Bye-bye to Dar and Nairobi - end of the journey

It was three days of travel from Kyela to Nairobi. I took a Chinese company run bus ( New Force) from Kyela to Dar. Chinese movies were played with Chinese subtitles on the bus. I was the only passenger who could understand the movies. A nice and inquisitive African man sitting next to me asked me about my travels and what I think of east Africa. He worked at a global fund NGO. It was a serious topic. I shared some of my travel experience and thoughts. I wish I could come up with something more clever.
I arrived in Dar again at night and checked in the same guest house " Skyview" by the bus station. On the last night in Dar, I indulged myself with Nyuma Choma and Kitumbua again.
The following day was another and the last long distance bus ride day from Dar to Nairobi. I got to appreciate the East Africa's magnificent landscape one more time. The colorful and slim image of Masai walking in the barren desert with a stick in their hands was among the last scenes.
Boarder crossing was surprisingly painless. I checked in a hotel in the city center called Nawa Hotel in Nairobi. I went out and had dinner in the city center with Emeril whom I met on the bus.
The next day was a busy and stressful shopping day in Nairobi. It turned out that shopping for souvenir was just as stressful as traveling itself. Many towns I traveled through had offered better shopping opportunities for cheaper and authentic hand crafts than Nairobi. I let the opportunities go as I didn't see it makes sense to carry the hand crafts all the way through the trip. Nairobi is a typical tourist town and offers typical overpriced tourist souvenir. I bought enough stuff for family and friends although I would rather have bought some cool stuff at some where else.
I caught my return flight to US that night. The flight laid over at Heathrow airport where I found myself in a different world. People in coats and boots walked hastily. I was spacing out and felt quite disoriented for a moment. I'm on my way home indeed after 4 months of travel. My mind had not come back yet. I was anxious about "home". I knew I would need some time to recoup and adjust. Sitting on the airplane again heading to LA, I was feeling tired. I closed my eyes and decided to take a nap before tackling a new journey that awaits ahead of me.

Ikombe tour

Paula and Anol checked out in the morning. It was a big last day at Lake Naeser. I got up early and took a walk and carried on with where it was left out yesterday evening. It was a nice one hour walk. I passed the village and met some school girls who were eager to talk to me.
I had a big breakfast at Lutheran center and met an African gentleman named Sullen from Tukoyo who was sent by Lutheran organization healthcare department to visit Metemba beach hospital. Both Metemba beach hospital and Lutheran beach hospital were founded by German. We had a long talk. He introduced me a book named " How European Helped African?". I was a bit conscious that I might have come across too aggressive and opinionated.
I was running late to meet Qusa. She had been waiting for me for 2 hours. I can't apologize the way she would understand. We had very limited communication. We started to walk through Lyililu and then a long hike along Lake Naesar to Ikombe. The narrow winding trail goes around the lake with many overlook points. Many canoes were on the lake, shipping merchandise to the port for tomorrow's market place.Pottery is Ikombe's specialty. Piles of pots were getting ready for tomorrow's show. I was in a great spirit on the hiking trail. It turned out one of the most pleasant and the last hike I did on the trip.
Ikombe is a small village where everyone makes mud pots here. The pots are dirt cheap. I attempted to get a few. But I knew it was not a good idea to carry a big pot for next 3 days of travel. Qusa took me to the pastor's house for some soda and chat. We took a canoe back to Metamba beach. Qusa tried to ask for more money than we agreed. I turned her down. It's African's mentality to try to ask for more money. They don't usually have a problem when you turn them down.
It was about 4:00 pm when I returned to Metamba beach. I caught the last pickup truck and dala dala back to Kyela. I stayed at Midland guesthouse in Kyela that night. I enjoyed Ugali with beef sauce, a typical African staple. I knew that would be one of the last few meals on that continent.

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Second day on the Lake of Naeser

