Amani Nature Reserve

Location of Amani Forest Reserve, about a 7-8 hour trip from Moshi. This map should give you an idea of how big Tanzania is!  

http://amaninature.org/

Background on area: 
I recently got a chance to head down south to the Amani Nature Reserve in Tanga Region. Amani Nature Reserve is part of the Eastern Arc Mountain Range in the East Usambara sub-region of the mountains (see my previous posts about trips to the North Pare section of the Eastern Arc range). The Eastern Arc Mountains are an isolated mountain chain formed through a cycle of block faulting and erosion that stretches from the Taita Hills in Kenya down to the Southern Highlands in Tanzania. Due to their age, status as forest “islands” and role as condensers of moisture from the Indian Ocean, the Eastern Arc forests are rich in endemic species. Many species have been geographically separated from their closest relatives for long periods. The mountains appear to serve both as a refuge for formerly widespread flora and fauna and as centers of speciation. Patches of forest such as the Amani Nature Reserve have been likened to the African equivalent of the Galápagos Islands in terms of their endemism and biodiversity.

Map of the Eastern Arc mountain range. I've visited Kindoroko in the North Pare and Amani in East Usambara. Also, notice the mountains that are yellow (including Kilimanjaro) that are geologically different, though extremely close in proximity. 

The Mbomole trail.

Amani Nature Reserve has an interesting story as it is located in an area heavily affected by human settlements. During the colonial period in the late 19th century, Germans extracted timber from the area, even having a railway running high up to the mountains to assist in transport. They also set up early hydroelectric plants and pumps to provide electricity and water to the settlements below. Aside from removing the majority of the primary forest in all but the steepest areas, they also introduced a "Botanical Garden" with the purpose of testing the suitability of tropical plants for commercial purposes in Tanzania. This Botanical Garden was maintained during British rule and it wasn't until 1950 that it was decommissioned. Still, you can't stop plants from growing and several of them have become highly invasive and threaten the local species, especially unfortunate considering that almost a quarter of the sub-montane plant species are endemic. 

Sigi information center, which used to be a railstation master's house, then a primary school, and now finally, a information center that was inconveniently not open on weekends.

The accommodation:
Amani Nature Reserve was set up as a reserve in 1997 by combining six forest reserves into a mixed-use conservation area. This included a range of land from previous reserves, parts of an old tea plantation, land cultivated by villagers, regenerating forest, and primary forest. There are basically two places to stay, one in Amani village and one at Zigi gate. The Zigi site is at the eastern gate and consists of a small guest house and a refurbished school/railway masters house turned conference center. The setting is idyllic; surrounded by beautiful forest and the constant audible flow of the strong Zigi river. The accommodations are more than adequate with electricity, running water, beds with mosquito nets and reasonably priced delicious food available for purchase.

The first night there were two Dutch girls that stayed at Zigi. The next day we saw them at Amani and they said they were going to stay at Amani that night as the rooms were "better". We didn't check them out but the guesthouse was on the edge of Amani village and next to a milk plant that ran a generator during the day. Although the Amani guesthouse is located closer to more trails, I thought Zigi was the perfect place to stay this time around.

The reserve: 

There was a path from Zigi that led to Amani labeled "Zigi Trail." There are a few trail maps that you download with enough digging online but we sadly forgot them. We later learned that it wasn't the end of the world since the trails were mostly extracted from a technical report from 1995 with directions such as , "After a fallen tree, a smaller junction soon turns right from the main trail." and my personal favorite (from the original report): "The track soon makes a sharp right, with a more open area ahead (the site of a former conifer plantation) [TRAIL NEEDS SLASHING FROM HERE]. On the path [THE SLASHING SHOULD NOT BE TOO ENTHUSIASTIC!] are plants ..." The technical guide is actually a very interesting read with deep botanical and historical information.

Me crossing the stream.

The trail was well trodden and full of exotic species. The forest felt immense and wonderfully regrown with the canopy obscuring most of the flight. It felt like a rainforest being extremely humid and the trail never strayed too far from the roaring river. Eventually we reached a small stream and passed over into a small village called Chemka. The village was extremely small and underdeveloped, though there were remnants of a power station on the other side of the river. The river was very impressive at this point, very wide with several layered waterfalls.

River at Chemka. 

