Tanja with a glass of fresh passion fruit juice!
Tanja with Passion
January 6th, 2010Quaked Feelings
December 23rd, 2009We spent two days in Arusha! Stocking up on supplies and cater for the last needs of civilization!
Yesterday we took a Landcruiser to Haidom. The cruiser was packed with 16 people so four to five people had to share three seats! Not an uncommon thing in Africa! Fortunately nobody had to sit on the roof! We went througt that bit of land between ngorongoro and Manyara national Park. It’s beautiful hilly area with lot of agriculture, stockbreeding and small archaic villages! I love it! The hills became less and we arrived Haidom, famous for it’s very good bush hospital initiated by Norwegians. A friend of my sister and Paula, the only one with a car in the village, took us to Mwanga. This is the place where my sister and Paula are staying for one year. The one working at the dispensary the other teaching at secondary school. The House is quite nice compared to african standard! It’s equipped with solar power for light (which has quit working a long time ago, so we are back to petroleum lamps) two toilets and a shower, of couse no sprinkler but a bucket and a ladle. But the sanitary rooms all have tiles what is great! All water has to be carried to the place(fortunatelly not by ourselves) and boiled before drinking! I got my own room with two beds! I really like it here so far. But there’s one thing that I was afraid of last night. When I went to bed! It started with a thunder that approached at considerable speed. The ground started to shake and it all sounded like subways in the undergroud. I got myself positioned between two walls pushing them away from me. The thunder was roaring and I was very scared! Thought’s of how to get out of the building were running through my head but the door was already looked it would have taken ages to open it. In the end the thunder slowly faded but persisted as my adrenaline did! My sister just said: “That was an earthquake! Welcome to Mwanga!”
Serengeti!!!
December 16th, 2009The sunset over the rift valley is spectacular. If it only wasn’t for getting up so early.
Our plan today was to head through the ngorongoro conservation area, pay a short visit to oldupai and then make it to lobo the northern part of serengeti. Around 300km. A landcrUiser might definitely be a great car, but have you ever tried packing 7 people and camping equipment for 6 days and then driving up ngorongoro crater. It was slow… The way to the top is covered with what you would typically call rain forest. Hugh old trees, plenty of little bushes and the richest green, full of birds and insects. And all of a sudden we were there. The bottom of the crater – 16km from north to south and 19km from east to west – looks like it was custom-made following the image of paradise and put inside the Crater: flat, wide, light-green, little rivers meandering through the plains and a lake right in the middle.
Even though we were only looking down from the top I loved it right away. I guess most of all it was the surprise. It just didn’t look at all like the surroundings we had passed through for the last hour. A little world of its own.
Next stop: 3.6 million years back in time to the oldest tracks of human beings. There was a lot to read and pictures to see. Worth a visit but nothing too fancy, just a museum. For lunch I had my first cheese in 3 months. It tasted delicious! All this safari food is most amazing anyway, but then again I guess I might not be the right person to ask after ugali and beans only for such a long time… But chicken pie or spaghetti bologna…
Anyway… We continued our journey toward serengeti. We passed a few massai children in their traditional clothes or even wearing masks. They were posing for the tourists’ cameras to earn a few shillingi… Being a tourists feels akward and it is really hard. On the one hand I did pay an awful lot of money for this trip and the ‘luxury’ I enjoy is nothing more than they had promised me. On the other hand I just cannot stand to let someone else set up the tend and bed which I am going to sleep in.
About one hour later we entered serengeti, everyone around me was asleep. Not that they had really missed anything. You look left, you see a flat endless surface. You look right, you see the same, brown flat plains. Back and front don’t look any different. These famous plains only cover a tiny area of serengeti, mostly in the south, but they are impressing! We still had a long way to go, so the rest of the day was spent with driving as fast as possible on the rough road. On our campsite for that night we were the only visitors. There was a lodge nearby but it felt completely remote and the antilopes grazing just a few meters away from us were beautiful to watch. Before going to bed we were told by our guide not to use the bathroom tonight if it is avoidable. Lions are roaming around. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Well, I was tired and I slept very well that night. Come on, I really couldn’t have known that the next morning everyone was telling each other about the impressive roar of a lion really close by. Well, if you ever get to spend a night in the serengeti, don’t sleep!!! You might miss something!!!
