TANZANIA

23rd July 2004

Up at 8am for the usual coffee and shower. While Ranger is washing off a couple of days’ grime, I barter with the manager’s nephew for a huge carved, wooden mask; he wants 40 USD, I get away with 30 and wedge it into the back of the car wrapped in a straw mat. The road to Isebania and the border with Tanzania is good – we arrive after lunch and get bombarded with the usual money sellers, a girl with bananas on her head and a boy selling peanuts. We cook hotdogs in the heat waiting for the customs guy to finish his lunch; we’re told he has a large belly so the wait could be long. We press on along the good tarmac where the scenery has now opened up with large hills and big, round boulders laying on top of each other. We pass along part of the Serengeti National Park before stopping at Speke Bay Lodge for the night. For 10USD each the place is very smart and the private beach on the shores of Lake Victoria is beautiful. The sunset is spectacular enjoyed over a few beers. Back to the water’s edge after a hearty meal chatting to a couple travelling from Cape Town to Norway.

24th July 2004

Up for a good breakfast before heading up the road into the nearest town for fuel and provisions; finding bread in Africa must be our hardest challenge! We enter the Serengeti NP and immediately hit shocking corrugated tracks sending vibrations through the vehicle. The going is slow but the wildlife superb. We see new birdlife, Ugandan Kob, Topi, Grant and Thompson Gazelle, Impala and Wilderbeest which are late for the migration; unfortunately we have missed the majority heading up into the Masai Mara. After crossing the river in the park, we see an abundance of hippo and huge crocs sunbathing on the banks. We see over 50 elephant in groups walking through the trees and also giraffe. Then a cheetah looks up from behind a bush on the roadside. We fly past at 70Kmh, chuck out an anchor and reverse back to her. She is large and with a Thompson gazelle kill! She is only 2m from the car so we watch her for ages until she walks elegantly in the middle of the track, lies down licking her lips before heading off into the bush for sleep – unreal. We continue on past our designated campsite in search of lion but turn round after 20 mins. At the entrance to the site, we see a large leopard tortoise in the track. The campsite is full of cars and a truckload of people setting up tents. We eat, prepare a flask of coffee for the morning game drive and get an early night’s sleep for our lion hunt!

25th July 2004

We manage to set off at 7am shortly after all the others have left. The morning sun, known to photographers as the ‘Golden Hour’, is superb and we capture the colours well of a running Topi. We see a balloon safari floating over the golden, grassy plains, which have been declared a World Heritage site. Then, a male lion in the grass with a lioness close by. We look over the road and another lioness is walking towards us. We wait. She walks within 3m down the side of the car and is massive striding out to the join the pack. There are younger lions playing in the grass and the whole group of fifteen starts to walk towards the river. We double back to catch them crossing the track and are lucky enough to see them in full view. Two lionesses lead the pack, one jumps on an anthill surveying the vehicles while the mature cubs continue playing, being closely followed by a male. The group crosses the track and sunbathe near the river. Shortly after, the male crosses the road behind us. Ranger observes from the driver seat, as I am perched on the roof, camera in hand. Another male emerges from the grass and joins the other in the grass. They are small for males but must be hard as nails to rule a group of that size. We drive up to the females and young by the river and watch them – incredible. A guide informs us there is a lioness further up the track with young cubs resting on a hill in a dry swamp. We drive up to the hill and park within 3m from the mother and three cubs, sit there in awe and photograph frantically. The cubs sleep and mother struggles to stay awake with this large white object in front of her. Every time she sees something living (me) move on the roof she becomes suddenly alert and stares me in the eyes; I can hear Ranger chuckle below! A cub stirs, wakes up and yawns into the lens – awesome! We drive on to see two other lionesses, on either side of the road, stalking Thompson gazelle. After 30 mins waiting for a kill, we continue on. I spy an object on a mound and on driving up to it, discover five males lying in the elevated grass and another down by the nearby watering hole. They are young but large and the strongest, gutsiest is easily distinguishable. On the way to the gate, we see ostrich and large bustards. The exit gate to the Serengeti is the entrance point to the Ngorongora Crater. We pay the large sum of USD and cook hotdogs in the sun before walking up to a viewpoint overlooking the spectacular Serengeti plains. The road to the crater is both bad and beautiful. The scenery changes from plains with ostrich to grassy, green hills, ridges and gorges. Driving up to the crater rim, we see Masai tribesmen with their red, checked robes and spears in hand. We pass a large herd of twenty-five Masai giraffe before stopping for a photo of the fantastic view into the crater with some Masai locals. We drive on to the park HQ, fuel up and attempt to organise our pre-paid guide. The old boy, Felix, behind the desk can’t walk, stinks of booze and is intoxicated. After Felix offers to be our guide, we manage to meet and organise another, more sober chap called Joseph. We stop at the Crater Viewpoint and admire the incredible view of the 20km diameter crater (260 sq.km) with clouds pouring over the rim. The public campsite at the edge of the crater is teaming with tents and by the time we set up camp and cook; the place is rammed with trucks and overlanders. It is freezing and even full clothes with sleeping bag and inner isn’t even enough to keep the cold out.