The walk from Chemka to Amani village was extremely steep and wove through houses on the outskirts of the villages and yet more exotic species. Huge stands of Eucalyptus trees towered over one section and several small streams bisect the trail along the way. When we finally reached the top we were greeted with a beautiful view of the surrounding forest. 

View from Amani village.

We made our way to the Amani information center, which was also closed for the weekend. The guesthouse was open and we took a tea. A local guide started chatting with us and he wasn't pushy as he asked us what our plan was. He explained that most of the people that came prefer to not have a guide, which is okay as most of the trails are well marked. Still, he spotted the bird book in my hand and suggested that if we went with him we could visit the bird hotspots. I told him that we weren't so interested in seeing birds as much as we were in finding trails that were in the most isolated points of the reserve with the most pristine forest.

After chatting with him I felt a bit bad as we were pretty sure we didn't want to take a guide. Still, these guys were obviously trained at some point and the majority of tourists that reach Amani are probably very similar to myself. I also felt bad because I wanted to milk him for all his guide-like information without paying him and in the end he was pretty helpful. He pointed out a trail that we could take that day and gave detailed instructions regarding certain junctions in which we could lose our way. This was the other conundrum I was facing; many of the trails were poorly marked and leading to farmland. We had a full day the following day and I didn't want to waste it on dead end trails.

When I told him that I really wanted to walk in primary forest, he called over another guide named Salim. Salim was much more local and less savvy than the other guy. I asked him in Swahili if he knew birds and he answered without hesitation, "no." This actually convinced me to hire his services for the next day. I appreciated his honesty and both the guys had a very nice vibe that didn't seem false or pushy just to get a tourist tip. We decided he would meet us at Zigi camp the next day and he'd take us to a trail of primary forest.

That afternoon we took the route recommended to Mbomole Hill. It was about a three-hour round trip walk from the information center. The trail started as an old logging road and then continued on a more narrow path. We decided to take a short rest and sat on a log. We sat down in silence and drank some water and within a minute, out of the corner of my eye, I saw an African-crowned eagle land not more than 10 meters (30 ft) away on a branch. A fierce and elusive predator, the crowned eagle feasts on mammals and has been known to eat prey weighing up to 25 kg (50 lbs). It was probably drawn by the nearby calls of monkeys (which it eats) and to see one perch so close in the vast expanse of the forest was one of the most intimate wildlife experiences I've had.

As we continued up the trail we saw a troop of blue monkeys in the trees. They were alarmed by our presence but didn't flee wildly, rather they went to the tops of the trees and kept a close eye on us. The trail wound up to the top of a bare rock face where a beautiful vista displayed the surrounding forest and a tea plantation in the distance.

View from the top of Mbomole Hill. The bright green spot is a tea plantation. 

The next day we set out early with our guide and walked our way up a very steep path. The forest was beautiful primary forest, though the steep climb required most of our focus. The trail was considerably less trodden than other trails we had walked with good reason; the trail merely climbed to a short flat peak with all views obstructed by trees, and looped back down to one of the main trails. There was no vista, no river, nothing but primary forest. Still, if you love the forest, it was the best trail we had found.

Our guide was lively and lacked the fake charisma that some nature guides have. I liked it because he was from the area and trained as a guide but ultimately chose the job for the financial opportunity, not for his love of nature and conservation. I think there is always a romantic view of conservation where locals are convinced of the importance of conservation after some educational workshops and viewings of Planet Earth. The reality is more reflective of the hierarchy of needs that humans face; first taking care of their food security and financial situation.

I was initially annoyed because while we started our hike he answered his cell-phone several times but luckily we were soon out of range. We didn't chat much during the hike, though he did point out some interesting botanical facts, though many were proven mixed up after later cross checking. Still, I appreciated his effort and in the end he revealed a lot about the management of the area. He said the the community gets 60% of the fees, individuals get 20%, and the government gets the remaining 20%. He explained that a yearly payment of 500,000 Tzs (about $300) was sufficient for the majority of people to be very happy with the conservation efforts. He also said they supported a dairy, fish pond, and other income-generating projects.

The recent conservation activities are even more shocking when you look at the history of the area. Exploited for timber and intensive agriculture since 1890, it's a wonder the area still maintains it's unique biodiversity. In fact, two massive tea plantations (nationalized during the socialist 70's) remain in the midst of the forests. It's part of the reason why the forest is so fragmented, perhaps a microcosm of natural resource management everywhere.