Matema Beach Lutheran center is a lovely place to stay. There were a few bandas, a nice and spacious dinning area and a little bar. They served good quality food. There was a little Lutheran church nearby. I took a sunset walk in the neighborhood and watched sunset at the dinning area upstairs of the Lutheran center. Some people were rehearsing christian songs at the Lutheran church.The sound permeated the air while sun was sinking on the tropical plantation. It was a beautiful moment.
The second day on the lake started with a morning walk along the lake till I found myself at a busy village "Yliluli" where a local market was held every Saturday. Many canoes were docking by the shore and villagers pulled in buckets of small fish from the boats. Some were freshly caught and some were dry fish. While I was wandering around, I was told there's a village called Ikombe nearby famous for pottery and there is a market place where villagers  trade commodity.
After breakfast I went to Matema beach village to find a guide that can take me to Ikombe. My plan was to check out the market place at Yliluli and hike to Ikombe and take a canoe back to Matema beach. Through Elfun who was the only one that speaks English here, I got to know Qusa, my tour guide. I told her that I can meet her at 2:30 pm.
The sun was baking and the lake was scorching around noon. I went back to the village to change the hiking plan to tomorrow. Qusa didn't show up. I spent the afternoon swimming in the lake and reading. In the evening I took a long walk along the other side of the lake. Paula and Anol told me that there's another beach resort nearby. En route I met a Swedish father and son sitting in their balcony at a beach home. The father and son are both doctors, working at Matema beach hospital. We had some nice conversation. The father and son came over to Lutheran center for dinner. We had fresh rice, a big Samiki (fish) and beans for dinner. A delicious dinner and good companies.

Getting to Matema beach

What a journey to get to Matema beach on Lake Naeser! From Kyela I took dala dala to Ipinda and then a pick-up truck to Matemba beach. The long journey of getting to Lake Naeser made the destination more mystic and appealing. On the pickup truck, I met two girls from Finland (Paula and Anol). All three of us checked in Matemba beach and Lutheran Center and shared one bandas. It worked out perfect. The Lutheran center is the only accommodation on the beach where Jose and the two German doctors had stayed before.

It was a peaceful beach. Local villagers were doing their chores by the lake and kids were swimming. Some senior Germans were hanging out by the lake. It's a reunion event. Majestic mountains were towering in the distance. It was a hot afternoon. I did some swimming in the lake and sat on the chair on the beach. Time stopped. Everything was holding still. After 24 hours of travels, I finally reached a quiet place where I can relax and rest before I wrap up the 4 month backpacking trip.  

Mbeya to Kyela

It was 14 hours of bus ride from Dar to Mbeya. The luxury Scandinavian bus made it an easy and painless. It was the best bus ride on the trip. The bus wasn't even filled up! While I was waiting for the bus, I chatted with an agricultural expert Dr. Mataki who was on his way to Mbeya for a government consultation. He mentioned that very few Africans study Agriculture and understand the technology and that African people have difficulty of applying the handed out machines and equipment to farming.
The bus passed a few national parks where some animals were seen wander around. The landscape was very diverse along the way.
I checked in " New Visitors Lodge" in Mbeya. The hotel offered multiple international channels on TV.
I liked Mbeya for its highland ambiance and cool air. I embraced the morning cool breeze from the surrounding mountains and took a walk around the town with a company of a local girl named Bibina.
Around noon, I checked out the hotel and hopped on a minibus to Lake Naeser ( Lake Malawi). I wrongfully believed that it was only 4 hours away from the Lake and I would get to the Lake before evening. It turned out a 24 hours journey!
The landscape changed dramatically as the minibus kept moving toward south. The highland mountain scenery became lavish tropical vegetation. The minibus made many stops. Finally it shopped at Tuyuyo and we got out the bus and joined another minibus. This type of mergers are common on the road to maximize the capacity and save fuels. Some villager women were desperately selling the local small bananas. A huge bag of small bananas were being sold for $2 on the road side. I had to buy some. I was struggling to eat them up.
It was 5:00 pm when bus reached Kyela. I could hardly believe my ear when I was told that it would be at least 4 hours away from the Lake. Kyela was a very small town, which mainly serves as a transit point en route to/from Zambia and Malawi. At Kyela's bus station, I miraculously met a couple of fellow Chinese Zhang and Zhou! They were from the same region where I grew up. Zhang is a sharp man who had lived in Tanzania for a little over one year. He can speak fluent Swahili.
I ended up staying at Kyela for that night. There was no electricity. I walked in the dark to a restaurant for dinner with Zhang and Zhou.

Home or Mbeya? Tossing a coin in Dar

I returned to Dar from Tabora by bus. I stayed at a guesthouse " Sky View hotel" near Ubungo bus station. I was tossed with the decisions of going back to Nairobi and home or going to Mbeya and finishing the loop as planned. I bought a ticket to Nairobi. While I was dwelling on the options, I wandered around, got myself some nice meals and chatted with a couple of locals. At the last minute, I rushed to Ubungo bus station and changed the ticket to Nairobi to a later date and bought a next day ticket to Mbeya. The decision made, I went back to Sky View hotel for some beer and delicious lamb BBQ.

