Tanzania

Road to Dar es Salaam

Tanzania, located on the east coast, contains some of Africa’s most famous tourist destinations. For many who dream of an African safari, to climb Africa’s highest mountain and/or to visit the exotic Zanzibar Archipelagoes come to Tanzania.

It is country with a tumultuous and fascinating history, from the world’s shortest war (46 minutes), to the notorious African slave trade.

We arrived in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in Tanzania (pop 3million), at rush hour on the eve of the new president’s inauguration, together with 25 visiting presidents from other countries, with no updated map and no idea where we could stay. The road into Dar (as the locals know it) was an assault on our senses. It was chaos, miles of slums, chaotic traffic, buses loaded with people both inside and hanging
Rush Hour on the outside and with luggage piled high on the roof. Hooters blasting, traffic lights not working, it was overwhelming and yet somehow traffic was moving. After what seemed an eternity, we arrived at the Sea Cliffs Hotel, overlooking the Indian Ocean. Here we had a celebratory drink, since we had crossed the African continent west to east. We left the cold and stormy Atlantic Ocean three months earlier, and now we were watching the warm tropical waves wash up on the eastern shore. We enjoyed our refreshing drinks in the warm tropical breeze with feelings of gratitude and a sense of accomplishment.
Our primary objective in Dar, other than seeing the city and experiencing the culture of this vibrant port city, was to obtain our entry visas for Egypt and Sudan. Rumours had it that a Sudanese visa could take anything up to 6 weeks so we braced ourselves for a long wait. The Egyptian Embassy was extremely helpful and friendly and after an interview with the counselor, we had our visas within 24 hours. We were ushered into the Sudan Embassy waiting room and with hopeful optimism; we waited to be seen by the High Commissioner. He was welcoming and accommodating and advised us to get a letter of introduction from the Canadian Embassy,
Dhow Sails which would then speed up the application, which we did. After handing in all the required documentations, we received our Sudan visas the following day. Now there was almost nothing stopping us from reaching our goal, Cairo and the Mediterranean Ocean.

THE 67TH STORY

I am beginning to think that a mixture of sweat, deet, and sunscreen is a highly valued delicacy for mosquitoes and other little critters that like to leave an itchy calling card. The African mosquito, unlike its cousin in North America is very small and a lot quieter. There is no loud buzzing siren, no large flying object heading for me. They come, in their hundreds at times, attack and then leave. The inside car windows is a maze of hand prints a sign of the desperate war between me, and the mosquitoes. They are formidable.

There are also other biting creepy crawlies bugs, sand fleas, flies and of course the spiders. Last night the mosquitoes were out in force and
Masaai Women added to this melee were sand fleas. This morning, I counted 67 bites on me, each screaming out to be scratched. . I got my tube of “anti itch” cream out and I reminded myself, “This is Africa and sh… happens.”

SOAP ON A ROPE AND A COIN IN THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING

With thousands of miles between ourselves and family and friends, we woke up on Christmas morning in a hot and humid Dar-es-Salaam and the first order of the day was to exchange gifts.

A family tradition for us has been the delight of finding the coin in the Christmas pudding. The one who gets the coin is destined for a wonderful new year. There would be no Christmas pudding this year and definitely no coin. However, to my delight I was presented with six little Christmas pies one supposedly with a coin.

Now, I am not at my best in the morning, eyes don’t focus until I have had my cup of tea, and my brain does not kick in until I have had a shower, but even I could see the one little badly bashed pie, a pie that had undergone some man handling! (Gareth I heard you did not get the coin this year despite eating two helpings of pudding.)

Of all the things we budgeted for, soap has been a huge cost that we had not anticipated. Not that soap is expensive it is simply that Tom tends to leave his soap in the showers, dotted across the African continent. So, with a screwdriver, soap and a piece of string I made him “soap on a rope.” (Any bets on how long he will keep it.)

After lots of laughs, we decided, to spend Christmas day on the island of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago, and a two-hour ferry ride away.

New Year 2006

FEMME FATALE

In every country, there are there are con men and in Tanzania, they are known as “street touts.”

While rushing to catch our ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar, Tom was called aside by an official looking person and asked for US$10.00 port tax.

“Give me a receipt,” I asked.

