Well, I left you in Zanzibar, sunning myself on the beach. Since then I have been busy. I returned to Dar Es Salaam with a little help from a couple of Tanzanians. Getting around blind is not so easy, because the roads and pavements are mainly non-existent! Taking mini-buses (dala dala) is, or should say, can be dangerous. I have taken a couple and they were OK, if sometimes fast. Once back in Dar, Tanzania’s largest city, with five million people and much crazy traffic. I stayed with a lovely local family. Ivan, Narasa and their young son. I spent one day relaxing and another exploring the historic town of Bagomoyo. It is a spread out town, 75 km north of Dar. I went with a guide. We visited the historical places by tuk tuk vehicle, three wheel motor bike. They are called Bajaji in Tanzania. I managed to break one hearing aid during my adventure to this town. My friends found a school for the deaf in Dar and the problem was easily solved.
Next I took an 11-hour bus north-east to Moshi, home of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 5895 metres. No, I didn’t climb it. A nice guide named Ezekiel took me around Moshi for a day and we took photos of the clock tower, war monument, local market and the central mosque. The following day I did a trip to Marangu Waterfalls. A combination of four small falls about 60 km south of Moshi. I hiked through small bushes, banana trees and eucalyptus, before crossing a small bridge, and following a trail, before descending rock steps to the falls’ bottom. A statue of a young female Chagga woman stands atop the falls. There is a story about girls getting pregnant out of marriage being killed. This girl became pregnant, but rather than being killed she ran away and jumped into the falls.
After Moshi, I headed to Arusha, where I couchsurfed with a nice local guy named Boni. He is a street artist. Very kind. He took me around the city. We visited the museum, where I learnt more about Tanzania’s history, and also the Masai people, they are mostly cattle herders.
I have now taken two long bus journeys. The express buses are long, but the roads are very rough and bumpy. Typical African roads, non-existent in places. Next I head to Iringa for my camping experience, then on west to Mbeya, Sumbawnga and then to Lake Tanganyika. The people are mostly kind and peaceful. They like to talk. Many are helpful and interested in where you come from. They like to try and sell you something, but are not aggressive and if you say no thanks, they are OK about it.
The food is great, apart from ugali, which is flour and water. There is rice, chips and eggs, chips mayai, chicken, also goat. OK, next blog to follow soon. Tony.