Survival of train wreck like train ride

The train didn't leave Kigoma till mid night. I was very anxious that afternoon before the train ride. My guts told me that it would be very difficult ride. The third class is general public coach, which means 16-18 hours of ride with a mob.
I was sitting in a cafe and prayed to calm myself down. It was a hot day in Kigoma. It was a very long and tiring day to just get the train ticket sorted out. What awaited ahead of me was a long and scary night. At 6:30 pm, I started to manifest the comfort of home, a nice and hot shower, a safe and comfortable bed and family and friends. I knew I will get there eventually. After the manifestation, I put myself together. I threw my backpack to my back. I marched to the train station. Courage keeps me moving.
Massive Africans were all over the train station, waiting for the train. I was the only foreigner that would take this type of transportation. They were lying on the grass. They were eating and waiting. I sat on the grass next to a family. For them it is the way of life. It might be their fist time to ride a train. It might be something exciting for them to look forward to.
Here came the train and the time to board. It was an absolutely riot. Everyone forced their way to get on the train. I joined the mob and fought my way through. I was pushed and my bag was pulled away. I shouted, pushed back and forced my way all the way to my seat. The train had exploded with over capacity crowds, people's shouts and screams. There were really no seats. People found room for their bags and themselves on the top of seats, beneath  tables and seats, in the isles, in the connectors between coaches or in the restrooms. They were anywhere! Room was so precious. I squeezed in my seat. The overhead luggage shelf and beneath seat were stuffed with luggage and people. I had to hold my backpack on my knees and a basket on top of the backpack. I was closely contacted with people above me and next me. I couldn't breathe and doubted if I would survive this ride. I did survive the long night. I was warned that I should keep my vigil on the train because theft could happen at any given second. It did happen and my basket was snatched away over a second of drowsiness. I didn't feel terribly sorry about the loss of my basket as I thought the few items in the basket might be well used by people who need them more than me.
The train made many stops. When it stopped at a station at 7:00 am in the morning, I was told that we were the half way to the destination. I knew I had survived the longest and toughest part of the trip. The chaos apparently didn't bother the local Africans. Some people started to make Chai in the coach. African mamas pulled out of their previously packed food and passed to their family for breakfast. They live in poverty and chaos. They always survive. They enjoy their life just as everyone else does.
I was suffering and counting down the time to the destination - Tabaro. Watching the local life on the train kept me away from my focus on " my suffering". Time slipped before I finally got out of the train in Tabaro.

Kigoma and waiting for the train

The train ride from Kigoma to Tabora was an extreme experience on the trip. It's horrendous. It challenged my limits. It's among the three highlights of the backpacking trip: Masindi's nursery home; Samburu village visit and Kigoma train ride.

My original attempt for Liemba ferry ride didn't work out. In this part of world transportation doesn't necessarily operate as scheduled. My original plan was to take Liemba ferry along Lake of Tanganyika to Mpulungu and then back to Dar. The ferry was not leaving till the following Wednesday. I decided to take the train to Tabora and bus to Mbeya. The train was leaving on Thursday night. So I got 2-3 days to kill in Kigoma.

Kigoma is a small and scrappy town. The weather had been really hot. I stayed at Nzimanto Hostel where there were quite of a few Mozugos volunteers. In Kigoma I noticed a lot of pretty African women with cute face. 

For two days I had worked on getting the train ticket. I was first told that the first class and second class were sold out long time ago, leaving me the only option for third class. After comparing the bus option, I decided to take the third class train to Tabora. The train tickets are not being sold in a normal and legal manner. Because of the less frequency of the train schedule and high demand, the train tickets had become a speculator's target. They were bought at a normal price and sold for a high price. 