He simply chose to ignore me and told Tom he needed to pay him.

“The lady at the ticket office did not say we have to pay port tax” I interjected.

He starred at me and I felt the daggers and Tom not wanting to get in an argument handed over the $10.00.

I was furious, “You have just been ripped off,” I said.

“This is not the time or place for you to get into an argument” he replied as we hurried to board the ferry.

Determined not to be ripped off on our return journey I was paying close attention when we entered the harbour to buy our return tickets. Once through the gates several “touts” approached us, each jostling for our attention, each offering us a “special deal.”

Kilimanjaro

“No we don’t have a ticket and no we don’t need help to buy one,” I informed the crowd. Glancing casually at me they continued to jostle around Tom, completely ignoring me. Unperturbed, I turned to tell Tom that I would get information and prices from several ferry services and with that left him alone with the men. The men continued to try to persuade Tom to do a deal with them.

Tom could not convince them that I would buy the tickets without first getting his approval and permission. Despite Tom’s explanations about women’s rights, the men were skeptical and not persuaded that I would not return to ask for Tom’s approval before buying the tickets. I returned with all eyes and ears on me and they watched incredulously as I said, “I have bought the tickets and we are leaving at 4.” Tom smiled at the men and with not a word spoken, the men turned and walked away in disbelief.

“They just had a little lesson in women’s lib,” Tom said laughing as he told me of the heated conversation he had just had.

A CHRISTMAS DAY LIKE NO OTHER.

Unguja, the largest island of the Zanzibar archipelago (confusingly also called Zanzibar Island), lies 35 km off the coast from Dar es Salaam. Stone Town, the capital of Unguja is one of the world’s most alluring cities.

Slave Monument

It has a fascinating and complex history, the result of its strategic position at the confluence of many trade routes, an important port for many numerous trading nations. First, the Bantu used it then the Portuguese, followed by the Arabian, East Indies, Germans, and the British. It is where Africa meets the Orient and the locals now an eclectic mix of Bantu, Indians, Arabs, and European. It is such an important “material manifestation of cultural fusion and harmonization” that UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site.

We spent the short time we had taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the old city also known as the “city of spices.” Whilst the old buildings definitely show signs of age and are in need of some repair, the city has a charm and a laid back delight all of its own. The people are friendly and helpful, sometimes too much so. The most remarkable feature of these distinctly Arabic structures is the large beautifully carved wooden doors. These doors and doorframes became the favored means of expressing the grandeur and opulence of ones mansion. They are ornately decorated with intricate patterns involving many different symbols, most commonly fish for fertility, prayers from the Koran for protection, and large brass studs, originally intended to keep away the elephants, which apparently where plentiful on the island at that time.

Kangas

We were also given a sober reminder of the island’s dark side, when we visited the slave museum. This museum provides a devastatingly poignant memorial to the horrors of the slave trade. Here we took a guided tour, and it does not take too long before the appalling cruelty of the slave trade hits home. Seventy-five slaves at a time were housed in tiny squalid unlit underground cells with no windows their only toilet being a pit in the centre. Apparently, if you survived this ordeal you were regarded as fit and strong enough to be valuable. An estimated 1 million slaves were traded in Stone Town. Although slavery was abolished in 1873, it continued illegally for another 30 years. Next to the museum is a courtyard, which contains a stark and pensive modern sculpture. Placed in a rectangular pit are five bleak figures, men, women, and children shackled together by a chain (which comes from the town of Bagamoyo, the main slave trading port) make a powerful impact.

During the two hour, ride back to Dar-es-salaam we had lots to reflect on as we glided over the blue tropical waters in a high speed ferry, easily passing the local fishermen ploughing these waters in their ancient Arab dhows.

Zanzibar Port

NEW YEAR 2006

We celebrated New Year’s Eve with a trip in a dhow across the warm waters of the Indian Ocean to visit some reefs lying just north of the town of Pangani. We snorkeled, in the warm crystal clear waters amongst a world of multicouloured tropical fish swimming in a beautiful but fragile coral garden. My biggest thrill was watching a gigantic clam, wide open with its shades of neon blues muscle moving rhythmically. It was the largest clam I had ever seen, just magnificent.

