Hello everyone and greetings from Nairobi. I had a great safari in Tanzania and now I am in Kenya, just relaxing a bit before I fly out tomorrow morning.
My safari started on Tuesday when I met up with a group of Europeans that were already out in the bush. They saw Lake Manyara and that was the one day I missed. We camped near the Lake and then headed out in our old but comfy Land Cruiser Wednesday morning. We drove to Ngorongoro Crater which is famous for its high concentration of predators, said to be the highest in the world. We climbed the outside of the crater, got a good view and then headed down into it.
At the bottom, we took off the roof panels. Our vehicle was equipped with three 'sun roofs', one running over each set of seats. So, as our trusty driver, Abrahim, navigated, all 5 of us stood up on our seats and enjoyed the ride. It was so much fun. We didn't sit down hardly at all during the day as our vehicle bowled along rough, dusty roads. And we saw a ton of wildlife. We saw 2 cheetahs from a long way off, plus the elusive black rhino, casually grazing about 100 meters away. We saw a bunch of lions, including a group of 4 (2 male, 2 female) laying in the savanna grass. We also saw 2 female lions fast asleep just 10 meters off the road!
Beyond predators, though, we saw a lot of prey. We saw some elephants eating in the acacia trees, zebras, water buffalo (done with the big 5!) and a huge herd of wildebeest. They were all over the road, just walking slowly toward one of the many lakes on the crater floor. We also saw Thompsons gazelles, impalas and antelope. The lakes were home to hippos, flamingos, storks and cranes.
We camped at the same campsite Wednesday night and I walked into town with Angel, one of the staff, to find some local fare. First I tried the red banana, one of about 80 different types of bananas grown in the area. Supposedly, this is the only place to find the red banana. It was good, a little bigger and sweeter than normal yellow bananas. I also wanted to try Banana Wine, the local brew. It is about 10% alcohol, similar to wine and actually very tasty.
Thursday morning we packed up camp and headed to Tarangire National Park. Here, we rode around in much the same fashion. The landscape was different, more hills and rivers, no lakes. It was also covered in huge baobab trees! Here, we saw tons of elephants. Whole herds of them! Once, we came across a family of 12 that was ambling slowly across the road. We just sat and watched as they passed by, from huge old elephants to tiny new-born babies. They were an incredible sight. We saw more lions, mostly just sleeping, but we saw two that were getting frisky under a baobab tree! Tarangire had zebras, antelope, gazelle, vultures, wildebeest and also lots of giraffes. At lunch, the birds and baboons were all very interested in our food. We ate quickly but some other groups got really harassed by the persistent primate attention.
All in all it was a wonderful safari. I got to see a lot of animals and some very cool landscape. I stayed in Arusha Thursday night and then headed to Nairobi on a bus Friday morning. Mike is busy hanging out with some Maasai friend he met in Karatu but I expect to see him sometime today. The road to Nairobi was terrible, very dusty and bumpy and under constant construction.
Saturday I explored the city on foot. I walked around downtown and then headed out to the suburbs. I saw a movie that afternoon, my first cinema in 7 months! It was quite the experience.
It's been rainy here so I relaxed on Sunday, went for an afternoon run and then walked around the government district in town. There are some very large, interesting buildings in Nairobi.
Today I plan to see the other side of this city. I am going on a walking tour of Kibera Slum. It is huge and famous, said to house over a million people, without any running water.
Tomorrow morning I fly to Accra to start my 3 month teaching gig. Wish me luck!
Cheers.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Mount Kilimanjaro
Well I am safely back in Moshi breathing all the lovely oxygen available at 2600 feet. I made it all the way to the top of Kili, Uhuru Point, at 5895 meters (19340 feet) and it was one hell of a journey!