The train was leaving at night. I went to the ticket booking window in the early morning. Some villagers had arrived days ago and camped out at the train station to wait for the booking window to open. There were hundreds of people already anxiously waiting for the book window to open. The train won't be leaving till that night. These locals traveled all the way from their villages and slept at the outdoor train station for days to get the train tickets! No one speaks English at the train station. When I spoke to the station master office, I was told to come back to the booking office and collect the ticket around noon. I was not sure if I can trust the information. Later I was told by someone else that these people are swindler and they try to sell a ticket to me at a higher price. People had lined up for ticket. That will be 4-5 hours wait from the ticket window open. I knew that I would not wait in the line for 4-5 hours. I left and came back a couple of hours later. There was a larger crowd divided into two lines: one is for Dar and other other is for Tabora. There was a long queue for Tabora. I was told again that the ticket window will open around 12:30 pm. I took off again. I knew I need to make some friends. I went to " Sun City" for some drinks where I met Mr. Shimmiya who happily gave me a contact name at the train station and the instruction on how to find the person. I went straight back to the trains station. Within 15 minutes I got my ticket at a normal price. When I walked out the train station, I saw enormous Africans standing in the line and hadn't moved at all. They looked exhausted and anxious. These Africans had traveled from their remote villages and camped at the train station for days and stood in the lines for hours for the tickets. The tickets are not guaranteed for them. If they were lucky to get the tickets, they would still have to wait many hours in the hot sun before boarding the train. The night on the train was another horrendous nightmare, which was revealed to me later that night. Life is very difficult for these Africans. They are amazingly tough. I felt very sorry for them. I knew I could have made to the fast lane even without the stranger's contact just for the sake of a foreigner's face. Foreigners always have some privileges over the locals in these countries. The officials look up to foreigners and often treat foreigners better than their own people. I felt very sad.
Whist waiting for the train, I took a tour to Livingstone's home- Ujiji village. Dr. David Living was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary. On November 10, 1871, Henry Stanley found Dr. Livingstone at Ujiji village, which gave rise to the popular quotation " Dr. Livingstone, I presume?".  Ujiji village is a very poor village by the lake. My tour guide Batenya told me that Ujiji is poorer than other villages in this region. We walked through the village to the Ujiji lake shore. It's a big sandy beach where women were washing Kangas in the lake and placed them on the grass for air dry and men and children were swimming or hanging out.
I also took a small hike on the hills behind my hostel. I hiked half way to the peak. The trail offers a great view of Lake of Tanganyaki and the port. On the way back down, I walked through a village by Lake Kibirizi where local people were selling small fish.
I had to fight homesick from time to time throughout the trip. The loneliness was the biggest challenge on the solo trip like this. In Kigoma I became very homesick. Having been on the road for several months, I had also grown a bit " Africa fatigue". I sort of lost the enthusiasm and inspirations with these village expeditions and hikes. I felt bad for that. I also realized that lack of communication is partly attributed to the loss of interest.

Lake Tanganyika and Jackson Beach Guesthouse

It's another long day of travel from Mwanza to Kigoma. The bus left Mwanza at 5:00 am and arrived at Kigoma at 8:00 pm.  En route to Kigoma, a short ferry ride on the Lake of Victoria was required. The bus stopped on the half way. There was an accident on the road. Everyone got out of the bus and waited on the roadside for 2 hours before the bus resumed. I met a couple of German doctors ( Alex and Adrian). The second half bus ride was quite painful. It was very hot and crowded in the bus. When the bus finally arrived at Kigoma, I had to go through the same stressful process of picking up my luggage. I joined the two German doctors to take a taxi to Jackson beach guesthouse on the Lake of Tanganyika. 

Jackson beach guesthouse is located 5-6 kilometers from Kigoma town and it's really in the middle of nowhere. It is a neat and lovely accommodation. There was no food in the morning. I walked for half hour to a village called " Katomga" where I had Chai and bought some food. Katomga is a typical African village where farmers come to shop for their daily necessities. There was a small market where a pile of dry fish were placed in the sun for sale. I received an unusual amount of attention. While I was having Chai in a small restaurant, curious villagers walked past and took a peek through the door. Some of them came up and chatted with me. They looked at me and thought I was an alien. 

I indeed enjoyed Jackson beach guesthouse very much and didn't feel to move to anywhere soon. There are two small beaches called Mwanmanhunga by Jackson beach guesthouse. They were quite popular and full of whites and Arabs Sunday afternoon. There was an overlook platform by the guesthouse with a large chair. I liked everything about Jackson beach guesthouse: the cool companies - Alex and Adrian; the laid back setup; the local people working at the guesthouse were kind and helpful. Gregory washed my bag and clothes; Lawi, the inn keeper, working around the guesthouse with his hands, was easy and friendly to chat with; Gladia, an African mama who made fresh Chapatis for everyone. 

There were some books left by guests before. I enjoyed reading one of the books " Emotional Intelligence". I stayed at Jackson beach guesthouse for 2 nights and 3 days while I was awaiting ferry Lieama for a ride along Lake of Tangayika. I spent most of the last day on the beach alone, swimming and reading by the lake. It was indeed a nice retreat by the lake.

