West Mt. Kilimanjaro: Farmstead

Mt. Kilimanjaro is behind those clouds.

Over the weekend we took a trip up to a farmstead located in the western side of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We had heard mixed reviews about the place, though one thing was consistent in that everyone raved about the food. The farm mainly grows wheat and barley and they also have a relatively small vegetable garden where they grow a variety of veg. The farm is huge with over 7,500 acres and it is situated between the forests of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the cleared agriculture plains below.

The farm is about a two hour drive from Moshi and it is a bit of a boring drive through a very arid landscape. It is very dry this time of the year so the unpaved road brings a constant stream of dust and when another car passes in the opposite direction, a dust cloud engulfs the entire road. Still, the landscape is nice in a savanna sort of way and as you slowly climb the mountain the national park is visible and the area becomes more forested and wetter.

One thing that always shocks me is the extent of which land has been cultivated on Kilimanjaro. Tanzanian farmers have proven to be extremely robust and not discouraged by steep hillsides. Whenever I've gone up the mountain, I've seen every bit of land cultivated right up to the boundary with the national park. You can't blame the farmers as the land is extremely fertile with rich volcanic soils, moisture from the mountain, and cooler temperatures. Although the park was gazetted in 1973, this included only above the treeline, and it was only in 2005 that the remaining montane forest and surrounding area was included.

Anyway, when we arrived at the farmstead the area proved to be massive. The grain fields have an admittedly nice aesthetic feel and the extended scenery was breathtaking with views of Mt. Meru and the plains between Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru (they are only 80km [50miles] from each other). The "main house" at the farm was very quaint and the garden was spacious and well landscaped which created a kind of oasis for many different species of beautiful birds.

There were a few houses that could be rented in this area but we opted to camp, which was about 7km (4 miles) away. It was a bit odd because the entire drive was through grain fields. There were a few parcels with a tree buffer line, but not many. The "camp" area was a kind of satellite house on a parcel that was fenced in with a large yard. There was a toilet and shower with hot water (important that high up!) though there lacked a fire pit. The main house on that parcel was also being occupied by a party of the owners that evening so it wasn't exactly the optimal time to have gone, and certainly didn't result in a "camping" kind of experience.

As promised, the dinner and breakfast were superb, albeit expensive. Still, fresh farm ingredients really made the difference as the food wasn't anything extravagant or relying on a variety of imported ingredients.It was interesting to observe some of the farm activities and to see how they integrated the tourism into their operations. It also lacked a colonial feel, which was one of my main concerns when I first heard about it.

We spent the day birding and immediately went to the border of the farm with the national park. We find some trails and even bumped into a ranger outpost with two Kilimanjaro National Park rangers. We told them we wanted to go hiking to watch birds and they said we were welcome, there were a few trails. They asked if we were related to the farm owners and we informed them we were just guests. I thought it was odd that they were so inviting to hike in the fringe area of the park since I've only been told that you MUST have proper permits. The paths weren't too extensive but it was nice to spend some time in the forest and walk a bit.

The next morning we went on their "river trail" which was a very short walk down to the river. The opposite side of the river was the national park and the area was very lush, though a very narrow strip of buffer zone from the farm side. The river had some old, yet still in use, irrigation systems and a path followed the river to a swimming spot nearby.

Overall, the farm experience was interesting, though I'm not sure if we'd return. I can't say enough about the food but aside from the average birding, there isn't much to do there. Even with the birding, we were lucky because it was an overcast day so the temperature was comfortable; if the sun were shining I'm sure the birding would not be as fun!

Some female Elands graze.

The border with the national park.

Nice light during the day.

Mt. Meru and the sunset.

Ana getting a view of the plains.

A little hike by the camping area.

Swim spot! Unfortunately a bit too cold.

Doing the river walk.

Random Pictures: Volume V

Gigantic termite mound.

Red bananas...very smooth and creamy.

My brother with a massive pile of firewood.

How these guys balance, I can not imagine.

