And then we got down to the business of drinking beer and relaxing on a secluded island
Beth and Dan arrived shortly thereafter for the vacation of a lifetime!
After a day of kicking around Dar, we took the bus North to Moshi in the Kilimanjaro Region to visit my friend Jen from Peace Corps. Jen has an extremely established blog from her past three years in Tanzania with much insight, political commentary, and beautiful stories about the lives she has touched during her service.(As my blog is slowly but surely updated, I promise to provide a similar context for my service in Tanzania ) In the meantime, check it out sometime- just don't forget to come back!
jenintanzania.blogspot.com/
But I digress...
Pictured here are Jen, Beth and I in front of a waterfall that marks the spot of an eerie story
The Legend
A local tribeswoman was sentenced to death by her village for becoming illegitimately pregnant. Rather than endure the excrutiating and tourturous death the village had planned, she decided to take her own life instead. She was standing at the top of these falls, ready to plunge to her death, when she decided she couldn't go through with it afterall. Perhaps she thought she might convince her villagers to soften the sentence. Sadly, as she turned around to leave the cliff's edge, a leapord jumped out of the bushes! As she backed away in fear, she tumbled off of the cliff and disappeared into the falls forever. Now that's a sealed destiny!
After the falls we went to the gates of Mt. Kilimanjaro, which we swore we would one day return to climb. These signs were particularly inspiring
Actually, we were so inspired that Beth and I just summitted real quick, but we were definitely exhausted!
Just kidding.
A clash of culture and beliefs
During the busride back to Moshi Town, a rollerblader caught a lift on the back. A group of mamas on the bus were perplexed and mystified! How was he doing this? They had never seen or heard of roller blades before, and they thought he was using some kind of witchcraft to fly behind the bus. When we explained that he actually had little tires on his shoes, their eyes grew large. It was more likely to them that sorcery was involved than this simple, ancient technology of the wheel.
In other observations, sometimes a sign says it all
Safari on the Supa Dala!
The next part of our journey was a safari in Ruaha National Park in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. We were extatic when we learned our safari mobile was a tricked out "daladala" or conversion van with a pop-up roof. All the better to enjoy some cold beers in!
Our Safari was actually sponsored by Sprite
We stayed in huts in the middle of the park. If this were in the USA we would have had to sign a liability waiver for our lives! The green structure behind the elephant is our hut. The picture to the right is just behind our lodging. Good thing we weren't enjoying the river views from that banda when these ladies came over for some entertainment!
Angry elephants seemed to be a theme on this trip. To the left, the gang that surrounded our vehicle and forced us to tear out on an escape mission! To the right, we encountered this lady later in the day- she doesn't exactly look happy to see us! In general, elephants can be quite placid and lovely to watch, grazing in the grasses, but when a baby is around (and it was) the mothers become extremely protective and very aggressive. It's no joke.
A more tranquil moment
And Leapin Lions! It's a whole den of them! Mamas and Babies napping in the shade of an Acaccia tree.
Before... and after. Yikes.
Our guide took us for a stroll in a sandy dry river bed. Here we're playing with girraffe dung. It's actually so full of grass that it smells of grass and not poop. To the right, a classic Bayobab dominates the landscape. We learned that Tanzanians traditionally view these iconic trees as haunted or enchanted. Legend has it that the dead rise from their graves at midnight and gather around the Bayobabs to conjur up spells and enjoy themselves until dawn when they return back underground. Additionally, the cavernous holes in the centers of the trees quite typically house the fatal black mamba snake, which may be the reason for the eerie association with dark spirits.
What does "Full & Super Luxury" look like?
Aw Yeah! This was our sweet ride back to Dar es Salaam, complete with fringe and pompom ladden window curtains and psychodelic chair covers
This isn't your grandma's bus! Although plenty of Bibi's were rocking out to the Tupac blasting over the bus radio- the non censored cuts to boot!
A bus stop with a mountain view. The fresh produce being sold behind me sure beats your average Burger King roadside stop!
Back in Dar we indulged at one of the city's most renown restaurants- Addis in Dar- a phenomenal and authentic Ethiopean restaurant.
Nothing tops a spicy, pallate awakening meal like a smooth velvety rich Ethiopean coffee served from an ebony wood hand-carved pot with a dish of hot coals smoking along side it for ambiance. How's that for presentation?! And popcorn served with coffee? Who knew?
It's a delicious pallate cleanser.
The next day we hopped the ferry to Zanzibar
A typical scene in stone town
And did you know that this spikey, hot pink berry is where lychee fruit comes from?
At Jambiani beach in the Southeast where the guidebooks do not lie about their the ethereal color of the water. The beaches are white and smooth and desolate in this less touristed hideaway. Sorry Mr. Milton but Paradise was certainly not Lost on us!
The Mr and Mrs proudly pose in front of their brand new pirate ship
We found this sign funny. In Fact, Name it and You will Have it! (The reality is they probably only serve ugali)
On a Spice Tour through the tropical forest, Dan attempts to climb a cocconut tree while Beth and I are lavished in designer eye wear and other adornments made by the teenager behind us our of palm leaves
Some pretty wild roots growing in the mangroves in Johanzi forest, and of course, a monkey
King Hershel didn't miss out on the gifts of the forest
Kwaherini Elizabeta & Dani!
This was a wonderful journey!
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