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Thursday 9th September
It was so nice to wake up in a bed, nice clean sheets.and soft pillows were a godsend. After a quick breakfast we made our way downstairs and checked out of out hotel, clean and ready for the mammoth journey south. Our bus to take us all the way to Arusha, Tanzania, was at 7:30. The driver was at reception waiting for us and he escorted us over to the bus, and took our heavy rucksacks. Without any effort he threw them up to the top of the coach where his mate caught it and placed them in position. TJ looked a bit worried about our bags but they were all covered with heavy canvas and strapped down securely. The bus was quite small but comfortable enough and had a good mix of tourists and Kenyans. Our journey to the boarder was long and arduous, on bumpy dirt tracks (the whole road js being resurfaced) that took a little over four hours. It was nice to step off once we reached border control as we were stamped out of Kenya and in to Tanzania. After about half an bour we were off again and the roads seemed to become dustier and even more rough. We both reminisced on our time in Kenya, it had been an amazing experience and we had some truely unforgettable things, we both agreed that the migration across the river had been the one thing that stood out. We both commented on the poverty there however, it was quite clear to see that the people there needed alot of help. The people were very friendly but we both got the impresion that they were simply after money, quite rightly so as we were tourists, but they were sometimes quite forceful to vet our cash. The safaris had been amazing and Rob and Francis had been great but personally I felt good to be moving on to a new adventure and to see the similarities and differences with Tanzania.
As we carried on towards Arusha the roads got worse and worse eventually getting the better of our bus. We stopped on a dusty track in the middle of nowhere, a trail of brake fluid behind us. As we all bundled out to take a look at our damage a man in overalls could be seen walking up the road towards us, where his truck had come from I don't know but it was there instantly and offered some hope of repair. The overalled man paced a huge rock under the back tyre and the driver drove up on to it, an instant natural jack. The man disappeared under the bus and came out covered in dust. Some discussion later he could be seen fiddling with some wire or pipping, disappeared back under and in a little under twenty minutes we were back on the road and the overalled man back to his truck in the wake of many asantai's and handshakes, no doubt to help some other poor victim!
We eventually reached Arusha after about a seven hour trip of dust and bumps. Straight away, from coming off the highway you could tell that Tanzania was a completely different place, the roadside towns seemed a hive of activity rather than the quiet desperation of Kenya's. As we arrived in Arusha we were welcomed by a Good Earth representative and he kindly transported us a short drive away to our hotel. We arrived at Jaracanda Hotel travel weary and dirty from our dusty journey, we were ecstatic to find a lovely, airy hotel with wonderful rooms and a nice clean bathroom with lovely hot water. After an hour or two freshening up we left for the reception where free wifi and our tour company awaited to brief us on the coming five days. This next leg had been the one thing that we had been most apprehensive about. We had been lucky in Kenya that instead of the expected camping we had been put up in a guest house and a tented camp. We knew however that we wouldn't be so lucky in Tanzania, TJ especially was not looking forward to her first experience of camping being amongst some of the most dangerous animals in the world. Our assumptions were confirmed we would spend a day at Lake Manyara and camp over night, two days in the Serengeti again in a public campsite and a day in the Ngorongoro Crater with a nightingale a luxury lodge, it was certainly going to be exciting. We had a lovely meal of vegetarian curries and got an early night, enjoying the last bed we would see for three nights.
A huge happy birthday to Hetal, we did try and ring several times but we think you were enjoying yourself on holiday! Hope you had a wonderful day and much love to you, Brij and Vaishvi xx
Apologies in the delay of updates but there is no electricity when you are camping in the bush and time is scarce, there is only so much typing in the iPhone that we can handle!
Mark & Tejal x
- comments
Bindu/Arti/Tushar/Yogi We all hope you are having a good time on your trip and we hope all is well and you are having a save trip!!
mike baylis hey buddy, well done for not being eaten by tigers. have bought my new toy. tis awesome!!! although slightly scary. glad ur having a great time, although it'll take a week for me to read it! Clinkerdy clink!!!!!! :-) x
purvi ,hitesh n manav Hi Mark & TJ, its great to read about your experience........hope you have a safe trip.....take care....
Hetal, Brij & Vaish Wow, sounds like you're having an amazing time. We are really missing you both. Keep safe and talk to you soon. Vaish is missing her masi too! She keeps whispering in her mummies ear that she wants to be on holiday with her masi!! and masa to be......