Day 1 (Tuesday). I had a good breakfast, got picked up by Ahsante Tours and headed toward Machame Gate. In my van was Clive, the Aussie climber and a small army of porters. There was also a trio from New York (Jeremy, Triada and Sarita) that met us at the gate. We got all signed in, the porters divided up our gear and we set out. Our hike started at 1800 meters (5905 feet) and we climbed to 3032 meters (9947 feet) over about 5 hours. I went slowly to give my body ample time to adjust and I wasn't affected by the altitude until we got near the summit. The 11 km hike was a nice, gentle climb through some very interesting mountain rainforest. Dinner was excellent and I had a tent to myself so I was well fed and well rested throughout the trek. Upon reaching Machame Camp, after a short nap, I hiked up the trail for about 30 minutes with my guide, Chris, to acclimatize a little further. The motto is "hike high, sleep low" and it helps make the altitude easier to adjust to.
Day 2 (Wednesday). We got up at 6 am and Ahsante has this great tradition called "bed tea." Literally they bring you a hot cup of tea or coffee in bed to wake you up and start off your day. Ahsante was one of the more affordable tour companies but they had a lot of little perks that made the climb much more enjoyable. After a solid breakfast we hiked up to Shira Camp at 3847 meters (12621 feet.) It was about a 5 km day that took about 5 hours to hike. We passed out of the forest and hiked through rockier moorland. Again camp brought good food, a nap, acclimatization hike and a good night's sleep.
Day 3 (Thursday). This was a long day. We left Shira Camp and hiked for about 7 hours. We gained a lot of elevation, heading up to Lava Tower at 4530 meters (14862 feet) for lunch. After a rest there, we headed down to Barranco camp at 3985 meters (13074 feet). I took it slow again and felt pretty good at the top. While most people get a headache or other symptoms from the altitude, I think youth was on my side. My body adapted pretty readily to the changing altitude and I felt good enough to climb up to the top of Lava Tower. It was a sheer, 50 meter climb that required some rock climbing moves at times but the view from the top was amazing. Total hike was about 11 km.
Day 4 (Friday). We left Barranco Camp at 7:30 am and hiked 10 km in about 7 hours. This day is sometimes split into 2 segments to give people time to acclimatize but we stuck to the 6-day plan. We had to climb up Barranco Wall which was quite steep and narrow. Some parts required hand-assisted climbing. After a steep descent into Karanga Valley and then another climb, we lunched at Karanga Camp at 4130 meters (13549 feet). This is where some companies break for the night. Then we headed east toward Barafu Camp at 4681 meters (15357 feet). The Machame Route is a little harder than the Marangu Route (which can be done in 5 days) but has a greater success rate because you spend longer on the mountain and generally acclimatize better. We also see more sides of Kibo (the highest peak) because it starts on the west and wraps around to the east right before the summit hike. It was another 10 km day and it got quite cold and windy at the camp. We had an early dinner and hit the hay around 7 because the summit attempt starts at midnight.
Day 5 (Saturday). The hardest and most rewarding day of the trek. We were woken up at 11 pm for a quick "breakfast" of porridge and popcorn. Appetite disappears at this altitude but I kept eating well because I knew my body would need the fuel. At midnight, we began to hike and Chris and I made really good time. We passed a lot of groups on the way up and kept steady pace. I let my mind go blank and just focused on my feet. Nothing existed except for the meter of light between my feet and my guide's. It was only about 4 km to the summit but it is very steep and we climbed 1214 meters (3982 feet) in about 6 hours. I felt so good the whole first 4 days, I think I underestimated how difficult the summit climb would be. It took all my energy to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 4 kms seemed endless when I was advancing about 2 inches at a time. I didn't get sick but an extreme exhaustion takes over after a few hours. It's cold, dark and windy. You run out of breath but you can't stop or your body will get really cold. I was glad I rented snow pants and a big winter coat. About 3 am it gets even colder and my CamelBak tube froze. It was a painful climb but I made it. In fact, I got up there almost a little too early. I got to Stella's Point around 4:30 and it was still super dark. So, we sat for a very cold 20 minutes before slowly going the rest of the way to the top. I hit the summit just before 6 am and gradually approached the battered yellow sign announcing Uhuru Peak. We were some of the first hikers to arrive and we beat the sun by about 20 minutes. After a picture at the top, I was ready to head down because the body doesn't like that altitude and it was about 10 degrees F.
