Corrected blog sorry: Mountain meanders and finally greeting Tanzania

> One of our highlights of Tanzania has been the Usambara mountains in the North East corner of the country. Unlike the Serengeti plains and the hills around Kilimanjaro, this area is steeply mountainous and lush. Forestry is the main industry here and I am typing this blog from our camp site at 'the old German mill', a few hours out on the dirt roads of Magamba Nature Reserve. This beautiful camp in the forest features a jumble of rusted machinery, precarious floor planks, and deserted logs with ferns and flowers reaching over them towards the sun. Like most of our camps in the past months, we camped completely alone.
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> It is good to be back in our cruiser home after our second absence while in Zanzibar (taking the parents). Although it is possible to take a vehicle over on the ferry, a lot of paperwork and admin costs are involved. And once across, the narrowly dangerous alley ways of Stone Town awaits the poor driver. So most overlanders opt to pack a rucksack and do public transport while on the island. Zanzibar is bigger than one imagines, and the touristy parts are only a small percentation of its make-up. One can drive for many hours across the island, watching rice plantations flit by, or bicicles chugging yellow jerry cans or large green bundles of cattle feed.
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> Having spent more time in Tanzania than we anticipated, we plan to zoom through Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda before we turn our compass back south. So far our travel has been without major set backs, and we are really thankful for that. In Dar es Salaam we managed however, in a matter of two days, to shatter our windscreen and to get a pretty large traffic fine. So we feel a bit broke at the moment. But, on the up side, we havent had any enjine problems or other serious incidents.

> Our original route plan, Cape to Gabon, has died a slow death due to covid and other restrictions, so we now need a better name for our expedition. One that came to mind was Cape to Vic Lake, since that is probably where we'll start heading back home, or Cape to Kenya. But, as I reflected on our slow traverse, I wondered whether listing a start point and a finish point doesn't make the journey seem too straightforward. We've been meandering across each country, following our feet, so to speak, towards whatever comes next. Getting to vic Lake takes two weeks. Getting to know yourself takes a bit longer. I like the Swahili term 'pole-pole' which means something like slowly-slowly, or 'have patience my friend'.
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> We are entering the short rainy season now, so for the month of October we should get a bit more tropical rain and heat. We've heard rumours about Malawi and Mozambique sizzling at 40 degrees already, so we're really grateful for the cruiser's airconditioner and fridge to keep milk, cheese and drinks refrigerated. Today we plan to do our next pcr test and then face the border post to Kenya. Keep thumbs for easy paperwork and a swift entry!

Mountain meanders and finally greeting Tanzania

One of our highlights of Tanzania has been the Usambara mountains in the North East corner of the country. Unlike the Serengeti plains and the hills around Kilimanjaro, this area is steeply mountainous and lush. Forestry is the main industry here and I am typing this blog from our camp site at 'the old German mill', a few hours out on the dirt roads of Magamba Nature Reserve. This beautiful camp in the forest features a jumble of rusted machinery, precarious floor planks, and deserted logs with ferns and flowers reaching over them towards the sun. Like most of our camps in the past months, we camped completely alone.

Serengeti roundabout

It was a jam-packed itinerary with the parents. They flew with a single propeller airplane to Arusha, which is the closest airport if you want to see the serengeti. We met them with the cruiser there.

Day 1 was spent recovering from their 2:30 am landing and sorting out the luggage.

Day 2 saw us driving about 3 hours to a guest house near Usa river, where UK-born Paul and Erica Shaw runs a 4x4 rental company and safari planning agency. Their hospitality was great (they barely had guests for 2 years!) and we chatted late into the night about life in Tanzania and options for our short trip. We eventually decided to leave the cruiser with them and rent one of their kitted Landrovers (the same one Kingsley Holgate had a few months prior). The park fees structure is somewhat greek to me, but a local number plate is a lot cheaper per day ($18 vs $150).

Day 3 was spent driving the 6 hours to Migombani, a camp site outside Lake Manyara. Halfway there.

Day 4 we drove another 6 hours to central Serengeti, where we camped in one of the public (aka budget) camp sites. Signing in to the park took a good 2 hours, since they have a complex computerised registration system. Despite covid the camp site was relatively full. That night we heard lion, jackal and hyena.

Day 5-7 we were spoilt with a private tented camp run by ex-South African Sally. We had two friendly Swahili chefs (Alex and Francis) cooking for us, there was hot water for showering and the fantastic Zeb took us out for two game drives. Zeb has been working the serengeti migration circuit for 5 years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience (and witty stories) to share.