26th July 2004

During the night, I think I hear Ranger sleep talking; in fact it was a bush pig outside rivalling through our rubbish. We collapse the tent by 6-30am and head up to HQ to find no Joseph, our guide. We manage to grab a smartly dressed man in ranger uniform called Topico, with six years experience, who offers to guide us – legendary. He jumps in the back and we drive to the Crater Descent, down the very steep, stony track and into the base of the crater. The clouds are spilling over the crater lip, the sun is burning through on to the salt lake, forest and plains and we can see why it is often known as ‘The Garden of Eden’. We drive into the forest looking for leopard and see elephant and buffalo. Shortly after, we spy a male cheetah standing upright in the grass, twenty-five meters from the track. About 100m behind us is a huge male lion with large mane enjoying the early morning sun. He yawns, gets up, decides life is too much of a struggle and down again. We drive on seeing hundreds of Wilderbeest, Jackal and Hyena; one enjoying a fresh carcass with some vultures. At the hippo pool, about twenty hippo bath, spray dung about and roll upside-down – highly amusing before I myself am desperate for the loo. The guide sticks to the rules and refuses to let me out, even in the safest of spots until we reach the nearest of only three designates picnic areas. Well, I almost have an accident in my shorts and on reaching the picnic spot, literally sprint to the nearest loos, unfortunately being the ladies. We see more hippo including a mother and calf out of the water and then one of the thirty endangered Black Rhino in Tanzania. Seeing four out of the ‘big five’ isn’t a bad day’s work at all. The ascent out of the crater is equally as steep as the descent and after dropping of Topico at HQ; we head off to the park exit and the road to Mt. Kilimanjaro. The brand new tarmac passes through green forest and small villages, blatantly affected by this new highway – we stop for cokes and bread. The scenery changes to large hills and wheat fields where we stop at the roadside to boil our usual Farmers’ Choice sausages with REM blaring from the stereo -unfortunately the bread we bought is riddled with mould – disappointing. We can see Lake Manyara in the distance and continue on towards the huge peak of Mt. Meru (4556m) on the horizon, with the snow covered peak of Kilimanjaro just popping out from behind. We stop at the base of Mt. Meru in Arusha, fuel up and kill our hunger with three samosas after a quick email to Ranger’s friend, Fonz, in Dar es Salaam. Mt. Kilimanjaro then emerges and the snow-covered peak is so clear – unreal and at 5895m, a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Africa, a World Heritage site……and no, we are not climbing it. Instead, we stop and take photos in the awesome evening light. We drive into Moshi at its base and struggle to find the Merungo Hotel. After a further hours drive, almost halfway up the mountain, we eventually find it, beg the chef to give us some late bar food and enjoy our first Kilimanjaro beer; followed by eight more. We have the laptop out and sift through all the game photos before enjoying the random screensaver photos of our trip so far. We start chatting to a guy from Barnstable, Devon, who turns out to be studying raptors in the area. When we take him though all our bird photos, especially the raptors, his jaw drops and points out we have seen a very rare Saker Falcon standing less than two feet from our car – little did we know! After he staggers off to bed, we manage to persuade Margaret, the young and very tired, barmaid to leave us to sit in front of the wood fire. Amazingly she gives up and leaves us there where we immediately build the mother of all infernos, which miraculously doesn’t burn down the chimney. We then decide it’s a great idea to sleep in front of the fire so Ranger sleeps, legs crossed in a seat while I construct a makeshift bed on the floor with seat cushions.

27th July 2004

We wake late and eat hotdogs at the vehicle with Johnny Clegg blasting from the windows. On leaving for Dar, we immediately get lost and have to back track 30km to the correct junction. The road is good but our headaches kick in and have to be kept under control by numerous stops in villages for bottles of coke. We blast along the road with Sisal plantations either side (a plant used for twine and rope) and the odd Baobab with its wide trunk, rather like an up-rooted tree turned on its end. We stop near Mombo, halfway to Dar, at the Tempo campsite. We set up camp; Ranger has a swim while I write my diary next to the pool. We have a shandy while chatting to the owner before a good meal of rice and vegetables. I retire to the tent early feeling shattered while Ranger seeks out the internet to check that Fonz has replied. He returns later after somehow acquiring, from the campsite owner, half a frozen bush pig!