Of course the hike down still awaited. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get back to Barafu Camp. After about 10 minutes of descent, the euphoria wore off and was replaced by a sense of total exhaustion. I had no food in my stomach, no water to drink, almost no sleep the night before and no energy. I rested and snacked on chocolate and gradually headed down. After a well-deserved nap, we had to pack up camp and head to a lower camp for the night. Took about an hour to get down to Millenium Camp at 3700 meters (12139 feet) where the air was much nicer to breathe. 4 of the 5 group members made it to the top. The 5th had to turn around at Stella's Point due to altitude sickness. In total, about a 12 km day. We all celebrated our accomplishment with about 10 games of Uno and a hearty meal. Needless to say, I slept like a rock.
Day 6 (Sunday). Last day on the mountain consisted of descending on the Mweka Route to the Mweka Gate at 1600 meters (5249 feet). It was another 10 km hike that only took me about 3 hours. For the first half of the hike, the ground was solid and I was so ready to be off that rock! I hopped down the trail and made really good time. After passing through the cloud layer, however, the trail got very slick and I lost my footing a few times. This forced me to slow down until the last half hour where the trail was more gradual and less trecherous. I signed out at the gate and got my certificate proclaiming my successful summit climb. We all got a beer to celebrate and then headed back to town.
I want to thank my wonderful crew that helped me make it to the top. Chris was my guide and was so positive and encouraging. Pascal was the assistant guide and gave me the nickname "mountain cheetah" after I summitted. Emmanuel was a porter and the cook, his excellent food kept me going all the way to 19340 feet! Joseph served Clive and I all our food in our cozy little mess tent. Valerian and Jaffet were 2 other porters that made sure all my gear made it to camp before I did, set up and took down camp and filtered water for me. The guys were all amazing and so friendly. I learned a lot of Kiswahili on the trek and I am so grateful for everyone's hard work. Ahsante Tours did a wonderful job and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Kili or other safari activity in the area.
So, I am back in Moshi, clean and well rested but still a little sore. I took my first shower in 6 days yesterday and it felt amazing. Climbing Kili was a very challenging experience but I am glad I did it and so happy that I made it to the top. Off to Arusha today to meet back up with Mike and hopefully plan a safari through Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Only 1 week left to travel and then I head back to Ghana to teach English for 3 months.
Cheers!
Day 1 (Tuesday). I had a good breakfast, got picked up by Ahsante Tours and headed toward Machame Gate. In my van was Clive, the Aussie climber and a small army of porters. There was also a trio from New York (Jeremy, Triada and Sarita) that met us at the gate. We got all signed in, the porters divided up our gear and we set out. Our hike started at 1800 meters (5905 feet) and we climbed to 3032 meters (9947 feet) over about 5 hours. I went slowly to give my body ample time to adjust and I wasn't affected by the altitude until we got near the summit. The 11 km hike was a nice, gentle climb through some very interesting mountain rainforest. Dinner was excellent and I had a tent to myself so I was well fed and well rested throughout the trek. Upon reaching Machame Camp, after a short nap, I hiked up the trail for about 30 minutes with my guide, Chris, to acclimatize a little further. The motto is "hike high, sleep low" and it helps make the altitude easier to adjust to.
Day 2 (Wednesday). We got up at 6 am and Ahsante has this great tradition called "bed tea." Literally they bring you a hot cup of tea or coffee in bed to wake you up and start off your day. Ahsante was one of the more affordable tour companies but they had a lot of little perks that made the climb much more enjoyable. After a solid breakfast we hiked up to Shira Camp at 3847 meters (12621 feet.) It was about a 5 km day that took about 5 hours to hike. We passed out of the forest and hiked through rockier moorland. Again camp brought good food, a nap, acclimatization hike and a good night's sleep.
