Nyumba ya Mungu: Part IV

It's been a while, so this weekend I was excited to return to the man made lake, Nyumba ya Mungu (Trip I, Trip II, Trip III). The last time we went it was extremely wet and now it was extremely dry. This meant we had to gear up in our sun-proof outfits, put on the sunscreen, and get out early. 

The drive to Nyumba ya Mungu is a love hate relationship for me. My motorcycle is not built for the sandy road but I am well versed in driving 150cc off brand SE Asian motorcycles in a variety of terrains.  I mostly enjoy the concentration and challenge of the road, but inevitably the end of the day leaves me exhausted. I actually prefer the motorcycle over the car as there is very little chance that the motorcycle gets stuck and it can maneuver through areas too small for a car. The road is about a 45 minute ride on a paved road, and then an hour or so through sandy, dry, and arid landscapes.

Part of the reason I enjoy the ride is the landscape. The semi-arid acacia scrub is typical of the northeast of Tanzania, though an appreciation for it is perhaps lost as a result of more exotic landscapes like Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Pare mountains, and various lakes in the area. Still, if you can brave the heat, the acacia scrub has a beauty to it, especially when it's a clear day and the aforementioned mountains are in view.

It helps that we are avid birdwatchers and we constantly stop to view some birds and have a walk. It usually takes us 3-4 hours to reach Nyumba ya Mungu, at which point the area is so hot that we can only walk around for an hour or two before we are roasted.

We enjoyed the journey and the most notable incident occurred when we passed a group of cyclists we I can only assume were on some sort of competitive bike tour. They all had number plates, dressed like serious cyclists, and had very nice mountain bikes. I couldn't imagine how awful it was to cycle through all that sand through the heat but I cheerfully gave them a "honk" greeting when we passed. On our way back home we saw them in Moshi and it certainly gave me some perspective when I wanted to complain of being tired!

Dry and dusty road.

Classic acacia scrub.

Lots of dry river beds, likely flash flood created.

Ana and I find some shade.

VERY sandy roads on the way there.

Nyumba ya Mungu lake.

Getting stuck behind a truck results in a big dusting!

I'm all protected from the sun, though it still exhausts me.