Day 5 we experienced a proper Tanzanian downpour of rain, and the drive back in the open game vehicle was pretty miserable. We also encountered the horrendous condition of the park roads - eish. The landrover's hard suspension soon had me missing our Cruiser very much!

Day 6 we were absolutely spoilt to see a large group of wildebeest crossing the Mara river. Some people wait for days and see nothing, and if you're in the wrong place, you'll easily miss a potential crossing. There are no guarantees in nature, as Zeb reminds us. We also saw a cheetah, leopard and lioness with cubs to round off a very special day.

Day 7 we greeted Zeb and the others and drove back to the Southern exit of the park. That night we camped at the lush public campsite on the rim of the NgoroNgoro crater, a freezing night at 2200m elevation, a total contrast with the yellow plains of the days before.

On Day 8 we had a few hours to explore the inside of the caldera with its stunning vistas and wildlife scenes. We saw two male simbas, large herds of buffalo and zebra and the quietness of the place felt like a world unspoilt by human civilisation - really special. From there we drove to Paul and Erica, about 6 hours back, who suggested that we do the covid test in Arusha the following morning.

Day 9-11. We had a bit longer trek back to get the parents on their flight home, with the drive to Dar taking a lot of time with all the 50km/h zones. We did have two great stop overs before their flight out, one in the Usambara mountains and one at Kimbiji on the ocean with amazing seafood.

Mr Simba and the folded swans



We spent day 100 of our trip without ceremony. The morning we set off from the 'old farm house', run by fourth generation british-tanzanian expats, and spent the following night at 'Mantis lodge', a moslem father and son establishment for local conferences and travelers. At Mantis lodge we set up our rooftent on a bare clearing next to a water tank on cement stand, folded out our little chairs and opened a soda each. Nothing about the camp site was romantic. I surveyed the bare compound, and the men playing chinese checkers a few meters off. We were both weary from the day's drive, felt a bit out of place, and crawled into the tent early. Latenight someone idled their car loudly right outside our tent for what felt like hours. We eventually ask them to please either turn off the ignition or move the car. They left. 

The next morning, like almost every morning, I try and remember where I am. It's a uncanny and almost funny feeling. I know that I am in our tent and that we're on our trip, but where are we actually? What camp site, what village, what country? The little canvas walls have a way of blocking out the world. But then as I wake up I start to recollect the events of the day before and place them in order and context again.

There hasn't been a single day when I could accurately predict what our lodgings for the night would look like. Of course one sees a photo and a name on your phone, or read what amenities are available in the guide book. You see the icons reading 'potable water, pet friendly, hot shower, electricity'. Later you get a sense what "basic facilities" mean in the guide book, or what reviewers mean with "great hosts" or "ablutions can be better". But each new camp or lodge has been totally different from the mental picture I formed on the way there. For instance:

At wannabees lodge (day 95), the bed is made sideways. At Pugo forest reserve (day 96) no-one is allowed to camp without an overweight ranger. At Upepo lodge (106) a paper sign reads "please don't rest or walk under the palm trees". Utengulu coffee lodge has the most amazing cuppuccinos and also a deserted squash court. At Mutinondo you can take a soda from the honesty bar and do a 10 hills hiking challenge. The receptionist/owner co-authored 'trees and plants of Zambia'. Lake Tanganyika resort (day 94) smells really, really nice. At Kapisha Hot Springs (day 90-92) there is a upstairs tv room with cartoons to keep children out of their parents's hair. In more than one place in Zanzibar the towels were folded like swans. At Deo Volente guesthouse (day 82) the braaiplace has 'lekker man lekker' written on it, and the owner's son brought us shots as a welcoming drink.

The eccentricities of budget accommodation are endless. But everywhere we are met with smiles and 'karibu sana' (you are very welcome). In Zanzibar we were often greeted with "Mr Simba - welcome!" Or even "Mr Jesus, welcome to Zanzibar!", owing to August's impressive beard and mane of hair. 

We are currently heading to Arusha where we will meet up with Aug's parents and spend the next 10 days on a safari with them (safari is swahili for journey) to serengeti and surrounds. I haven't been able to spot kilimanjaro due to the clouds, but my first peek at Mount Meru (the second highest in Tanzania) impressed me a lot.

There are so many other things to tell, stories and impressions, deep things to ponder and funny things to laugh at. Oh, and we also had our first rain of our whole trip! And its starting to become really warm and humid now, enough to get on our nerves sometimes. But we're still healthy and happy and learning so much. Asante sana! Safari Njema!