We spend a fun new year’s eve celebrating with a couple from Luxembourg, who were also travelling overland, eating great seafood and drinking South African wine. The stroke of midnight found us talking to a local fisherman on the beach. His friends were all out catching the following day’s meal and we could see the lights of their dhows bobbing up and down on the dark horizon. To them it was simply another working day, a simple but powerful metaphor of some of the differences between the haves and the have-nots.

Zanzibar door

A DETOUR TO KENYA

Decisions, decisions. There are so many places to visit, so many things to see and many more to do. One of the advantages of traveling independently is that we have choices of things we would like to see, do, or visit. One of the disadvantages of independent travel is that we have to make choices. Today our choice was to make head north for Kenya in the hopes of seeing a whale shark. We will return to Tanzania in about a week. For the update on Kenya please click on Kenya on the map of Africa.

DETOUR TO KENYA ON THE TRAIL OF THE WHALE SHARK

Ever since we started SCUBA, we have dreamed of swimming with the world’s largest mammal, the whale shark. We were therefore thrilled to read in one of our tour guides that this enormous creature (30m) are regular visitors to Kenyan Coast each January and February. One of the books stated that “one can be guaranteed” to see a whale shark at a place called Watamu during these months. On checking the map, we discovered that Watamu lies some 150kms north of Mombassa, from which we were only a day’s drive. We decided therefore, to alter our original route and head north into Kenya to try to see these stunning animals.

Crossing international borders has now become so routine to us that we found ourselves arguing with the immigration official at the Kenyan/Tanzanian border as to whether we needed visas to visit his country or not, Something we would never have contemplated doing just a few months ago. After a short drive, we arrived at the coastal resort town of Diani Beach. The incredible palm-fringed 18km long white soft sand beaches of this part of the Kenyan Coast have unfortunately become the destination of choice for thousands of wintering Europeans. The entire coastline North and South of Mombassa is littered with upscale all-inclusive resorts, where Italian, German and other European languages areas as common as Swahili. After a frustrating search, which included an ill-timed attempt to venture into Mombassa, we finally found a delightful campsite with a small private beach, which we used as a base to try to find a suitable diving operator to take us to the whale sharks.

Aeusha Half way Betweeb Cairo and Cape Town

Every dive operator in the area had the same sad story. This year the whale sharks were not as plentiful as usual. One had been seen ten days previously but none since. Apparently, their appearance has something to do with the water temperature. They migrate between Antarctica and the Red Sea each year in search of krill and plankton, their regular diet. If the water temperature is a chilly 26 degrees (Celsius) then they move on. If it is a comfortable 28 degrees, they stick around for a while. So armed with the information we selected to dive on some reefs in Diani Beach rather than incur the extra expense and inconvenience of driving the extra 150kms to Watamu, our original destination, with no certainty of seeing our illusive target.

As we entered the warm tropical waters and sank below the waves the big question on our minds was would be lucky or would we have to keep searching the world. The first dive was on a beautiful reef filled with lots of interesting and colourful corals and fishes, and our second dive was a drift dive on a similar reef lying just to the south. No luck. Our search for the whale shark continues, but we did have a very enjoyable visit to the underwater world of the East African Coast.

STILL IN KENYA TSAVO MAN-EATING LIONS

Choosing Lunch

The main corridor trade route from central Africa Ujiji on the shores of Lake Tanganyika to Mombassa via Tabora was the path through which the slave and ivory caravans traveled. Once slavery was abolished, the Germans and then the British used this same transportation corridor to build a railway line. Building progress was hampered just west of Kilimanjaro in the Tsavo area. A significant number of railroad laborers were being killed and eaten by lions. The man-eating lions of Tsavo, as they came to be called, were finally shot and killed by some white hunter and their stuffed carcasses are now sitting in some British museum. Hollywood has even made a movie of this famous legend.

This area is now a huge game park and since it lay on our route between Mombassa and Kilimanjaro, we decided to spend a few days visiting it. Maybe we would be luckier and see the Tsavo lions than we were looking for the whale sharks. Visiting a national park is an expensive and complicated affair. The Kenya Wildlife Service charges for each person, camping and for the vehicle, all on a daily (24hr) basis. This all adds up and for us to visit Tsavo for 2 days cost US$160.00 with only very basic (unfenced) camping included. I initially felt somewhat irritated at the high cost, but on further reflection, I decided that since these parks are used predominantly by wealthy foreigners, it is unfair to expect the poor African countries to support them, given their other much more pressing concerns.