Day 3 (Thursday). This was a long day. We left Shira Camp and hiked for about 7 hours. We gained a lot of elevation, heading up to Lava Tower at 4530 meters (14862 feet) for lunch. After a rest there, we headed down to Barranco camp at 3985 meters (13074 feet). I took it slow again and felt pretty good at the top. While most people get a headache or other symptoms from the altitude, I think youth was on my side. My body adapted pretty readily to the changing altitude and I felt good enough to climb up to the top of Lava Tower. It was a sheer, 50 meter climb that required some rock climbing moves at times but the view from the top was amazing. Total hike was about 11 km.
Day 4 (Friday). We left Barranco Camp at 7:30 am and hiked 10 km in about 7 hours. This day is sometimes split into 2 segments to give people time to acclimatize but we stuck to the 6-day plan. We had to climb up Barranco Wall which was quite steep and narrow. Some parts required hand-assisted climbing. After a steep descent into Karanga Valley and then another climb, we lunched at Karanga Camp at 4130 meters (13549 feet). This is where some companies break for the night. Then we headed east toward Barafu Camp at 4681 meters (15357 feet). The Machame Route is a little harder than the Marangu Route (which can be done in 5 days) but has a greater success rate because you spend longer on the mountain and generally acclimatize better. We also see more sides of Kibo (the highest peak) because it starts on the west and wraps around to the east right before the summit hike. It was another 10 km day and it got quite cold and windy at the camp. We had an early dinner and hit the hay around 7 because the summit attempt starts at midnight.
Day 5 (Saturday). The hardest and most rewarding day of the trek. We were woken up at 11 pm for a quick "breakfast" of porridge and popcorn. Appetite disappears at this altitude but I kept eating well because I knew my body would need the fuel. At midnight, we began to hike and Chris and I made really good time. We passed a lot of groups on the way up and kept steady pace. I let my mind go blank and just focused on my feet. Nothing existed except for the meter of light between my feet and my guide's. It was only about 4 km to the summit but it is very steep and we climbed 1214 meters (3982 feet) in about 6 hours. I felt so good the whole first 4 days, I think I underestimated how difficult the summit climb would be. It took all my energy to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 4 kms seemed endless when I was advancing about 2 inches at a time. I didn't get sick but an extreme exhaustion takes over after a few hours. It's cold, dark and windy. You run out of breath but you can't stop or your body will get really cold. I was glad I rented snow pants and a big winter coat. About 3 am it gets even colder and my CamelBak tube froze. It was a painful climb but I made it. In fact, I got up there almost a little too early. I got to Stella's Point around 4:30 and it was still super dark. So, we sat for a very cold 20 minutes before slowly going the rest of the way to the top. I hit the summit just before 6 am and gradually approached the battered yellow sign announcing Uhuru Peak. We were some of the first hikers to arrive and we beat the sun by about 20 minutes. After a picture at the top, I was ready to head down because the body doesn't like that altitude and it was about 10 degrees F.
Of course the hike down still awaited. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get back to Barafu Camp. After about 10 minutes of descent, the euphoria wore off and was replaced by a sense of total exhaustion. I had no food in my stomach, no water to drink, almost no sleep the night before and no energy. I rested and snacked on chocolate and gradually headed down. After a well-deserved nap, we had to pack up camp and head to a lower camp for the night. Took about an hour to get down to Millenium Camp at 3700 meters (12139 feet) where the air was much nicer to breathe. 4 of the 5 group members made it to the top. The 5th had to turn around at Stella's Point due to altitude sickness. In total, about a 12 km day. We all celebrated our accomplishment with about 10 games of Uno and a hearty meal. Needless to say, I slept like a rock.
Day 6 (Sunday). Last day on the mountain consisted of descending on the Mweka Route to the Mweka Gate at 1600 meters (5249 feet). It was another 10 km hike that only took me about 3 hours. For the first half of the hike, the ground was solid and I was so ready to be off that rock! I hopped down the trail and made really good time. After passing through the cloud layer, however, the trail got very slick and I lost my footing a few times. This forced me to slow down until the last half hour where the trail was more gradual and less trecherous. I signed out at the gate and got my certificate proclaiming my successful summit climb. We all got a beer to celebrate and then headed back to town.