Will we ever get there?
December 12th, 2009After a breakdown that took us four hours we are crawling at an amazing speed of 15km/h along the dirt track! It feels like we are getting nowhere! But will that bus bring us to Mbeya today? Or at least to Tunduma? We just keep in mind that we do it for the experience! Well, wish us luck!
Kasanga and the rough transport
December 11th, 2009The Liemba arrived at about ten o’clock in the morning and we were kind of stuck! We quickly figured out that our plan to go to Kalambo Falls this day doesn’t work out as it was already to late. So asked a lorry driver to take us to Sumbawanga and he agreed! What we didn’t knew was that we’ll had to wait until 16:30 to start! We hung out around the Habour and I tried to have a look at the Bismarkburg but once again it is now used as an army fort and therefore no entry and no pictures! But at least there was Jonatan a Soldier who’s brocken English was just good enough to talk to him! He actually regreted to sent me away because he thought at least Germans should be able to have a look at the old colony’s fort! Anyway what I saw was impressive and in good shape. It’s a pitty that you can’t have a look at it!
The lorry was really crouded! There were around 30 people in the back and some sac’s of dried fish as! We used them to sit on them what was a pleasure because of the rough dirt track we were travelling on. But the worst bit was that we had to wait for four hours because the driver had to load a load of rice! While we were waiting the was real african rain and I was quite happy not to be on the lorry because the awning had a lot of wholes. Instead we waited in someone’s home.
With the new load onboard the front lorry we were asked to climb ontop the white sacs filled with wheat! I got an awful place and there was not much to do about it! That’s why I nearly freaked out when I saw them starting to load the trailer as well and we had to wait for more than hour once again!
We arrived in Sumbawanga around one o’clock in the night, found a dirt cheap room to sleep and went to bed very quickly as we had to get up at 4:30 to get tickets and catch the bus to Mbeya!
Liemba Day!
December 10th, 2009This day was quite nice! The sun was shining as I hoped and it was not to hot! Apart from that there was nothing happen despite the things I already wrote! So if you read yesterday’s post your pretty much up to it!
Kigoma and a very old ship
December 9th, 2009During breakfast we became friends with a lovely swedisch girl who is doing interviews for her bachelor thesis in Kigoma! From my room with lake view I got my first glimpse of the Liemba with my binoculars! I was happy to see her there because I was worrying about her being late! Later we learned the German embassador had just been in town two days ago to have a look at the German ship! So that might be the reason for her not being late!
We got tickets, yes even first class tickets for the girls from the counter at the habour! There was only a third class ticket left for me at the counter! We had a look at the ship, thanks to a welcomeing harbour security! It is really impressive even the old shipyard is still there, rusty but there! A walk out on the peninsula turn out to be a stroll through wretched fishermen huts! At the top we got a conversation with some Soldiers who are deployed there! They told us it’s forbidden to go up there but as we speak Kisuhaeli(at least my sister does fluently) it’s ok!
We got something to eat in town, did the last shopping and went to the harbour! Nobody asked for tickets(shurly because we are withe) and so we were on the ship very early and watched the carriers bringing pineapple, huge boxes of matches, a motorbike, garden chairs, a pooltable, big empty baskets, sound boxes with mixer and amplifier, bycicles, matresses and quite a view plantains! I think now you can already get an idea how important the MV Liemba is to the local cominities along the lake!
I felt uncompfortable about separation on board, cause there were quite some iron gates, blocking stairs and doors! Especially as me I myself had just a third class ticket but 3 managed with the Stuart to stay on the upper deck and the separation turned out to be not that strict! So finally I ended up sleeping on the girl’s cabin’s floor. I actually wanted to sleep on deck but in lack of equipment and the cold wind and rain I decided to take the 1. Class option! There is a restaurant on board that serves at least 1, and 2. class passengers for reasonable prices!