Nrogongoro Crater

Our first stop in the Park was one of the fancy lodges ($US 500 per night per person). No we did not plan to stay there but just have drinks and observe the waterhole, often the best place to see wildlife. We had observed from our maps that we were only about 50kms from Mt Kilimanjaro as the crow flies, but we thought that we could not see it due to the haze created by the very dry and dusty conditions Kenya was experiencing at present. The real reason we did not see it was because we were not looking high enough. At 19,500 feet, it looms high above any of its closest neighbors, way above the clouds. Once we adjusted our gaze upwards it appeared like an apparition amongst the clouds. It is absolutely breathtaking in its grandeur. Sitting on the verandah watching the sun setting behind its snow capped peaks, with zebra, elephant and warthogs taking a refreshing drink in its shadow was a moment to be savored. It is quintessential Africa.

The next morning we were up early to look for the lions. The early morning hours brought out all the usual animals, but what surprised us most when we alighted from our vehicle at Poachers Lookout was the huge migration of buffalo moving northwards across the African savannah. The buffalo is a huge animal weighing a ton, and seeing so many at one time was truly exceptional. A few minutes after resuming our drive, we came across a pride of five Tsavo lions sitting right next to the road. We had seen quite a few other lions in Etosha in Namibia and Moremi in Botswana and the Tsavo lions are different. They seemed much larger and more significantly the males have no mane. They are very impressive animals and seem know this since they appear to have a very confident way of moving through the bush. We were ecstatic at our good fortune and sought out the nearest lodge to enjoy a hearty breakfast.

Cheetah with a Great View

KILIMANJARO

We arrived at Moshi, a town from where many depart for a trek up Africa’s highest peak, Kilimanjaro. We had planned to climb the mountain prior leaving Canada and we now had to make the decision whether we would actually do it. We met with a guide to discuss the various routes and discuss costs. It was a difficult decision due to the cost and the time it would take to do the hike and we decided not to tackle this mountain at this time.

NGORONGORO CRATER

After an early morning start from Arusha, we arrived at the Ngorongoro Conservation area. After paying US$230.00 the entrance fee for a 24-hour period, which included US$100.00 to drive our car down into the crater, we headed for the descent road down to the crater floor. At these prices, there was no discussion and the decision was simple; we would only be in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for 24 hours.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the world largest caldera and on a clear day one can see the other side of the crater 20km away. The floor of the crater is typical African “bush” consisting of savanna grassland with scattered thorny acacia trees. The view from the top of the crater is truly magnificent and we could see the herds of 1000’s zebra and wildebeest 600m below.

Masaai Herder in Ngorongoro Crater

The area is in desperate need of rain, the grass is brown, and rivers are dry. One of the most fascinating aspects of the crater was watching the local Masaai herdsmen take their cattle down into the crater for grazing. Anxious looking cows accompanied by the herdsmen armed only with spears and arrows descended into the crater. Women accompanied donkeys, walking down into the crater to collect water in large jugs. Hundreds of cattle making their way down into the grazing lands being watched by zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, and antelope.

The Masaai tribes are allowed to graze their cattle in the Conservation Area including the Ngorongoro crater and because of the severe drought conditions; they now take their cattle daily into the crater. We watched as crowds of Masaai women dressed in a royal blue cloth sang and prayed for rain whilst walking into the crater.

The flat grassy plains of the crater floor allows for easy animal spotting, especially given the astounding concentration of wild life. We had not been long in the crater when we spotted a lion along side the road that stood watch over grazing zebras. We watched breathlessly as she gingerly stalked the herd, getting closer and closer to the unsuspecting animals. Crouching low to the ground she inched her way through the low grass, the anticipation was palpable and I felt my heart beating as we waited for the “kill.”

Oblivious to the imminent danger the zebra and wildebeest began to move slowly across the grassy plain moving closer to the lion. She lay motionless a few feet away as they passed her by. She never moved, not a flicker of a muscle, but in the end for some reason, which we will never know, she decided not to pounce. All the zebras moved slowly and safely across her path.