All in all, Amani was a beautiful, though rarely visited area. A quick look in the guest book showed about 3-4 foreign tourists a month. Eight hours from Moshi and eight hours from Dar es Salaam means a special and multi-day trip is usually needed. It's only about a 1/2 hour away from the beach town of Tanga, which may tempt those yearning for a beach and cocktail. All these factors lead me to believe that Amani is a hidden gem!

Crossing the river. 

The river at its calmest point.

Food: Chipsi Mayai

Basic chips mayai. 

Literally meaning "chips eggs", chipsi (commonly shortened to just 'chips') mayai is one of my absolute favorite Tanzanian foods. More considered to be a snack, chips mayai is ubiquitous in Tanzania, found in eating establishments from proper restaurants to a woman on the side of the road with an open fire and a pan.

Chips mayai getting cooked on a basic setup.  

In its most simple form it is chips (french fries) mixed in with egg to make a kind of french fry omelette. The chips are usually prepared in the morning with huge buckets of potatoes getting filled with potatoes to be fried. Although it seems like it would be a breakfast food, due to the preparation of the potatoes it's usually not consumed in the morning, though vendors frequently used day (or multi-day) old chips that are displayed in a box.

I haven't met a Tanzanian that doesn't like chips mayai and it's a favorite among foreign expats. It certainly follows the unfortunate dietary rule of, "the more delicious it is, the more unhealthy it is". The chips are obviously fried and then when the egg is added an additional pool of oil is added. They usually drain the excess oil by holding a pan over the top and tilting it to the side.

The chipsmayai is usually served with a bit of greens such as a few slices of cucumber. It is almost always served with tomato sauce and chili sauce. The tomato sauce is like ketchup, but unlike most westerners conceptions about a singular style of ketchup, the tomato sauce here is often homemade, as well as the chili sauce. It can be eaten with toothpicks, fork , or your hands and it's a great food to enjoy with a cold beer in the evening.

Chips mayai with mishikaki (shishkebab). If you put the mishikaki in the chips mayai, it becomes a zege (cement). 

Kindoroko Forest Part II

Some scattered rain comes through the mountains. 

View of the hills to the north-east of the Kindoroko forest. 

We had already taken a trip to Kindoroko Forest about a month ago though this time around we were much better prepared and more comfortable having navigated the environment before. Having experienced the large and unmarked nature of the forest, we not only came better prepared with a camera and GPS, but we also familiarized ourselves with the ecology and context of the mountains.

Kindorko Forest is situated in the North Pare mountains, which are part of the very old Eastern Arc mountain range. These mountains now contain fragmented patches of forest, high in endemic species and rich in biodiversity. Although the range is only about 50km south of Mt. Kilimanjaro it contains a completely different geology and ecology.

Kindoroko Forest is one of these patches with a total area of 885 hectares, (2,200 acres). The ecology is classified as Afromontane, which means it is cooler and wetter than the surrounding areas. Although it has a dry season, during the wet season it becomes a cloud forest with lichen and moss covering the trees and ground. There has been relatively little biodiversity research about this forest as a result of other forests in the Eastern Arc having more endemic species. Still, the North Pare mountains are a biodiversity hotspot.

View of the northside of the forest. 

A unique aspect of the North Pare forests is the traditional beliefs of the local people regarding them as sacred forests. There are typically two types of sacred forest: burial forests for communicating with ancestral spirits (mpungi) and sacred forests used to teach young men about culture and nature (mshitu). Along with the local beliefs, the forests are also government protected forest reserves, many of which are currently in the process of becoming officially recognized biodiversity hotspots by organizations such as IUCN and the WWF.

This map shows the northern part of Kindoroko Forest, as well as our route. The star at the top is Usangi at 1350m (4,500 ft) . Following it south there is another star, the junction form the "main" road to the house where the trail head is (1738m (5,700 ft.). Then there is the last star in the forest where the trail begins and the route ends at the peak of Kindoroko at 2120m (7,000 ft). 

We started our journey from Usangi located at 1350m (4,500 ft), the first star on the top of the map above. We attempted to find a new route into the forest from the one we took previously but after getting misled by a few opportunistic locals, we decided to head back to the house where we knew we could access the forest. After we got back from mapping the area we realized these people live in the middle of the northernmost tip of the forest reserve (the left-most star on the map at 1738m (5,700 ft)).