I want to thank my wonderful crew that helped me make it to the top. Chris was my guide and was so positive and encouraging. Pascal was the assistant guide and gave me the nickname "mountain cheetah" after I summitted. Emmanuel was a porter and the cook, his excellent food kept me going all the way to 19340 feet! Joseph served Clive and I all our food in our cozy little mess tent. Valerian and Jaffet were 2 other porters that made sure all my gear made it to camp before I did, set up and took down camp and filtered water for me. The guys were all amazing and so friendly. I learned a lot of Kiswahili on the trek and I am so grateful for everyone's hard work. Ahsante Tours did a wonderful job and I highly recommend them to anyone interested in Kili or other safari activity in the area.
So, I am back in Moshi, clean and well rested but still a little sore. I took my first shower in 6 days yesterday and it felt amazing. Climbing Kili was a very challenging experience but I am glad I did it and so happy that I made it to the top. Off to Arusha today to meet back up with Mike and hopefully plan a safari through Ngorongoro and the Serengeti. Only 1 week left to travel and then I head back to Ghana to teach English for 3 months.
Cheers!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Moshi
Hey there everybody!
So, I begin my trek up the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro at 7 am sharp tomorrow morning. Mike left today on a different route (Marangu Route) for a shorter but steeper climb. I will be taking a 6 day trek on the Machame route which takes longer but allows a little more time for the body to acclimatize to the extreme altitude changes.
We got to Dar on Friday morning and promptly found a bus to Moshi, a medium-sized town that sits at the feet of the mountain. We settled in at a cozy backpackers place and on Saturday, we started shopping for tour companies.
I had read that many companies are not good to their porters, so I decided to check out Ahsante Tours, which has a great reputation and caters to budget climbers. I really liked their vibes and they seem like a friendly, conscientious company. While Mike decided to arrange his own independent "hard-way" climb, I decided to go with these guys.
So, we lazed around Moshi Sunday since everything was closed and Mike set off early this morning for his climb. I met with the folks at Ahsante to go through all the details. They gave me a complete de-brief so I know how much we'll be hiking every day and the altitude gain for different sections. It is not going to be easy, but I feel more prepared than ever now. I joined up with a group of 3 people from New York and 2 Aussies but I will have my own guide. His name is Chris, he is very nice and quite experienced on the mountain.
I rented some gear from the tour company since I did not pack for sub zero temperatures and snow. Coming from the sun and white sand of Zanzibar, it might be a bit of a shock. I rented hiking boots, fleece, socks, snow pants and a baller winter jacket (that just happens to be orange and black, another good sign.) I walked around town with Chris this afternoon. I bought snacks for the hike and a headlamp. They didn't have any to lend and it's going to be essential since we start our summit climb at midnight on Friday, to ideally hit the top at sunrise Saturday morning. We had a great lunch of ugali at a local spot and then I packed up my bag to prepare for tomorrow.
I am so stoked to have the opportunity to climb Kilimanjaro. I am not so foolish to say that I will 'conquer' her peak, I merely seek the chance to join her at the top for a few minutes. I feel like I am in the right mental state now and I really like my guide. Ahsante Tours seems very on top of things and I know they will do everything they can to get me to the summit. So all that is left for me is a good dinner and a solid night's sleep. Tomorrow morning bright and early the trek begins. Wish me luck! Should be back to Moshi Sunday afternoon. I will let you know how it went next Monday.
Peace!
So, I begin my trek up the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro at 7 am sharp tomorrow morning. Mike left today on a different route (Marangu Route) for a shorter but steeper climb. I will be taking a 6 day trek on the Machame route which takes longer but allows a little more time for the body to acclimatize to the extreme altitude changes.