But the most fascinating thing about liemba is it’s stops! The first one has been already at the first day’s night! It all starts with the sound of Liemba’s horn. Than the ship slows down, stops and finally drops the anchor about 500 to 1000m off shore! Immediately or sometimes even before there are small local boots, some paddling few with outboard motor, circling and mooring alongside Liemba! They bring mostly special sticks in bundles for fence and house building, palmoil in canisters and the weeks catch of dried fish packed in white sacs! All that needs to be loaded and that sometimes takes up to an hour! It is fun to watch it because the boats are also packed with passengers that need to go off and others go on! It doesen’t look like there is a boss so the boots often need more than one go to moor and the loading is just one big qarrel! Some locals also use this opportunity for a swim in the lake, what I wanted to do as well but canceled that idea as I saw the facials of Liemba going straight to the lake!
When we were standing on the upper deck when my sister got talking to the chief officer(kisuhaeli of cause) what ended up in him showing the bridge to us! They still have the original compass there, but some other modern things like radio, radar and GPS as well. The ship makes up to ten knots what is about the equivalent of 20 km/h! The chief officer almost went into raptures as he told us about the good work Germans did when they built that ship and the MAN Diesels it’s running on 60 years later! As I asked him if he knows about the plans of the Pappenburg Heimatverein to return the ship to Germany on it’s 100th anniversary he just returned: This is not going to happen as we LOVE this ship!
Run the Gauntlet – on Rough Roads
December 8th, 2009This day we just got the transport to Kigoma! That sounds easy but it isn’t!!! We supposed to get on one bus and go all the way to Kigoma! So far the theory! The bus we went on was packed up with people a lot of them were standing! First of all we had to get our seats back as they were taken when we arrived at the bus! Half way to Kigoma in Kinondo the bus stopped, all the people jumped off and we didin’t have glue what to do! There was another bus but it was aleady crowed as well. So we decided to take a DallaDalla and goodness knows what we also managed to get our tickets transfered so we didn’t had to pay again! The dalladalla was crap! It broke down countless times but they always managed to repair it on the spot right away! They told us as well that they are going to Kigoma but once again after there were no more people left in Kasulu they refused to go there! Fortunately the got us transfered again on a bus! Lucky as we are, we all got seats by chance.
I’ve been travelling a lot on dirt tracks in my life so far and never was stoped by a guide book telling me about bad road conditions but this last bit to Kigoma was by far the worst road I’ve been travelling on by a kind puplic transport!
Finally we arrived at Kigoma at around half past nine, found a nice but expensive (7,50€) hostel (Nzimano Hotel) snd went to a beer garden like place and had ckicken with fried plantain! Sliced and fried plantain actually you can pretty much compare to chips! So maybe you should call it “potato of Africa” although there are potatoes in Africa as well!
Kahama – a mining town?
December 7th, 2009After a short breakfast and a taxi, that started smoking just after entering it, we arrived in Kahama today by bus! First impression was fantastic! Great African country town with numerous typical small african shops and over all very busy!
When we got off at the bus station first we had to buy tickets for tomorrows bus to Kigoma! When you arrive at a bus station there are usually already three to four people instantly surrounding you and asking(if they do not already know from some ominous source) where you want to go next! So this time we got caught by a guy wanting to sell us tickets for a higher price than we supposed! After already paying to much for the last Dalladalla, we now just walked out of his office and found our supposed price just a few booking offices further. Just you can imagine: It was exactly the same bus(as there is only one) just a different price!
We found a nice lodge and did some washing! For dinner we went to a typical tanzanian food place! A local mine worker, very friendly and heart-to-heart, stroke up a conversion with me! He was interested in the MV Liemba so we exchanged Addresses!