28th July 2004

I wake, have a shower and coffee and eat an orange bought a few days earlier. On peering into an odd hole in the second to last segment, I discover a small, pink worm wriggling inside the fruit - minging! Ranger pokes his head out of the tent and informs me that we are heading up the hill, overlooking the campsite, to where the pine logs are brought down from the forest for the neighbouring chipboard factory; the only issue being that we stand on the logs, on an open platform, suspended by a cable, rather like a ski lift but without the seat! After some freshly cooked bread by the owner, we all drive up to the lower station of the log lift. The top of the very steep and high, tree-lined mountain is covered with low, white cloud as we clamber aboard the slippery platform. The thing operates without a motor and relies solely on the weight of the logs coming down to take the lower platform up. It takes 7mins for us to fly up through the wet, white clouds and reach the drizzling top station where workers load logs onto the upper platform. After they pile the logs on, we jump on top of them and shoot all the way down again – great fun! We blast down the good tarmac for four hours to the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, meaning ‘Haven of Peace’ in Arabic, given its name by Sultan Majid bin Said of Zanzibar when he decided to use the harbour city as a port and trade centre in 1857. We decide to first find the Canon camera sales outlet, in the hope of repairing the small digital camera, injured back in Jinja. Alas, it must be sent to the repairers in Nairobi, so I come to terms with the fact it is out of action until Jo’burg. Before finding Fonz’s pad, we first visit the fish market on Ocean Road and stroll around the smelly stalls stacked with Red Snapper, Blue Fish, Baracuda, Octopus, Squid and King prawns, to name a few - we promise to return when we’re back from Zanzibar. We find Fonz’s house easily, park the car and are offered beers immediately by his lovely fiancée, Angela, before enjoying a delicious steak bbq with the neighbours, and the dogs. Ranger wins the only spare bed so I write the update on the sofa while the others hit the sack at 10pm - one forgets that midweek is a school night for the employed!

29th July 2004

Up early when the house comes alive by Lucy, the house-help, cleaning dishes in the kitchen and Fonz’s car being hoovered outside. We pack a rucksack for Zanzibar forgetting the fishing line, sleeping bags and my PADI certificate and drive with Ange to Fonz’s office for email and phoning. After a quick detour back to the house to pick up our credit cards, we drop off the car back at the office and walk to the port where we catch the ferry across to Zanzibar. The place hasn’t changed at all since I was last here two years ago so immediately we are jumped upon by ticket sellers. After buying our tickets, hassle-free for 35 USD (reading 25 on the ticket + 5 scribbled on them + 5 going somewhere else!), we queue up and board the MV Serengeti, finding our seats right at the front. The two hour crossing is pretty rough as we read and watch Harry Potter on the tiny screen above our heads. I jump on deck as we approach the characteristic Stone Town with its crumbling buildings and the pillars of the House of Wonders and spire of St.Joseph’s standing out – memories come flooding back. In the port, we register with the police and we enjoy a drink at the bar on the harbour wall aptly named Mercury’s after Freddy Mercury from Queen who was born in Stone Town in 1943. We get a taxi driver to walk us to a cheap guesthouse in the centre (Annex Garden) and in return promise to use him for a lift north, up to Kendwa tomorrow. We dump the bags and walk down the narrow, crumbling streets passing large brass-studded, wooden doors of the houses (the larger the door, the more wealthy the household) and the many craft and art shops. At the popular Africa House bar we enjoy some drinks on the first floor balcony whilst the dhow captains very kindly sail past as the sun sets, providing the perfect setting. This is almost ruined as a mass of Italians descend on the balcony, digital cameras in hand, and take photos of each other in model-like poses on the railings – we watch in amusement. The owner of the next door bar gets a little shirty as we take some beers in and plonk ourselves down at the front of the live band – we enjoy the music for at least 20 minutes before being asked to leave. On we go to the Ferondhani open-air food market in the rundown gardens in front of the Old Fort. The stalls are full of sizzling seafood ranging from octopus to marlin and men squeezing the juice from sugar cane through roller presses. When we stop at the first stall, a local man, named Malcolm, immediately befriends us. I challenge a craftsman to a game of Bao. We stuff our faces with two octopus and prawn kebabs and move on to the Sweet Eazi bar, with the chatty Malcolm following. We play pool and get winks from obviously a local ‘working’ girl before moving on to the Garage Club. After actually paying for Malcolm’s entrance fee and having a few drinks in the bar, we move on to the dance floor for some serious moving! Unfortunately, at the end of the night, our empty wallet, and Malcolm, had disappeared. To add insult to injury, a car ran over my right foot outside the club…. no harm done!