We got to Dar on Friday morning and promptly found a bus to Moshi, a medium-sized town that sits at the feet of the mountain. We settled in at a cozy backpackers place and on Saturday, we started shopping for tour companies.
I had read that many companies are not good to their porters, so I decided to check out Ahsante Tours, which has a great reputation and caters to budget climbers. I really liked their vibes and they seem like a friendly, conscientious company. While Mike decided to arrange his own independent "hard-way" climb, I decided to go with these guys.
So, we lazed around Moshi Sunday since everything was closed and Mike set off early this morning for his climb. I met with the folks at Ahsante to go through all the details. They gave me a complete de-brief so I know how much we'll be hiking every day and the altitude gain for different sections. It is not going to be easy, but I feel more prepared than ever now. I joined up with a group of 3 people from New York and 2 Aussies but I will have my own guide. His name is Chris, he is very nice and quite experienced on the mountain.
I rented some gear from the tour company since I did not pack for sub zero temperatures and snow. Coming from the sun and white sand of Zanzibar, it might be a bit of a shock. I rented hiking boots, fleece, socks, snow pants and a baller winter jacket (that just happens to be orange and black, another good sign.) I walked around town with Chris this afternoon. I bought snacks for the hike and a headlamp. They didn't have any to lend and it's going to be essential since we start our summit climb at midnight on Friday, to ideally hit the top at sunrise Saturday morning. We had a great lunch of ugali at a local spot and then I packed up my bag to prepare for tomorrow.
I am so stoked to have the opportunity to climb Kilimanjaro. I am not so foolish to say that I will 'conquer' her peak, I merely seek the chance to join her at the top for a few minutes. I feel like I am in the right mental state now and I really like my guide. Ahsante Tours seems very on top of things and I know they will do everything they can to get me to the summit. So all that is left for me is a good dinner and a solid night's sleep. Tomorrow morning bright and early the trek begins. Wish me luck! Should be back to Moshi Sunday afternoon. I will let you know how it went next Monday.
Peace!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Dar and Zanzi
Hello everybody and greetings from the island of Zanzibar! We've had a really great time exploring two awesome Tanzanian cities: Dar es Salaam (Dar) and Zanzibar (Zanzi, not actually a city, but a whole archipelago, my bad.)
Dar was a fun town. We found a cheap hotel right in between the Muslim and Hindu districts. Every time we went for a walk, we saw cool mosques and temples. We settled in on Tuesday and wandered around. We walked to the ferry port, through a raucous fish market and then saw the botanical gardens. We had to wait out an epic rain storm all morning, too.
Wendesday we headed north to Coco Beach. We stopped at a really cool place on the way called "Wonder Welders." It is workshop run by a local group of handicapped artisans. They sell cool art pieces made of recycled metal and glass as well as handmade soaps, jewelry and paper. We hung out on the beach but swimming was difficult because the shores around here are long and shallow and rocky. It wasn't quite high tide anymore so the rocks were hard to walk out on, which was necessary to find a place deep enough to swim.
Thursday was a nice lazy day in town. We had some good local food at the Kariakoo market and wandered around that neighborhood (the native or black part of town.) Each district has its own distinct feel to it. I have also been practicing my Swahili at every opportunity and I have just now begun to train to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (or Kili). It's going to be tough, so I need to get in the proper mental and physical state.
Friday we headed out to Zanzibar on the afternoon ferry, called the Flying Horse. It took us about 3 hours to get out here. Zanzibar is the name of the whole string of islands so technically we are on Unguja, the largest island, the capital of which is Stone Town. We found a hotel in Stone Town's winding, maze-like streets and explored a little.
Saturday we spent in Stone Town and had a very cool day. We saw the old fort, the national museum and the beach. We ate local food with a group of rastas and then helped cook our own locally spiced and caught (octopus) dinner at the hotel. We went out that night to a reggae party and met 2 girls from Macedonia. We also happened to run into 2 people that we met on the train (Mike and Caitlin) and they came to the reggae party with us.