I had a sense of both relief and of disappointment at not having seen a kill. Why she changed, her mind is anyone’s guess; was she simply putting on a show for all the tourists?

Ngorongoro Crater Masaai Rain Cermony

We spent the day watching lion, lone elephant bulls, large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and several species of antelope, hippos, monkeys, baboons, and colourful birds. We were just about to leave when we received a real treat of watching a cheetah, our first cheetah seen in a game park. The fastest animal on earth and yet she strolled across the road for us, lingering alongside before disappearing behind some rocks.

After emerging from the crater floor at the end of the day by having to drive up a steep and rutted dirt road, we left the crater with a sense of wonderment; the Ngorongoro Crater is Africa at its finest.

We set up camp at the only available public campsite. Lodges cost between US$500 to US$1000/person/night on the crater rim. Shortly before we arrived at the camp, three elephants had decided to raid the camp water tank. Campers stood watching from a distance waiting for the elephants to return to the bush. However, the elephants not to be hurried drank to their fill before they left. Is this why we there was no water for the showers? Not long after that incident, two large buffalo decided to wander through the campsite, the warden warning the campers to stay clear as the “buffalo are very dangerous.” I am glad our tent is on the top of the car and not on the ground no Masaai bravery in me.

Hyena Campsite Prowl

The following morning we had less than 2 hours to make it to the exit gate of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area if we did not want to fork out another US$130.00. We could only leave the camp at 0600, since one is not allowed to drive in the dark, and we needed to be at the exit gate by 0800. We raced across the bad dirt road trying to avoid the large axle swallowing potholes, teeth rattling corrugations and lung chocking dust. I felt like a rally car driver on the Paris-Dakar rally. We were 45 minutes late and after some sweet-talking, were allowed to sign-out. Park visiting in Tanzania takes nerves of steel.

SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Serengeti is Tanzania’s largest and most famous national park. Covering some 14,763 km² of vast African savanna plains, it is home to over several million animals including all the predators. It offers outstanding safari opportunities, and we spent a spectacular day in the vastness of the Africa bush, grasslands, trees, and rocky outcrops. The wildlife we saw was so plentiful that it is impossible to describe the scenes accurately. Serengeti is famous for its huge wildebeest migration and we were seeing some of the tail end of their continual hunt for water and grazing, as they move from the south to the north (Masaai Mara) and back again. We were put into a kind of quiet disbelief as we witnessed this Eden.

Buffalo

That evening we pitched our tent at a public campsite, alone with a troop of olive baboons. Colourful characters, who apart from stealing Tom’s shoe, left us alone.

The following morning we were up early and on the road by 0530 since once again we had to make a mad dash to the exit gate, requiring rally driving speed and skill. Moreover, it had rained all night so now we had mud as well as all the other road hazards to negotiate. The investment in top of the line mud designed tires paid off handsomely. On the drive out, we passed 8 lions walking on the roadside, along with elephants, cheetah, thousands of wildebeests, zebras, large herds of buffalo and other wildlife but there was no time to stop. We needed to make the gate before our 24-hour limit was up. This time we made it with 2 minutes grace. I think the Tanzanian wildlife official was disappointed. We then drove to Lake Victoria, a short 15km of good-tarred road to the west. Here we had a well-earned full English breakfast at a beautiful resort on the shores of this legendary body of water. Our next destination is Mwanza, Tanzania’s second largest city.

MWANZA

After having the car serviced at Mwanza, we left the grubby city for the long and interesting drive to Rwanda. We had been told by the Tanzanian Tourist Association that the road to Rwanda was not safe and we would require a police escort due to banditry and refugees. However, after some discussions with some locals in Mwanza we decided that we would attempt the trip via the road rather than taking a ferry across Lake Victoria.

Campsite Welcome Sign

After an interesting drive, we arrived at Ngara near the Rwanda border. Several refugee camps with over 100,000 Burundi refugees are located around this area. Despite an agreement having been signed by Rwanda and Tanzania to repatriate the refugees to Burundi, refugees continue to arrive and many are still too afraid to return.

The police at the Tanzania Rwanda border arranged for us to camp at a Catholic mission where we would be safe. We had an interesting evening with the sisters who work with the locals and refugees who told of the human tragedy of war. Will the world ever know peace?
Tomorrow we will leave Tanzania and head for Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.