30th July 2004

I awake cocooned in the mozzy nest, which I must have ripped from the ceiling during the night. I suddenly think that my credit card was in the wallet so we walk into town to telephone the bank but unfortunately (well, fortunately in the end…..!!) have to put the phone down on the lady due to a crackling line and don’t manage to cancel the card. We jump into the Dala Dala (minivan) and head up to Kendwa in the north. We decide to stay at Kendwa Rocks where I was two years ago and apart from a smart new two-floor bar & restaurant on the beach, nothing has changed. Unfortunately there are no bandas (huts) free so we must spend two nights in the dormitory, which in the end isn’t too bad. Whilst Ranger has a lie down, I sit in the bar chatting to the staff, some whom remember me, including ‘The Doctor’, who’s messing with one of the Norwegian guests – nothing has changed! When Ranger returns, we have a delicious meal, followed my games of the local Bao and pool.

31st July 2004

We wake late and walk down the white, sandy beach after breakfast to catch some rays. I check my rucksack in the faint hope that my credit card is in my passport – it is! Later we walk north along the beach to Nungwi to buy some dollar, passing a new hotel complex, which is a bit of an eyesore. Within only two years, money from overseas has already started to change this beautiful island – I just hope the locals can keep it under control and never forget what they really have. We eat in a lovely restaurant on stilts over the water before heading back along the sand to Kendwa. Unfortunately the tide has come in so walking the beach is impossible resulting in us getting lost in thorn bushes and having to ask a local to guide us back inland! Back at base, I write my diary whilst listening to the chillout music in the bar and sip a Safari whilst Ranger reads in the hammock. We eat with a Canadian couple before moving to chat by the fire on the beach. Early to bed in preparation for the Full Moon Party tomorrow!

1st August 2004

I enjoy breakfast admiring the blueness of the Indian Ocean and join Ranger on the beach to read and swim. When the clouds move in and we see rain over the water, we decide to go for lunch at the restaurant next door. After the clouds have cleared we read, swim and relax some more and watch two local fishermen drag a huge Sailfish up the beach for the bbq this evening. The local boys walk past whispering ‘Jambo, Jambo, Coconut? Banana?’ – we end up sipping a coconut for the next half an hour. Women walk past whispering ‘you want massage, Mister?’. ‘No thank you’ we reply, thinking we’d probably never wake up! After a game of pool and showers, we join the Canadians and sit upstairs in the bar waiting for the party to kick off. At 6ish, the music is turned up and the bar immediately fills with hundreds of people from other resorts, Stone Town and the mainland. We dance to African music with the locals and challenge them to pool. The dance floor gets cleared and a group of local acrobats perform amazing tricks in front of our wide eyes. It is late and the bar slowly empties before the sun rises – a great night.

2nd August 2004

In the morning, the friendly barman, Joseph, has been up all night and is struggling to stay awake. I sit chatting to a random bloke from the States and when we hear a loud bang and look over the bar, we see that Joseph had fallen asleep on the fridge and fallen off! We tell him he must go to bed but refuses in fear of the management and apparently only has two hours sleep each night – so wrong. After lunch, we walk down the beach and swim opposite the new hotel being built. Apart from the faint sounds of drilling, the clean, empty beach is spectacular and the water so blue. Ranger sleeps whilst I swim out to a floating pontoon and collapse onto it like a beached whale. We enjoy some delicious fish for dinner and after sitting by the fire, retire early to bed.

3rd August 2004

I get up and read on the balcony of our Banda until the old boy wakes later. We hit the beach to read and swim and have lunch at another new restaurant down the beach. After polishing off a seafood feast (prawns, rock lobster, tuna, octopus and squid) in record time, Ranger thrashes me again at Bao; we decide to leave the final game after it lasting two and a half hours! At 4-30pm, we hop into a local Dhow with two fishermen and sail off in the F4 winds for a spot of fishing. We see flying fish race over the water. After the rock anchor is chucked overboard, I catch five fish with the line and hook, using squid for bait. The sail downwind is great but the sunset could have been better. We grab a beer before heading back to the new restaurant for a seafood beach bbq. The dance floor remains empty and the music loud, so after two plates of piled high seafood, we head back to camp to play pool before retiring to the Banda to read and write diaries.