Seeing as we literally started on a trail behind these people's house, we had to walk about 15 minutes through semi-cleared agriculture until we reached a main trail. On the way there we heard the cries of Syke's monkeys, presumably biding their time before they raided the villagers crops. There is a basic aqueduct channeling water to pipes that run to the villages below and several small trails that veer off the main path. We decided to try to follow the paths going south in order to reach the depths of the forest. We figured that if we reached a dead end (which happened last time), we would at least have a GPS trail.

We lucked out and the first trail we took eventually took us to the summit. The walk was steep, covered in moss, and felt more like the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest of America than anything else. There were trees similar to the banyan trees of Southeast Asia. The trees sent out smaller vines that eventually rooted creating huge multi-trunked psychedelic trees covered in moss and lichen. The forest is one of the most beautiful and unique I have ever hiked in and although the trail was trodden often enough for an obvious path, there wasn't a sign of another human for miles. After hiking for a few hours we finally came upon a huge rock face that marked the peak of the forest at 2120m (7,000 ft).

One of the three trunks of a mysterious vine tree. It was difficult to get a picture in the dense forest. Sometimes these would be in large numbers creating a roof of entangled vines, appropriate housing for a hobbit or wizard. 

A rare glimpse of the sky through the thickness of the forest. 

The peak was the perfect place to have lunch as it was the only time in the whole hike that we could even see the sky. We were greeted with a spectacular view of Lake Jipe, which sits to the east of the mountains on the border of Kenya and Tanzania. We saw a Eurasian Hobby (falcon) sweep through the air and choose a perch on a dead tree very close to us. A pair of White-naped ravens investigated our presence and then perched even closer. Watching the birds fly at eye level was a treat considering that we usually only see them from the perspective far away below on the ground.

A look out over the mountains. 

View of Lake Jipe lake to the east. 

View of Lake Jipe. Also, check out the rain in the right side of the picture!

View of the northeast side of the Pare Mountains and plains. 

After lunch we headed back down, tired from the three and a half hour hike up. It took us considerably less time on the way down even with my persistent exploration and desire to see a vista looking west. In the end I figured we'd have to follow another trail and knowing that forest light can disappear fast, we played it safe and left it for another day. There was still so much forest south of the peak and we're hoping to keep exploring in the future!

Random Pictures: Volume II

Once in a while a guy that sharpens knives visits our work to see if we need any assistance. He rides his bike and then simply switches the chain to another cog, turns himself around, and suddenly he has a pedal powered sharpening stone. 

These quasi-shops are seen everywhere in Moshi. As you can see they sell a variety of items, mostly cheap Chinese goods. The sheer variety of goods in such a small space is admirable. 

Sometimes the women selling fruits don't want to hustle and fight for customers; they'd rather read the paper. 

One of my favorite traveling salesmen, the sunglasses man. 

A closer look at his goods. 

These "town criers" are the best advertising. Load up a generator and sound system on the back of a truck and drive around slowly broadcasting your advert to a large area. They are unbearably loud when you are right next to you and sometimes meetings have to be paused until one passes. 

I came to work one day and saw this unfortunate bush-baby that had fallen victim to the power lines. They are all over Moshi, especially noticeable during mango season, though they are nocturnal so difficult to see. 

Rainy Season

The rainy season has officially begun here in Moshi. Though rains started about a month ago, we are now in a period of consistent rain. The rainy season marks the end of mango season, the beginning of growing cycles, and a time of cooler temperatures. Although it doesn't rain every day, it rarely goes more than two consecutive days without rain. 

I much prefer the rainy season to dry season for the sole reason of the cool temperatures, though each season has its pros and cons. When I asked one of my friends in Nigeria which season he preferred, he said, "Well, I like rainy season because it's cool and the crops grow..but...rainy season will disappoint." What he meant was that rain can disturb planned events, delay people arriving to meetings, maroon you under an inadequate shelter, and generally throw off the already delayed rhythm of life here. In Jamaica they had a phrase, "getting penned up", which refers to being trapped waiting for the rain to subside like a penned up animal. Still, I'll take the rain over the dry, dusty and hot climate of the dry season. 