Crazy fruit, not very delicious.

This old guy is rocking some stylish sunglasses.

If you look carefully, not only does the van I'm riding in say "flight number" (for the Kenya border crossing) but the car next to us has goats and...a man?

Second hand clothes at their finest: McDonalds uniform.

Lake Duluti: Trip II

We've taken a previous trip to Lake Duluti and it remains one of the best places nearby to go on a hike. The trail is well trodden with hardly any people and although the place is small, the forest surrounding the trail makes it feel a bit more forested than it actually is. Although you can still hear many of the "town sounds" (churches, music from bars, cars honking), you can't beat the convenience and cheapness of the hike.

We took the same route as the previous time we came, starting on the ridgeline and then coming down to walk around the lake. We timed so that after the ridgeline we enjoyed a packed lunch on the shore of the lake. We enjoyed viewing Taveta Golden Weavers making nests as well as cormorants, kingfishers and grebes hunting for fish. The weather was beautiful and the clouds even lifted from in front of Mt. Meru a few times throughout the day.

We went around the lake the opposite direction this time, moving counterclockwise. We only saw about four other people during the entire duration of our walk which was pleasant, though I couldn't believe more people weren't coming here on a Sunday afternoon. One of the toughest things to find in this area is a place to go on a hike; although we're blessed with amazing national parks, hiking is permitted or allowed for an outrageous fee. Due to the intense pressure of human settlement and agriculture, many areas lack the "open spaces" feeling that most hikers seek or undisturbed areas are in areas that are far too hot for an enjoyable hike.

I'm sure there will be many trips to Duluti in the future, enjoy the pictures!

View from the top of the ridgeline.

Crazy grasshopper.

Ana walking on the ridge.

Inside the forest trail.

Wetlands area from the trail inside the forest.

Mt. Meru peaking through the clouds.

Kindoroko Forest Part IV

View of the Pares in the morning.

We've taken some previous trips (Part I,Part II,Part III) to Kindoroko Forest and it may be our favorite "nearby" location to take a weekend trip. We have never seen another person in the forest, it's only about an hour and half to two hours away, and it's a completely different habitat than Moshi area.

Because the forest is so difficult to reach, we usually take our motorcycle and drive up as far as we can, park at the nearest house, and hike up into the forest. It's only about a 10 minute hike at a nearly level gradient from the house to the trailhead. However, we wanted to find if there was a trail from the main road in case we wanted to bring visitors without  motorcycle. 

A eucalyptus tree demarcating the boundary and the fog covered peak of Kindoroko.

This woman led us down a very steep road to the main road and back up. Note her lack of shoes.

We found a trail leading down towards the main road and followed it for about 15 minutes. The forest gave way to clearings, initially single trees cut down and eventually large areas cleared for agriculture. At the first house we arrived at we asked the woman living there if there was a path to the main road. She said we would get lost so she would show us. We headed down a maze of a path through houses and farmland built on the steep hillside. It only took about 20 minutes but it was extremely steep and when we eventually reached the main road it was much further from where I had previously envisioned.

Upon returning to the forest we decided to try out some new trails. We found a beautiful trail that eventually met up with the main summit trail. There was a small clearing offering a vista to the southwest and we watched the fog rolling over the mountains. The weather was beautiful (in my opinion) a quintessential montane rainforest day with cool temperatures, little sunshine, and a heavy dose of fog rolling in and out of the forest.

Although we didn't reach the peak, we spent a very enjoyable day hiking and were happy to discover some new trails. Not every trail is very well demarcated and some are surely hunting/trapping trails that have fallen to disuse. However, it's easy to not get lost as there are really only two primary directions; up and down!

Fungus!

A view of the south west as the fog rolls in.

On the trail in the forest.

A very cool flower.

Walking along a small man-made stream used for irrigation.

There's a part in the trail covered in ferns.

Tons of cool plants in the forest.

Tree fall requires some flexibility to get through.