4th August 2004

During my shower, I look down and see a huge creature….and then look down at the floor and see a huge Rhino beetle floating past. This insect is one of the ‘Little Five’, which also include the Ant lion, Leopard moth, Buffalo spider and Elephant shrew. After a quick ‘Brekkie’, we jump into a boat with fifteen others for a snorkelling trip to the incredible island of Mnemba. We stop at Nungwi to pick up the ‘Lunchie’ and see a group of dolphin just off shore. The clouds set in again and the heavens briefly open while we carefully navigate the dangerously shallow reef before reaching the island. We float around on the surface above groups of scuba divers admiring the coral and brightly coloured fish for almost two hours. We see Trumpet fish, small squid, Puffer fish and Ranger spots a Lionfish. We have lunch onboard and chat to the rest of the boat, watching fishermen sail past in the small Dhows with outriggers. The term Dhow derives from the Portuguese word ‘nao’ meaning small vessel. There are three designs including the 60ft long Jahazi, the smaller 20 ft Mashua and the distinctive 15ft long dugout with outriggers called a Ngalawa. We motor around the island and snorkel for half an hour before heading back to Kendwa in the heat of the midday sun. Back on dry land, we sit in a dive shop and flick through a coral book discovering what we have just seen. We read on the beach and enjoy the sunset before another delicious meal in the restaurant, being joined by a chap from Stratford who we were snorkelling with, and having octopus yet again! Ranger hits the sack early while I challenge a local lad to pool and chat to a Dutch family in the bar.

5th August 2004

I join Ranger for breakfast before jumping into a packed minivan for Stone Town. We get money and sit on the beach munching a take-away burger and cokes. We walk through the narrow shops perusing at all the arts and crafts; after some fun bartering, I purchase some superb artwork. We walk down the beach and have a final drink at Mercurys bar where we began our Zanzibar ‘holiday’ six days ago. At 3.30pm, we get whisked to the airport to catch a tiny, four-seater Cessna. With me upfront next to our French pilot and Ranger behind, we fly at 2500ft over the water to Dar es Salaam. We look down and see the ferry and Dhows bouncing through the rough waters. The pilot then leans over me and tugs on my door – the security latch wasn’t down! After 20 mins flying time, we land smoothly at Dar airport and catch a taxi to Fonz’s house where Ange is waiting for us. We chat about our trip over cake and tea and then mould ourselves into the sofas in front of the box for the evening.

6th August 2004

After a great night’s sleep in the huge double beds, we say bye and a big thank you to Ange and head into town for money, provisions and fuel. We stop off at the Mengwi crafts market just off the Bagamoyo road in the north of town and load up the car with local ebony goodies. There are many stalls with friendly shopkeepers and the craftsmen sitting cross-legged in front of their wooden lathes, powered by a hand bow, turning candlesticks. We set off from the city at 4ish and see how far we can get before darkness sets in. We pass by large mountains and smell the tobacco in the air from a tobacco farm. Large Baobab trees are dotted amongst the bush, which is sometimes flaming by the roadside. When the sun sets behind a hill, we luckily see a sign for a campsite and head down the 4km track to find it. The first thing we see is a huge bush fire close to the campsite. Apparently it is under control and set up camp before cooking a tasty dinner. We then hear shots being fired from the farmhouse and are informed he is shooting at a Black Mamba in a tree. We walk over to luckily find him only setting up his sight on his rifle so go to sleep a little easier in the knowledge there are no Mambas around!

7th August 2004

Up at 8am for coffee and diary writing. A French family arrived late last night and the kids come over to chat. We show them the Ant Lion eating ants in the small holes it has made in the sand to catch them; they are amazed and run back to their parents to show them this new trick they’ve learnt. We set off towards Mbeya and immediately pass through Mikumi National Park and see elephant, impala and buffalo just from the road. We follow the wide, winding Great Ruaha River through Baobab Valley dotted with the fat trees. Yellow baboon cross the road in front of us. We stop in Iringa and have lunch at a garage, which fills with locals. The main part of town is up on the hill so we drive up and find a garage with pit for oil and filter change. The mechanic blatantly hasn’t had a vehicle to play with for months so goes to town on it and gives it a full service for 4 dollars. Then up to another garage to get the front wheels aligned after the cowboys in Jinja tried to do it in the dark after changing the track rod ends. We also get the ripped spare tyre temporarily repaired and balanced. We drive for another 50kms to the Old Farmhouse campsite, check in and set up camp. Firewood is brought to us and the hot showers are just what we needed – what a great spot! Ranger reads whilst I write some of the update. After some soup in front of the fire, we grab a beer from the bar and chat in front of the flames. It gets very cold so hit the sleeping bags in jeans and fleece.

Distance travelled since London : 20,000 kms

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