Having lived through a few rainy seasons, I finally have the confidence and foresight to plan for the changes in the season. Washing clothes more often (they get moldy), having a good umbrella on hand (rain coats don't do the job), and of course, being a bit more flexible and understanding when something is planned and no one shows up because of the rain. When I first moved to the tropics I found it funny how people seemed to be "afraid" of the rain, but now I understand that with the relatively small range of temperature in the tropics, there is serious risk of getting sick if you get wet. 

One of the random skills I've picked up living in the tropics is riding a motorcycle through heavy mud. Careful not to brake or accelerate too hard, I've mastered the technique of riding with my legs spread, half balancing, half ready to put my feet down on the road to help balance. The majority of Moshi's main roads are paved, but as soon as you turn off the main roads you are greeted with dirt roads, thus this skill is an important one to have.  

The road outside my work. 

After walking for five minutes I have about 2kg of mud caked on my shoes. 

To deal with the caked mud, businesses and homes have these simple metal structures to scrape your shoes. 

I look forward to enjoying the cool temperatures, rainy days, and the variety of foods that will be available after the rains! It will certainly give me an appreciation for the rare sunny day and it will also reduce the amount of cleaning in the house as the dust won't be so heavy! 

Northern Mt. Kilimanjaro: Rongai Forest

Map of north Kilimanjaro Region with Rongai Forest in red. 

We recently took a trip to Rongai Forest with the bird club. Rongai Forest is located on the northeast side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Most tourists would know the area as one of the trailheads for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. The “Rongai route” starts just outside the town of Rongai at 2,000m (6,400 ft). There are several large government run pine tree plantations (mainly pinus patula), though there are two rivers that run through the area in which the original montane forest zone displays its beauty.

Deep inside the forests of pinus patula, the "weeping pine" native to the highlands of Mexico. 

We took a dala-dala from Moshi to the nearby town of Tarakea. The trip was about an hour to an hour and a half and provided stunning scenery as we wound our way around the side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Upon arrival to Tarakea we chartered a dala-dala to the trail head of the Rongai Route. We didn't waste much time as Tarakea is a somewhat standard border town with a variety of touts hustling money changing or guiding services.

When we arrived to the trail head we stopped and chatted with some of the workers. We told them we weren't going to take the main trail, which would have required us paying a park fee for Kilimanjaro National Park ($80 USD!!!). Instead of following the Kilimanjaro climbing route up, we went down a bit and walked along the Nalemuru river. There were some locals washing clothes along sections of the river

Nalemuru River. 

Because of the steep slopes of the river we often times walked along the top of the steep sides of the river. On both sides of the river there were massive plantations of pinus patula trees which dramatically changed the feel of the area. There was maybe only 10-20m (30-60ft) of native vegetation surrounding the river, which felt like a jungle, and then it would suddenly give way to the mono-culture of trees. One of the coolest trees along the river was the Euphorbia candelabrum, often called the Candelabra Tree. It appears to be a cactus but when you look further down the tree you see it has a wooden trunk, certainly a peculiar tree!

Euphorbia candelabrum, often called the Candelabra Tree.

After walking along the river we then began to walk east towards the main road. There was a  very large section of forest plantation and it had recently been cleared. We saw some kids from nearby villages gathering firewood and the open space was prime bird habitat.

Stark contrast between the plantation and the recently cleared area. 

We then crossed over the main road and walked along the Kikelelwa River. We not only saw birds like the Peters’ Twinspot, Olive Thruss and Paradise Flycatcher, but we also saw some Black and White Colobus monkeys hanging in the trees with their ridiculous shaggy coat. Once again we were surrounded by thick forest around the river but within 20 or so meters was farmland consisting of maize and timber trees. Still, the forest was thick and rich with birdilfe.

Inside the forest trail. 

Kikelewa River. We had to pounce across the rocks to cross. 

The day ended with a small bit of drama. The dala-dala that we took up to Tarakea was supposed to take us back down. We were out of cell phone range most of the day so we had to walk back along the main highway until we got signal. When we called the driver he said he was in Moshi! We then flagged down a random car heading towards Tarakea and offered him some money if he would take all of us the 15 minute drive. He had a very small car and we sat five people in the back and two in the front. It was quite crowded but we reached Tarakea and shortly after found a bus back to Moshi.