Mwanza

It was quite late when I got to Mwanza. Two nice local women led me to a hotel named Ramada Hotel. I found a new cheaper guesthouse in the town center next morning. While I checked out Ramada Hotel, I had a sudden whim to get myself an African dress made at a local tailor. There seem a tailor shop or a textile shop every 5 steps on the streets. Agnes, a sweet lady working at Ramada Hotel front desk was nice enough to drop her work and take me to a tailor shop and a textile shop for the material.
I had a bickering with a waitress at Kuleana Pizzeria. I was angry with the bad pizza, overpriced fruit salad and rude waitress. This was the most petty squabble I had on the backpacking trip. It almost ruined my day. I had to put myself together and keep a positive spirit going. Maintaining a positive mind is an ongoing challenge. Annoyances occur  any where and any time. I do appreciate more for American life- convenient, safe and organized while I travel in a foreign country.
Mwanza is a busy economic center of the Lake Victoria region. Nothing is really particularly exciting with this city. As usual I like to explore a new place by foot. I took a long walk to South Point and then Capri Point. I hiked along the Capri road all the way to the high point for a view of Lake of Victoria. It was a very hot day. I had lunch at a little cafe in the neighborhood. It's an upmarket residential neighborhood where there were some construction going on. A construction team under a Chinese supervision was going on the site. I went on and chatted with the Chinese supervisor. He's a skinny southern Chinese. He told me his role is to make sure the workers keep moving. Part of my walking tour was to visit a Hindu temple. The temple is open for public. It was not their service time. I met the temple priest's daughter- a lovely and beautiful Indian girl. The temple looks stunning. It is probably the most luxury building in the city of Mwanza.
The shopping experience at market was chaotic. I finally met a Philippino who speaks fluent English and got to carry on a decent conversation with someone, which kinda of made my day.
I need to sleep somewhere near Nyengize bus station to catch 4:30 am bus to Kiguma. I went back to the guesthouse where I stayed the night before and checked out. I met a group of young men among whom one had live in China and America. He is
the first Tanzanian I met that I felt connected to. After a brief chat, I had to leave and head to the Nyengize bus station.

 

A long bus ride and a roaming mind

It was 13 hours bus ride from Arusha to Mwanza. It was a long, tiring and hot day. It was a dusty and bumpy road. My mind, however had roamed, my heart had floated and my spirit had risen. I felt so care free.I felt my soul had flown out my shell and reached to the highest. I was indeed spacing out for 13 hours. One thing one has to love to endure such a long time solo travel is to be with themselves. One has to love to be in their little inner world.
The route the bus took was from Arusha through South Bedati, Singida, Nzega, North Shinyango to Mwanza. Last 3-4 hours of ride was extremely bumpy and rough. Several small kids are often seen to share a seat with their parents in a long distance bus ride like this. They all squeezed in a cramped space tossed up and down as the bus jumped on the bumpy road. There were a couple of scary incidents where the bus almost ran over some women sitting in the bus station. These women jumped out their way, astonished. They didn't express their anger though.
I saw the most spectacular sunset in the bus when it approached Mwanza. I was contemplating a poem in my head.

Bus is flying to the unknown
Cloud is moving along
Sun is sinking and dusk is coming
A streak of ray piercing through
My heart is floating
Celtic music is chanting
Everything is moving
African mama is walking with baby crying
African boy is calling with cow following
Evening breeze slips through the window kissing on my face
My body is rising
I see the sky is opening
Sun is revealing and shedding its last ray
On me and in me while I'm looking

