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| Album - Stone Town, Zanzibar |
Stone Town Zanzibar scene of the recent acid attack on two UK girls so we are cautious. Very run down but lots of alleyways and decaying grand buildings. A guy attaches himself to us, Youmgmi calls him the sticky man and gets angry when he leads us in a big circle. We try everything to get rid of him including giving him half a doughnut to go away. Having looked at about 30 hotels we settle on the cheep and cheerful Flamingo and lock ourselves away from Sticky man. Dinner is a zanzibar pizza from the food stalls in the waterfront gardens. Really a thick pancake with nutella.
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| Album - Ngonyi, Zanzibar |
Next morning hostel bus to Kendwa Rocks at Nguyni at north of island. Gorgeous white sandy beach and shaded beds to lie on when not swimmimg. Expensive for grass huts with shared bathrooms but everything else really nice. Campfire on beach at night. Two nights then back to Stonetown and good hotel, Manch Lodge. Find a really good rooftop bar restaurant at a smart hotel. Three evenings in the bar meeting lovely people.Wander the alleys and markets. Find the house where Freddie Mercury grew up. Visit old slave market from 1800s.
Helped Scottish John repair his ancient berghaus rucksack. This is Johns fifth big African trip but he now has health problems including balance but his pack weighs 21 kgs, twice ours. He is a tough guy who left wearing a deerstalker.
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| Album - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania |
Ferry back to mainland is really rough and lots of people throwing up. Two UK lads lead us to Econolodge which is ok.Take a taxi to station and manage to book weekly train for next day to Mbeya near Zambia border. First class full but 2nd said to have sleepers for 24 hr trip.Lunch in really popular Tanzanian place is a bit exotic. Dave explores Dar and reports back not much to see. Very helpful pharmacist replaced creams es we have left somewhere. Dinner at big BBQ street cafe. Baking naan breads in an oil drum oven. We order a mix of things. All good except nunga sticks which turn out to be skewers of grilled lumps of fat. Said to be a delicacy in east Africa.
Buy food and water for train trip as we were told the train can stop for hours along the way. Our tickets said the train left at 2.30pm so we were at the station one hour before. Youngmi found a first class waiting room so we were not too disappointed to find the train was due to leave at 3.50pm. A great scene as everyone boarded. Youngmi had a place in a compartment with five Tanzanian ladies and a couple of babies. Dave's ticketed seat didn't exist. Please wait says the conductor. Luckily Dave waited in the dining car as it was 2 hours before a place was found.Dave settled in with three friendly Tanzanian guys and two chatty children who spoke good English. A great journey for 24 hours rattling across Tanzania on the Chinese built railway from the 70s. Country looked like Australia with lots of villages.
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| Album - Mbeya, Tanzania |
Arrived in Mbeya at 4pm in the daylight and only 7 hours late. Taxi to Mybeya peak hotel which was good but had seen better days. All staff laughed whenever we spoke and one lovely lady Tato kept hugging us and saying I am so happy you are here.
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| Album - Tukuyu Town, Tanzania |
Coaster bus next morning to Tukuyu. Beautiful drive into hills with food growing everywhere. Landmark hotel is perfect with good rooms, gardens, view over mountains and the nicest staff ever and $22 for both of us.
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| Album - Mt Ringuwe, Tanzania |
Michael a local guide took us up Mt Rungwe third highest mountain in Tanzania. Very hard work as mostly on a rough track through forest. Plenty of monkeys. After 4 hours got to top just as cloud comes in. Back at bottom meet a white lady from Zimbabwe who had developed an avocado farm there.
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| Album - Tukuyu with Michael |
Michael kindly invited us to his house, so we visited his family at their home in Tukuyu next day. Lovely family and dad, Paul, invites us to his village next day. No electricity at Michael's house and water from a standpipe. Great lunch cooked on charcoal.Michael and his tour partner Donald walk us through town meeting lots of people and shaking hands with all. The local custom. We enjoy a beer in our hotel garden in the evening to unwind after meeting so many people.
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| Album - Tukuyu Pauls Village |
Next morning local bus to kk village where we meet Paul. He is maybe 70. He was at an English run school in colonial times, worked as an accountant and retiring with no pension built a house and started farming near where his parents lived. He is a pastor in the church and a real gentleman. We walk with him for two kms along tracks to his village. Shaking hands with all the people we met on the road, it took hours to reach his home. His wife greets us with a big smile. She speaks no English and is the real farmer. Paul and his wife grow bananas, avocados,papaya,yams and potatoes. They have a cow and calf, three pigs and some chickens in their farm. Their house is built with mud bricks with no electricity and no water. Paul's wife carries buckets of water from their neighbour's water pump. It is Paul's second marriage to this lady after his first wife died. They have a daughter and a son. Their daghter is studing law in Dar Es Salaam. The son goes to a secondary school in the local village. Paul's grand daughter Benossa also lives with them as her parents died. Benossa loves science, but a bit worried because her friends tell her she would go crazy if she studies science. She wants to become a doctor and happily tells us about electricity. They don't have electricity but she learned about it at school.
Michael takes photos for village people with his film camera and when they can pay him he takes a bus to the next town to print them. We gave our digital camera to Michael as a gift. It had been our lucky charm as it survived through three robberies during our trip. Hopefully it will bring a good luck to his family.
Our time in Tukuya was really wonderful and it is a special place for us.We saw no other white tourists but did meet the occasional white aid worker at the hotel. These included Mark from Preston and Alan who is going next to Indonesia to marry his true love.
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