We strolled through the streets of Kahama, and found it a laid back but busy place with a variety of shops that could easily keep up with Dar es Salaam! Later we went to an internet cafe but couldn’t start right away because of to low power on the network! We grabbed corn on the cob on the way home and watched tansanian TV in the hotel’s yard!
Dar es Salaam
December 5th, 2009Monday Paula and me stopped in Dodoma. Just for one day and merely just to be able to say that we have seen the capital city. It is a small city, dusty, yet nice. We had some juice in Tanzania’s one and only pedestrian area, the wine whose grapes grown all around Dodoma was no where to be seen.
On our way we passed through Manyoni. It was a strange feeling… This was where it all began… 
It took as almost as much as the whole day to get to Dar es Salaam and there we quickly noticed that this is still a whole different thing than Dodoma. Or even Mwanga, the peaceful, remote village where everyone knows each other.
Instantely we were faced with the first problem: Which dalla dalla shall we take to get to our hostel? Eventually we just got on one which took us at least in the right direction. Everything was a little chaotic, but hey, that’s Africa!
We found a nice hostel in the part of the town, where a lot of the Indian population lives. Yes,it was nice, but different. It did not feel like the African I have become used to. You see no black children playing football with a crappy ball in the streets, you are not greeted wherever you go and the mosque was right behind our hostel. Only a few days later will we discover the city-quarter ‘Kariakoo’ which is just like the Africa we know: Streets full of people, noise, calls of ‘Wazungu’,… it is difficult to explain, but Africa is… alive… with a lot of talking, colorful clothes, little shops everywhere, dust and garbagge on the roads…
Dar is a huge city, the biggest in Tanzania, but it is pretty easy to find your way around the center of the city. And it offers you everything a European person might miss in the African bush. That is for example food. Just yesterday I enjoyed my first pizza in three months. The other day we went into a REAL supermarket and bought a ‘Snickers’ for an ridiculously high price… It is great for once to not eat ugali na marahagwe every day.
It is only shortly before Xmas and every time I remind myself of that I am surprised. Especially here in Dar… it is hot… If you’re not able to sleep even without any blanket, one might even say it is too hot. And Xmas decoration? I really haven’t seen much around here. I am very excited to see how Xmas in celebrated in Africa.
Well… on Friday morning… we finally picked up Wolfi from the airport. It is great to have him here. And I find his reactions very fascinating. There he stands, in the middle of an African market, trying to explain what makes it so special… IIt is great, because just a few months ago I was in exactly the same position, filled with so much happiness and gratitude to finally be at the place of which you have already heard so much, but even though you thought you knew… everything is somehow different… Why am I writing all this? I find it fasciniting to see how I have truly gotten used to so many things which are strange to us and completely normal here. Of course I like to go to an African market, but that is because I will be able to buy bananas or a mango…
Even the very first day we arrived in Dar, Paula and I went to the station to buy tickets for the train, which was supposed to take us to Kigoma on Sunday. Well… the employees of the train and the station have been on strike. Because they weren’t paid any salaries. That’s understandable but… We need some tickets!!!! The security watchmen of the staiton were very nice though. I build a little ‘purpose-friendship’. We stopped by every day and had a little chat, while they told us the news and kept us updated. We still hoped everything will be fine, until one of them told us, that there never was a train intended to leave Dar es Salaam on Sunday. Only Tuesday and Friday. We got that piece of useful information on Friday morning. But since the workers were still on strike, we were told that there will be no train today… maybe tomorrow…
hmm… to cut a long story short… the train actually did leave on Friday, in the evening, without us… So tomorow we will try to make our way to Kigoma by bus… Which is - as far as the lady of the tourist information told us – a matter of chances… Maybe there will be a bus, or maybe not… Africa…
Today is my birthday… I have never had a birthday with 40 degrees in the shade. Definitely different…
I am closing this post hereby and hope that first-hand first impressions of Africa made by my brother are going to follow very soon. Yet,. at the moment he is busy trying the find the pictures, which have gone lost on my memory card. Let’s hope he succeeds!
Tutaonana badaaye! (See you later!)