Arusha, street touts, Nomma Choma and Madulee Mtn

The bus stopped at a small town " Mombo" for Chai on the way to Arusha. We had breakfast at a small cafe where TV was playing "Eid Mubarakab (the end of Ramadan )" holiday rally with African Christian music in the background.
Arusha is the gateway to Tansania's northern safari circuit. Towering mountains forms Arusha's impressive backdrop and the surrounding lush countryside add more colors to the splendid landscape. As the bus reached to Arusha, I had a trekking trip planned in my head.
Arusha is notorious for street touts. I soon found it out myself! The moment I got off bus, the street touts were already awaiting. After I settled in Monjes Guesthouse, I strolled through the city center. They were there and followed me all the way. They were persistent and aggressive. It was Sunday afternoon. The city center was quiet. I was finally fed up with the harassments of these street touts and turned back to the neighborhood where I stayed.
Monjes Guesthouse is in a suburb residential neighborhood. In contrast to the quietness of city center, the neighborhood was full of life with the festive ambiance to celebrate Eid Murbarak (the end of Ramadan) and crowds hanging out at the local bars. Muslims in their traditional gowns were visiting their neighbors and family for the big post Ramadan meal.
The best experience I had in Arusha is the local bar scene. These bars are tucked in the alleys in the residential neighborhood and seem very simple. If there wasn't a sign on the door, you wouldn't tell it's a bar. Walking through a door, there was a lively crowd, men and women. They only sell local beer. The counter was fenced with metal bars to prevent robbery.  I hung out with Frank, one of the street touts I met at the bar. It's easy for a single woman to hang out with someone at a bar to avoid harassment. Single women at a bar by themselves are perceived prostitute (they are called Gali).There were some Galis sitting by themselves who are easily recognized  for their distinctly skimpy dress. Frank is a dump guy but his escort kept me safe in a foreign environment like this. I used this technique quite a few times throughout the trip. I got to have a glimpse of local life and mingle with locals anywhere I went. Hanging out with a local tour guide is a good way to stay away from harassment from strangers. These local guides are happy to hang out with foreigners for free beer, tips or potential business.
Nyama Choma is local word for BBQ, similar to Brazilian BBQ. Frank took me to a popular local restaurant for Nyama Choma. It was interesting restaurant setting. Like bars, these restaurants are all tucked in small alleys in the neighborhood. The tables are set in a large back yard in a very simple fashion. There is a grill station in the corner where dismembered animals were lying. The food is delicious with more selections. I had Uji for breakfast at this type of local restaurants. Uji is a kind of millet porridge. I really enjoyed it. I couldn't find Uji else where in Tanzania.
I ended up hiring Frank for a hike tour in Madulee mountains. We hiked through some villages and passed some nice plantation. African trees are pretty. Some of them are very elegant. My favorite is "Yellow Fever". Frank was lost. He is not a tour guide by trade. He called up his friend Alex to help with direction. Alex is a smart young man who speaks good English. He was bored and didn't mind helping out to make some extra money. In Africa, there are a lot of young men like Alex who have plenty time yet no opportunities. We were supposed to summit a peak. But there was really no peak. There was a "high point" only.
After the hike, we chilled at a local cafe for some cold drinks where there were single women were sitting around for business in that hot afternoon. On the way back to Arusha, we stopped by a Masai market " Meseri" where cattle trade was going on. Tons of Masai walked around holding their signature stick looking to trade their cattle. It's like cattle trade show.
I returned to the neighborhood where my guesthouse was and went to my favorite restaurant " the Picnic" for beef broth and cow feet. The power went out in that area. Power outrage is common in Africa.I have three favorites in Arusha: favorite breakfast place- Ar. New Stadium Bar; favorite bar- Cafe Marina; favorite Nyama Choma place - the Picnic.
I didn't take any big trekking or Safari trip in Arusha as most travelers do. But I had enjoyed my stay and left with some fond memory.

Lushoto and Usambara Mtn Hike

To get to Lushoto, the bus climbed on the winding mountain road and dropped to valley. Mountain Usambara terrain is lavish tropical forests. I met a local boy named Presley on the bus. After I settled in " White House" hotel, I walked around looking for possible tours. I found Presley anywhere I went. He was stalking me to sell me a guided hiking tour. He is the best sales person in the world. Since I can't get rid of him, I decided to hire him as my tour guide.
I had a wonderful hike in Usambara Mtn with Presley. We started with Magamba rain forest and hiked through Irente farm to Irente peak point. We hiked through local villages, down to valley, through  rain forests and Savannah. The landscape is amazing along the way. Irente peak point offered a spectacular view. The cool air made the hike more pleasant. I was very glad that I hired Prelsey as my tour guide. I would not be able to enjoy the hike without his guide and company. I was seriously considering a side trip to Mtabe, which is part of Usambara Mtn terrain.
I stayed at Tumaini Hostel for second night where I had a nice and warm Ugali and rice meal and a hot shower.
My plan of going to Mtabe fell through as I was awaiting the bus going to that area at the hustling bus station for a couple of hours. When the bus finally pulled in, I was shunned by the huge crowd and the high ticket price. I changed my mind at the last minute and decided to stay at Tumaini Hostel for one more night. I met Presley again. He helped me with socks and CD copy shopping.
I spent the rest of day wandering around the local market and the town. It's Saturday. Villagers came in town for shopping and women walked around with shopping baskets over their head. I wanted to get a traditional African dress and walked in a tailor shop to get measurement. I knew I have put on weight thanks to African food : Ugali , rice, sauce, Chapati, Madaza. I was amazed that I was so well adapted to African food and became fat because of that. African food is unbelievably boring. There were only a few main dishes and restaurants sell the same food every day especially in small towns.
I've decided to move on to Arusha tomorrow.