Investments: Motorcycle Taxis

Boda boda, ready to take you anywhere

I'm not a very experienced investor and when I do invest, I prefer it to be in something tangible. It's also great if my investment can not only benefit myself financially but also help to spread the wealth a bit. It seems I've found the perfect type of investment for myself in the form of motorcycle taxis.

Motorcycle taxis (locally referred to as boda bodas) are very common here in Tanzania and it is also quite an informal industry. Taxis (both car and motorcycle) are unmarked and the overwhelming majority do not have any time of special operating license. An average trip in Moshi costs about 1,500-2,000 TSH (0.75-1.00 USD) and they are seemingly on every corner. They are normally an off brand 125-150cc model and they are used for transporting people, goods, and anything else you can think of.

Oversized "light" items can be a real treat to see. 

Don't be too impressed; squeezing kids on bikes is easy, its the multiple adults on one that is impressive (Note: I'm still impressed by this)

One of my good friends is a boda boda man and he is also someone from a tough background. He has a genuine interest in helping the struggling teens and youth and acknowledges the dangers of an idle mind. One day we were talking about how people enter into the business and he explained the most common way is a rent to own agreement with an investor. He said the investor usually buys the motorcycle, registers it in his/her name, forms a contract with a boda boda man whereby weekly payments are given, and then after a year or so the ownership is transferred to the boda boda man.

I thought the idea was awesome and it got even better when we moved to the financials. A new boda boda cost about 1,900,000 TSH (903 USD) when all is said and done. Payments of 70,000 TSH (33.25 USD) would be made to me weekly. These payments would be made for 10 months, at which point I would have received 2,800,000 (1,330 USD). So that would result in about a 50% return on investment in 10 months, not a bad figure at all! Unfortunately the Tanzanian shilling depreciates nearly as fast but the investment isn't exactly driven purely by financial benefit. After the boda boda man finishes paying his debt he then owns the motorcycle and has a means of creating income for himself and his family.

The investment isn't without risk as the boda boda men are typically from a much rougher background and many of them can be a bit unsavory. This is where the importance of my friend comes in as he has some clout in the community to make sure the debts are paid. On the contract agreement we have a type of underwriter sign, as well as the village chairman. This ensure there will be accountability from their side.

The first bike that I invested in has gone so well that this month I bought another. I'm hoping I can expand my fleet, provide jobs for some youth, and make a little money on the side as well!

North Mt. Kilimanjaro: Rongai Forest II

Naleimoru River

This weekend we took a trip up to the north side of Mt. Kilimanjaro to a place called Rongai Forest. 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. It's quite demonstrative of the conflicts between people and conservation as the boundary between the national park and public land is dramatic and the pine plantations impressive yet sterile.

Snowcap Lodge guesthouse

It takes around 2 1/2 hours to reach Snowcap Lodge, a basic yet pleasant guesthouse. The grounds are very well manicured and surrounded on two sides by a pine plantation. The trailhead and ranger station for the Rongai route are on one of the sides as well. The area is quiet and somewhat scenic with some nice views of the Kenyan lowlands. There are likely nice views of Mt. Kilimanjaro but the weather is typically foggy and cold so it can be difficult to see.

We had come to the area once before with our bird club and we knew a trail along one of the rivers we could go on a hike. If we hadn't known of this trail we would have likely settled either walking through farmland or pine plantations. Although they can be nice for a stroll, they feel a bit sterile compared with the more diverse undisturbed biodiversity.  There are massive areas where trees have been harvested and locals extract firewood and grow a few crops on the acidic soil.

We enjoyed the weekend out as the change of elevation (it was COLD!) and the river walk was quite pleasant. It's unfortunate that if you want to hike through the natural ecology of Mt. Kilimanjaro, it would require a $70 USD park fee to access it!

Recently cleared area with plantation in background.

Along the river.

Kenyan lowlands in the morning.

Crazy banana like ornamental plant.

The flower had bees very busy inside!