Sunday we decided to relax for another day in Stone Town. Everything here seems to move a little slower, us included. We ended up going to the beach in town and swimming. The water here is undescribably gorgeous! The beaches are full of white sand and the water is every conceivable shade of blue!
Finally Monday we moved on to a new city, still on the same island. We took a minibus, called "daladalas" here. We went southeast to a town called Jambiani on the eastern coast. It was so amazing! There is a 7 km long beach that runs uninterrupted all down the coast. 7 km long, that is, during low tide. The tide shifts by nearly a kilometer every 6 hours because here, too, the beach is very shallow and long. At high tide, the water rushes all the way up to the barrier walls and the waves get pretty big. We found a nice guesthouse and got comfy.
The next few days were all pretty similar. We ate good local food and relaxed on the beach. We swam in the waves and wandered around the town. I went snorkeling for a morning and saw a lot of cool underwater life.
Today is Thursday and we are back in Stone Town. It is taking us longer than we expected to tear ourselves away from this beachy paradise, but we are making progress. Tonight, we are taking the ferry back to Dar es Salaam before we head up toward Kilimanjaro! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Cheers.
Dar was a fun town. We found a cheap hotel right in between the Muslim and Hindu districts. Every time we went for a walk, we saw cool mosques and temples. We settled in on Tuesday and wandered around. We walked to the ferry port, through a raucous fish market and then saw the botanical gardens. We had to wait out an epic rain storm all morning, too.
Wendesday we headed north to Coco Beach. We stopped at a really cool place on the way called "Wonder Welders." It is workshop run by a local group of handicapped artisans. They sell cool art pieces made of recycled metal and glass as well as handmade soaps, jewelry and paper. We hung out on the beach but swimming was difficult because the shores around here are long and shallow and rocky. It wasn't quite high tide anymore so the rocks were hard to walk out on, which was necessary to find a place deep enough to swim.
Thursday was a nice lazy day in town. We had some good local food at the Kariakoo market and wandered around that neighborhood (the native or black part of town.) Each district has its own distinct feel to it. I have also been practicing my Swahili at every opportunity and I have just now begun to train to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (or Kili). It's going to be tough, so I need to get in the proper mental and physical state.
Friday we headed out to Zanzibar on the afternoon ferry, called the Flying Horse. It took us about 3 hours to get out here. Zanzibar is the name of the whole string of islands so technically we are on Unguja, the largest island, the capital of which is Stone Town. We found a hotel in Stone Town's winding, maze-like streets and explored a little.
Saturday we spent in Stone Town and had a very cool day. We saw the old fort, the national museum and the beach. We ate local food with a group of rastas and then helped cook our own locally spiced and caught (octopus) dinner at the hotel. We went out that night to a reggae party and met 2 girls from Macedonia. We also happened to run into 2 people that we met on the train (Mike and Caitlin) and they came to the reggae party with us.
Sunday we decided to relax for another day in Stone Town. Everything here seems to move a little slower, us included. We ended up going to the beach in town and swimming. The water here is undescribably gorgeous! The beaches are full of white sand and the water is every conceivable shade of blue!
Finally Monday we moved on to a new city, still on the same island. We took a minibus, called "daladalas" here. We went southeast to a town called Jambiani on the eastern coast. It was so amazing! There is a 7 km long beach that runs uninterrupted all down the coast. 7 km long, that is, during low tide. The tide shifts by nearly a kilometer every 6 hours because here, too, the beach is very shallow and long. At high tide, the water rushes all the way up to the barrier walls and the waves get pretty big. We found a nice guesthouse and got comfy.
The next few days were all pretty similar. We ate good local food and relaxed on the beach. We swam in the waves and wandered around the town. I went snorkeling for a morning and saw a lot of cool underwater life.
Today is Thursday and we are back in Stone Town. It is taking us longer than we expected to tear ourselves away from this beachy paradise, but we are making progress. Tonight, we are taking the ferry back to Dar es Salaam before we head up toward Kilimanjaro! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Cheers.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Tazara Train
Happy Tuesday everyone. Mike and I just got into Dar es Salaam, Tanzania after a 30-hour delay in Kapiri Mposhi and a 58-hour train ride.
