Tanzania (03.-11.06.2009)

Already 20 km after leaving rainy Kilimanjaro, the rain stops and we enjoy a nice drive towards the Usambara Mountains.  Road and traffic are okay.  The only surprise is a 3 meters long snake that seems to be killed just recently and we think about having snake-steak for dinner… this wild snake gives wild camping also a different and new meaning!

Since we missed Kilimanjaro, we still are looking for nice mountains and the Usambara Mountains seem to be a good location. They rise 1500 meters above the big plains. From our campground in Lushoto,  the Irente Cliff Lodge, we have a stunning view over the surrounding country, and we are enjoying our “Room with a View”. However, the next morning, our hiking plans are destroyed once more due to rain which follows us all the way down to Dar es Salaam. And we thought the rainy season is over! But no day without surprise: we are used to be stopped frequently by the police, however, this time it’s not just to say “jambo” (hello), but for speeding. We really have to pay a fine! 10 Euro with receipt, or 5 Euro without…

Food we can get from the various shops along the road. We enjoy the fresh pineapples, papayas and bananas.

 

 

For lazy people they even have the African version of a drive-trough shop.

 

 

 

A lot of  transportation in Tanzania is still done by foot.

 

 

 

Dar es Salaam is very similar to Mombasa. Heavy traffic and again a ferry to reach the South Beach. But once more we are rewarded by a Caribbean-like beach in a nice bay. We put our tent next to the white, sandy beach. Everything is perfect, and we enjoy extensive walks on the beach and swimming in the warm water of the Indian Ocean. However, nothing is perfect, and we suffer a lot from the noise of a  close-by discotheque which provides sound to the whole bay.  This makes it easier to leave this beautiful place, to continue our trip to Malawi.

 

Wildlife is everywhere, even on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we hear that our friend Juan made it safe to South Africa and is flying back to Spain we try again the “Jump”. This one is for you, Juan!!!

During our drive towards Malawi, we are again amazed by the diversity of the Tanzanian landscape. Often it reminds us of certain areas in Germany, hard to imagine that we are in the middle of Africa. But then, when you see a traffic sign, warning of wild animals, and a few minutes later an elephant next to the street, you are quickly back to reality…

 

Finally we get a chance for a hike in Iringa. We spend 2 days at a remote campsite next to a river. We enjoy a nice hike to the waterfalls and get a first idea of winter in Africa which will start soon. Since we are at 1800 m, even with temperatures in the 20s during the day, temperatures drop quickly with sunset and reach only 7 degrees at night. So we have to go to bed early…

Our last day in Tanzania is another beautiful road through lush vegetation and over high mountains up to 2500 m before it goes down to Lake Malawi.

 

 

We enjoyed Tanzania a lot. We always found nice campgrounds - even if it was on the playground for the kids, travel was easy, the people very friendly and we didn’t even miss going to the National Parks.

There is even a camping version for beginners in Tanzania. It offers luxury items as running water and electric light but we are not quite sure about the internet connection.

 

 

Our trip in Tanzania went from Taveta at the Kenyan boarder to Marangu, Moshi , Lushoto, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Mikumi, Iringa, Mbeya to Mwandenga at the Malawi boarder and covered 1800km.

This blog is done on Lake Malawi in the Sangilo Sanctuary Lodge on 13.06.