Patience and an open mind

I was challenged in Dar es Salaam. I was literally annoyed by everything and anything. I couldn't stand the crowds in the minibus. I couldn't stand people's stares and unwanted greetings. All the annoyances pushed me over the edge at the Ubungo bus terminal while I attempted to buy a bus ticket to Lushoto. I became hysterical when I was pulled and pushed by a mob to different bus company offices. I came back to hotel without a ticket. I felt I was going to lose my mind. I know I need to take some time to figure out what's going on. The stress of traveling as a single female has been built up to the point that I started to hate everything and anything.
I had a little soul searching moment. I made a decision to carry on with the journey. I was consciously aware that I need to change my attitude. I need patience and an open mind to continue the journey. I need to change. I need to adapt myself. I decided to take it as a challenge. The moment I left my hotel room, I told myself to take a deep breath and embrace what's coming along. I did. I first went to Uhuru fabric market to get a couple of Kangas. Then I went back to Ubungo bus terminal again. This time I asked an old gentleman I met in bada bada to take me to one of the bus company offices. It went smoothly and I got my ticket within 5 minutes. Afterwards I headed to Mwenge market for souvenir shopping.
By the end of the day, I managed to put myself together again and keep moving along.

Jambiani beach

Jose and I traveled from north beach to south beach, Jamiani. Jose stayed at a low budget guest home and I ended up staying at a lovely bungalow at Garden restaurant with Sevia and Assia. Jamiani is a pristine beach with turquoise sea. The beach was almost empty. Sevia, Assia and me were the only ones that stayed at Garden restaurant. We had a nice candle dinner on the beach and under the stars. We all ordered delicious coconut fish and enjoyed some really nice chats about traveling in Africa. We shared similar experience and views on the African culture and "good cause" done by Mosugos to this part of world.
I was unable to sleep in my bungalow, anxious about the possible rats and insect bites. In the morning I walked to the village. Village was dead because of Ramadan. I hung out at the balcony and swam in the sea for a while before I headed back to Stone Town.
It's nice to be back to busy Stone Town for one reason: more selections on food. I bumped into Jose on the street and we both bought a ferry ticket to go back to Dar es Salaam. I took a final walk around Stone Town and hung out at Foto Darhni garden again before the ferry. At Foto gardern I saw a scene where a local small boy begged for food from a Mosugo couple. The Mosugo couple kept feeding him. After the Mosugo couple left, the boy moved on to his next target. I sent a big boy who spoke English to ask the little beggar why he's begging for food. It turned out he had dinner at home and his grandparents were somewhere nearby. He was out here to get some free snack. I thought the conversation I had with Sevia and Assia last night. Travelers who have traveled for a long time have different views on the "feeding African". I deride the concept and actions.
I got sea sick again on the night ferry back to Dar es Salaam. I had to lie down on the floor in the cabin. It seemed a long and miserable night when I prayed to God to make the last 2 hours go faster. As always I was fine in the end.

Fun beach holiday at Nungwi

Nungwi is a superb beach in the north of Zanzibar. The long white sandy beach stretched out miles with all sorts of beach resorts from five star beach hotels to humble bungalows lining up from east to west and modest African village in the back yard. Colorful Masai
is a paramount element of Nungwi beach.
We stayed at one of the bandas at Casa Umuja. Casa Umuja has 2 cozy and cute bungalows. There is a lovely garden, a few canvas hammocks and a friendly and canny manager named Mosun. Mosun is well exposed to western cultures and speaks perfect English.
I was very impressed with the three characters of Nungwi and thought they made the beach very unique: the enormous beach hotels including several five star luxury ones ( I think the hotel rooms they offer are probably 10 times of the local population); the colorful Masai presence on the white coral sand; the contrast between the local village and the water front first class world.
The first night Jose and I walked around the village for some cheap treat. It's Ramadan night and local villagers got together with family for Ramadan diner. We didn't have good luck of finding any decent local food expect that Jose bought a bottle of South African wine. Mosun was our DJ that night. He has a great taste on music. He played a mix of Spanish and American songs for us. We sat on the chairs and lied on the canvas hammocks, watching stars till I started to feel mosquito and insects biting me.

I spent the second day on the beach alone. Following a beach walk and a visit to the local fish market, Mosun was nice enough to offer me free breakfast. After breakfast, I started a long walk from the west side to east side of the beach in spite of high tide. At low tide the sea recedes a long way and walking though the beach is possible. It was high tide. I had to cut though to the back dirt road and walked all the way to the eastern most hotel " La Germa" and cut through a side path back to the beach.The east side was a paradise. Some beach resorts are strikingly luxury. Unfortunately due to the global economic recession, the beach resorts were pretty empty. I enjoyed swimming in the warm water and hanging out on the white gorgeous sand. I felt so free and relaxed that afternoon.
I made Jose and myself dinner at Mosun's kitchen. I made vegetable stew and Chapati for dinner. After dinner I went to Cholo's next door for a drink. Cholo's has Nungwi's best bar. I ordered a cocktail made of passion fruit and Blanca. That was the first and best cocktail I had on the Africa trip. A local young man named Saife took Jose and me to a beach party at Kandewa. It was a mixed crowd dancing in a beach bar. There was a bonfire on the beach where people sat around. It was an interesting vibe where Masai, locals and tourists all mingled and danced under stars.

