed at the Shinyanga Motel as there was no camping to be found. A very clean place with hot water, good meals and a shady garden at the front. The people were extremely welcoming and helpful and we would certainly recommend this motel as a short stop over. We visited the market (or Soko), a colourful, busy place with stalls selling just about everything! Shinyanga however, was without electricity from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Power cuts seem to be a real problem in Tanzania.
23rd November
More rain in the night resulting in huge puddles and red mud everywhere and our journey out of Shinyanga was going to be slow, as the continuation of the tarred road was still under construction. A single, mud road ran parallel to this, taking traffic from both directions and there were plenty of massive lorries and coaches to compete with. The poor people living close to the edges of this, were also living in a sea of mud and puddles and to cross from one side of the road to the other was a major task with huge ditches full of water, the sides of which were collapsing from the rain and from water gushing from the fields. We finally met the old tar road again at Tinde and turned off here for Kahama.
On to Bukombe and then Ushirombo where we pulled into the police hut to ask about an escort. Two guys with automatic weapons responded immediately saying they were going our way and would take us to Nyakanazi where we would then get another escort.
Had we got anything for them.... such as money? No, the police in Mwanza said there is no charge for an escort, I replied. They looked a bit disappointed but my answer seemed to satisfy them and they jumped into a big, white Toyota with a driver saying, "Follow us!"
They switched on their hazard warning lights and kept us in sight through a remote, forested area but then sped off until we must have been just a speck in their mirror, that's if they were even watching! We caught up with them at a police checkpoint and then they were off again, until they were out of our sight completely. It was still raining hard, lines of children were walking at the edges of the road returning home from school and there were many villages to pass through. It was impossible to keep up with their speed and even in the open areas, we were not going to do more than 70 mph. So much for our escort! Perhaps if we had paid them they would have driven more slowly! We passed a convoy of various vehicles going in the opposite direction, just before another densely forested and remote area.
We arrived at the junction at Nyaknazi (with our 'escort' nowhere to be seen) and joined a long queue of stationary lorries and cars on the road, all waiting for escorts to travel further. We were put with a large lorry that had an armed guard with an automatic weapon and bulletproof vest. When we asked him about the roads that we were about to travel on, he pointed to a white bus at the side of the road and told us that yesterday it had travelled without a convoy and it was shot at, killing two people. We could see the bullet holes in the side as we passed!
We only went a short distance with the lorry however, as it was turning off for Rwanda. We then followed instructions to wait in the village that we had arrived at, until there were 5 vehicles, then our next escort would take us to Biharamulo. This section was on a dirt road of thick, orange mud and just before the village, everyone ground to a halt on a steep hill blocked by a lorry that had slid off the road and by another that was stuck in the middle of it. We all did a 'U' turn and followed some guys in a lorry who assured us they knew another way into Biharamulo. It was already nearly 4 p.m. and the worst bit we had been told, was still ahead, on the lonely track that ran through the Burugi and the Biharamulo Game Reserves.
Finally arriving at Biharamulo we seemed to be the only people concerned about taking an escort further but the policeman there was very willing to escort us as far as Muleba, where he assured us it was then safe to continue on our own. A colleague threw him a sub machine gun and we set off with our policeman in the front seat. We soon noticed however, that there were 4 more vehicles following behind us, so we were a small convoy after all! A big Toyota sped past us out of the line. We later found him in a ditch, his tyre and brake drum had come off!
We left our policeman at the police post at Muleba and continued on our own. This last stretch, high above Lake Victoria, took much longer than anticipated but we were rewarded by a beautiful sunset behind us and a huge rainbow arching across the sky in front. Progress was slow on the dirt road and it was dark long before we finally reached Bukoba, where a very kind Indian family helped us find somewhere to stay at the ELCT Conference and Training Centre. We were shown to a very clean room and then brought a hot meal, even at such a late hour - more kindness! This Centre, set in a tranquil position by the lake and lovely gardens, was managed by a Danish lady and run by the Lutheran Church of Tanzania and everyone was incredibly kind and helpful.
25th November
Pouring with rain again as we leave Bukoba and take the road west to Kyaka through fields of banana trees. Then on to the Ugandan border at Mutukala, where everything went smoothly and officials once again welcomed us into their country!
- comments