We got to Kapiri Mposhi (200 km north of Lusaka) Friday afternoon reading for the 2 pm departure. At the train station, however, we learned about a derailment of a cargo train on the Tanzanian side. So, we were delayed until they could clear it up and repair the tracks. We found a cheap guesthouse in this tiny little train town and just hung out for a day and a half. We met all the other white people on the train, similarly stranded. Mike, Caitlin, Sean, Matt, Eric and Adam (plus Michael and I) made for a very conspicuous group. We saw the nightlife and ate a lot of good nshima.
Finally Saturday night at 8 pm, the train left and we were glad to be out of Kapiri Mposhi. The train takes 48 hours hypothetically speaking, but we were on the "standard train" and not the "express" so we made a lot of stops. We ended up getting into Dar es Salaam at 7 am Tuesday morning, but more time on the train was not a cause for complaints.
The train wasn't too crowded, at least in first and second class. Plus we got a wicked 50% student discount on the tickets. I seriously recommend this as a very nice, relaxing way to travel. We mostly hung out in the lounge (i.e. bar) between 1st and 2nd. I had my own compartment to myself in 2nd class (until Monday night) because they have gendered cabins. 2nd class was pretty empty anyway, so I had a 6-berth cabin to relax in. Mike and Sean were next door and everyone else was in 1st class.
We had good, cheap chicken nshima and the restaurant staff brought it to wherever we were sitting when meal times hit. I also brought lots of bread and peanut butter to sustain us. The train was pretty clean and it was nice to be able to walk around during the journey.
We didn't really see any wildlife but the landscape was beautiful. Savanna gave way to mountains, forests and rivers when we crossed into Tanzania. Anyway, long story short, we made it to Dar es Salaam safely and the train was an enjoyable, albeit slow, way to travel. We are hoping to see Dar for a few days and then head to the legendary Zanzibar!
Hope everyone is well wherever you are.
Peace!
We got to Kapiri Mposhi (200 km north of Lusaka) Friday afternoon reading for the 2 pm departure. At the train station, however, we learned about a derailment of a cargo train on the Tanzanian side. So, we were delayed until they could clear it up and repair the tracks. We found a cheap guesthouse in this tiny little train town and just hung out for a day and a half. We met all the other white people on the train, similarly stranded. Mike, Caitlin, Sean, Matt, Eric and Adam (plus Michael and I) made for a very conspicuous group. We saw the nightlife and ate a lot of good nshima.
Finally Saturday night at 8 pm, the train left and we were glad to be out of Kapiri Mposhi. The train takes 48 hours hypothetically speaking, but we were on the "standard train" and not the "express" so we made a lot of stops. We ended up getting into Dar es Salaam at 7 am Tuesday morning, but more time on the train was not a cause for complaints.
The train wasn't too crowded, at least in first and second class. Plus we got a wicked 50% student discount on the tickets. I seriously recommend this as a very nice, relaxing way to travel. We mostly hung out in the lounge (i.e. bar) between 1st and 2nd. I had my own compartment to myself in 2nd class (until Monday night) because they have gendered cabins. 2nd class was pretty empty anyway, so I had a 6-berth cabin to relax in. Mike and Sean were next door and everyone else was in 1st class.
We had good, cheap chicken nshima and the restaurant staff brought it to wherever we were sitting when meal times hit. I also brought lots of bread and peanut butter to sustain us. The train was pretty clean and it was nice to be able to walk around during the journey.
We didn't really see any wildlife but the landscape was beautiful. Savanna gave way to mountains, forests and rivers when we crossed into Tanzania. Anyway, long story short, we made it to Dar es Salaam safely and the train was an enjoyable, albeit slow, way to travel. We are hoping to see Dar for a few days and then head to the legendary Zanzibar!
Hope everyone is well wherever you are.
Peace!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