Zanzibar- Stone Town

The " spice islands" have an exotic, almost legendary allure and offer a complete change of pace from the Tanzanian mainland. Apart from historic Stone Town, with its fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets, there are beautiful palm-fringed beaches and pristine coral reefs.
I took a ferry to Zanzibar. I spent about one week on the island staying at Stone Town and one northern beach (Nungwi) and one southern beach (Jambiani). I met  a traveler named Jose on the ferry. We traveled together for part of the trip.
Stone Town is a charm for its signature narrow streets and alleys, Arabic-style architecture,ornate balconies and carved wood framed doors, it's history and spice and it's spectacular sunset from the beach front plaza. It's an exotic mix of a little bit of everything like the native spice.
Stone Town is definitely a tourist destination and prices are higher than anywhere else. Ramadan is still going on and local restaurants remain close till sunset. When it gets close to sunset, the town becomes sizzling as the street vendors start to take the food stalls out, local restaurants reopen and local people get ready for their Ramadan dinner. Foto Dahni garden is an ocean front plaza and it becomes very lively in the evenings. A dozen of local vendors set up food booths for a taste of Stone Town. This is also a great place to watch sunset. Grabbing a plate of local BBQ and embracing the beach breeze and spectacular sunset are favorite things for both locals and tourists. At Foto Dahni garden, I reunited with Jose and met Sevia and Assia. Sevia and Assia is a couple from Switzerland and have been traveling for over a year. They are truly world travelers and enjoy their low-budget travel style. When I met them, they have already stayed at Stone Town for 6 weeks. Their down to earth personality and genuine passion for world travel touched me. Sevia, Assia, Jose and I catered a Dhow (sail boat) tour to a small island "Changuu" (Prison Island). Changuu is a tourist destination for giant tortoises and snorkeling. We had a perfect day of island excursion and several hours of snorkeling in the Indian ocean. We ended up the day at Foto Dahni garden again where I met an open minded Masai who had married a German woman and told me that he is more interested in western culture than Masai culture.
The following morning I checked out the local fish market. After that Jose and I took a dala dala to a nearby spice farm for a 2- hour spice tour.

Dar es Salaam

Dar Es Salaam is a beautiful and confident city in East Africa. The city has a mix of African, Arabic and Indian influences yet keeps close ties to its Swahili roots. The city has a picturesque seaport and some historic and high rise business buildings, many shops and restaurants. It still has the hustle and bustle of any African cities. The bus terminal is where a tourist gets harassed. The touts targeting tourists can be more pushy than else where.
I settled in at Econolodge in a city center area and had dinner at a popular local restaurant "Chef's Pride". The local food is a mix of Indian and Swahili. You can easily access to very good quality Indian food here including vegetarian Indian snacks.
I took a long walk to the seaport. It was a scenic shore side walk past a park where local couples hang out and a few food stalls. There was a fish market at the port where a lively fish auction was going on. Fish auction is daily routine here. Fisherman brought fish in the morning. Fish of a sort was stacked up on a table and sold to the party calling out the highest bid. The auction was held by a mediator. I threaded through the crowd from one table to another. The sizzling bidding crowd includes the local "mama" dressed in traditional African Kanga and carrying baskets made of mangrove. Across the street, there was a massive " deep fry work shop" where piles of fish sprinkled with salt were dumped into the sizzling oil in the gigantic pot. Heavy smoke comes out the pot and overcasts the whole workshop. Fresh live fish became dark and dry and was taken away by the street food stall vendors who sell this type of dry fish. The reason that freshly caught fish is sold through auction and deep fried right away is because the fishermen don't have a means to keep fish cool and fresh nor a means to sell them in other way. The fish out of deep fry process can be kept for a long time. It was a little adventure for me to capture the fish market scene in camera in this rough and aggressive crowd.
North from the fish market along the coast I carried my way to the upper middle class section of Upganga and upmaket residential areas of Oyster Bay and Msasani, from which I took a bus ride back to city center.


As much as I enjoy the city of Dar Es Salaam, I did encounter some difficulty of traveling here as a solo woman. Communication with locals is not as easy as in Kenya or in Uganda for most locals only speak Swahilis. In Da Es Salaam I felt I attracted more attentions and harassments. Dealing with annoyances from curious and ill meaning locals has been a challenge throughout the trip. Dar es Salaam requires more patience and will power.