Safari Njema

After months of hard work, it was time to play. Paul and I took the last two week to tour the country and we had a safari njema (great trip)!

1st stop: Mwanza. We only spent one night in Mwanza before catching another flight to Arusha, but managed to get a taste of the local cuisine and a glimpse of the town and Lake Victoria.

Left: The giant birds that overrun Lake Victoria.

Right: Some friendly old men we met while walking. They are playing bao bao, a game similar to mancala.

2nd stop: Arusha. The city of Arusha is very different than others we visited in Tanzania. The people consist of a wide array of nationalities, including many “wazungu”, making Arusha feel as though it could be an American city (with internet cafes, fancy restaurants, and paved roads) rather than one in a poor African country. The down side to the surplus of ex-pats is that segregation is evident; something that was not prevalent or possible in Kigoma.

The people we stayed with run a orphanage for little girls. We were able to visit, so we brought balloons and hung out with them for a day.

... and I learned how to do the "African baby wrap"

We were also able to go to "Mama Afrika", a circus that combined African arts with western entertainment. It was amazing! (even by US standards)

3rd stop: Mkuru. The highlight of our time in Arusha was our camel safari in Mkuru. To travel around this area, you either have to be rich or adventurous- by default, we are the later. We took two dala dalas (over-packed mini buses with no-fear drivers) to a small village north of Arusha. From here we were able to hitch-hike two rides to the ”bush”. We were literally dropped off in the middle of no-where and had to walk the last 7 kilometers through rolling hills speckled with Maasai herdsmen and their cattle to the camel camp. We made it…. Tired, dusty, and proud of our budget adventure.

The camel safari took place in the beautiful Maasai plains, tucked between Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru (Kili’s little brother). The group consisted of Paul and I, four camels, and a group of Maasai tribesmen- talk about a unique cultural experience!

Paul's camel, Skinny, was quite the troublemaker- always wanting to rest and eat. Mine, Jenny, was much more laid back and went with the flow. Funny how our camels personalities mimicked our own. :)

The Massai are the tribe that despite the technological advances and modernism of Arusha have remained exceptionally conventional- wearing traditional cloths, living in bomas, and herding cattle.

The highlight of our camel safari was the evening at our camp. We watched the sunset illuminate Mt. Kilimanjaro, followed by a romantic lantern-lit dinner; the air was cool, the sky was alight with stars… and the sound of laughing hyenas surrounded our camp.

Below: The colors of Mt. Kili at sunrise and sunset.

Our mode of transport after the camel safari: piki pikis (hired motorcycles). I really enjoyed the ride- driving around Mt. Meru, through small villages, farms and even Lake Momella where hundreds of pink flamingos hang out.

3rd stop: Moshi. This was a short, one day trip. As we found out, the city doesn’t have much to offer except a breathtaking view of Mt. Kili (when it’s not hiding in the clouds), and excellent coffee. We got a taste of both, and were on our way.

4th stop: Jambiani, Zanzibar. upon entering Zanzibar we immediately made our way to the beach for some much needed R&R. We chose a quaint resort with a Rastafarian flare located near Jambiani to chill out in our own beach banda. There is not a whole lot to say about this leg of our journey, since all we did was lounge in the shade, swim in the ocean and stroll along the beach; the one exception being a kayak trip over the coral reef. In the evening we relaxed to the sound of waves crashing onto the shore, the light emitted from the stars and the feel of a balmy breeze sweeping in from the Indian Ocean.

Right: Dhows, the local boats. Below left, on a pier jutting out over coral reef. Below right, the calmness of the sunrise.

5th stop. Stonetown, Zanzibar. After our peaceful beach paradise we moved on to Stonetown. This ancient city gets it’s name from the architecture and is known mostly for its long and dismal history as a major slave trading post. We experienced both of these characteristics on a self-guided walking tour of the city.

Visiting the Anglican Cathedral was a very somber experience. The church stands on the site of the former slave chambers and market, and was built to commemorate the end of the slave trade in 1887.

Visiting the chambers was both nauseating and suffocating. The tiny women & children's quarters (pictured) was said to hold 75, with the pit in the middle acting as a urinal, and the cause of many drowning children.

A monument of the slave market was constructed outside of the cathedral. The chains around the statues' necks are the originals.

Interestingly, the Anglican Cathedral is one of only two churches in Stonetown. Mosques, on the other hand, are numerous (like the one located just behind the Cathedral in the picture below). The majority of people in this area are Muslim, consisting of approximately 98% of the population. Though peaceful and seemingly accepting of outside cultures, I was still a bit uncomfortable being the only female not fully covered.

Our evening was spent at Forodhani Gardens, watching the beautiful sunset and sampling the exotic street cuisine. The garden comes alive as dusk, when dozens of street venders set up stands of unusual seafoods, people make adventurous choices for entrees and everyone haggles for decent prices. Paul sampled the calamari, octopus, and shrimp while I made the less aquatic selection of samosas and felafel.

I may be biased, but after visiting practically every corner of Tanzania, Kigoma remains my favorite. It may not have the tallest mountain or the most beautiful beaches but the people are friendly, the food is delicious and the sunsets on Lake Tanganyika are breathtaking. We chose the perfect place to call home for our six months in Tanzania. Our time in Africa is over and we are now in London, giving ourselves time to reflect on our experience and to readjust to the stark contrast of western culture. We will be home very soon- excited to see our families, eat hot dogs, and take a much needed nap.