TPC: Birding in the area

Ana checking out some birds

Just south of Moshi is a massive sugar plantation, Tanganyika Planting Company, more commonly known as TPC. It has over 8,000 ha (20,000 acres) of sugar cane though the area of land it manages is so large that multiple villages are within the vast expanse. There are also fallow patches and a river that runs along the west border, which allows for some pretty decent birding and short hikes.

It only takes about a half hour to reach TPC and although it has taken us some time to identify the good spots for hikes and birdwatching, now that we know it is a very accessible "quick" place to get out of town for a bit. The staff of TPC seem to have no problem with people wandering around and the fallow areas have the typical dry acacia scrub found in the surrounding area.

TPC also has a "club" which as quite excellent food, a golf course, and a "river house", which can be rented. Many of the amenities are in place for foreign staff as it is far enough outside of town that people prefer it to be it's own little city. In fact, it runs almost like it's own country with a hospital and public services (electricity, water) funded through various projects to ensure the company has a positive impact on the surrounding communities.

A big cut root.

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.

Moshi Rice Fields

Rice. Water. Sky. A tree.

We had been hearing of some rice fields to the east and south of Moshi for some time, though no one seemed to know exactly how to get there. I once received advice to cut through Rau Forest, but that trip was not very successful due to the road being impassable with our vehicle.

We finally cleared a Sunday to try to reach the fields. We didn't know exactly where to go but we guessed on the highest possibility of rice fields from satellite images on GoogleMaps.

After some very dusty roads we did finally reach the rice fields. The area was very scenic with a much different feel than the dry and arid savanna that dominates the landscape around Moshi. Palm trees dotted the landscape and the vibrant green of the rice mixed with the waters reflection of the sky created a calming landscape. The area appeared to be using naturally fed water (the fields were along the Rau River, which ultimately receives its water from Mt. Kilimanjaro) and it also bordered the Rau Forest, which provided a nice backdrop.

Although it was hot, we still go out for a short walk and there were numerous birds, not such a variety of species but many fish loving birds such as egrets and herons. We walked a bit to the border of the forest and there seemed to be a network of trails, likely used for non-timber (or timber) forest product extraction.

There were a few workers in the fields and others that were collecting water in jars. We saw a young guy with no shoes and rather rough looking with a slingshot and we asked him if he was hunting. He said that he used it to scare off the monkeys when they were raiding the crops, which is a believable excuse. Ana thought he was hunting birds and we both felt a bit better after the conversation. However, later we ran into him again and he was definitely shooting rocks at Crowned Hornbills. I called over to him and told him that he lied to me and he came over to chat. I asked him if he was eating them or if he sold them also. He said he hunted them because he was hungry and he would eat them himself. He begged me for some money, which I politely declined.

It was an interesting interaction and one that has happened to me many times before in developing countries. It's obvious that many of the inhabitants from the surrounding areas of forests and protected areas rely on the forests with little alternative. I feel for the guy and as I write out the story I realize how cold I might sound by not giving him money. It's something I learned a while ago; money isn't food, money is convertible. It also doesn't change behavior, at least how one might intend. If I would have given him money he could have spent it on food, or beer. He could have gone home or he could have seen another hornbill shortly after and killed it. He could be content or he could pick up the bad habit of begging. I think throwing some money at him would have assuaged some type of guilt of sympathy but it doesn't solve the real problem, which is frustrating because I am not directly involved in the types of things that need to be done but as with every social ill, I have to pick my battles I fight directly and just make sure I contemplate my decisions and their indirect effects to ensure I minimize the inevitable guilt that I would feel every time I am confronted with the striking imbalance of people's lives in the world.

Reflection of the sky.

A pretty cool dragon fly.

More water/sky action.

Rau Forest in the background.

Arusha National Park: Trip III

View of Mt. Meru

Last weekend we took a trip to Arusha National Park (Trip I, Trip II), always a treat! It is only an hour from our house and although the cost of having to use the car as opposed to the motorcycle and paying national park fees ($60 for the two of us and the car fee), it's something we try to do at least quarterly.

We were excited since the weather was clear and we wanted to explore the Ngurdoto Crater, which was covered in clouds last time we came. Being a clear day meant a sunny day as well, so we focused our afternoon under the cover of the forest.

The day was excellent and I'm happy that our expectations were more focused on birds than big animals because the park was particularly sparse this time of the year. A large part of the Momella Lakes region had recently been burned and the land typically full of grasses was sparse and dry. The park was more crowded than we had ever seen it; we passed over a dozen other safari vehicles. Compared to the Serengeti and Tarangire and Manyara National Parks (4 hours away) Arusha National Park has a pathetic amount of big animals (no lions, elephants rarely seen). However, it makes up for it with its varied habitat and spare numbers of safari vehicles as well.

We had a fantastic day at the park first visiting the lakes and then retreating up into the Ngurdoto Crater. We first went to the top "view point" and then around the lower rim until the road ended. There were a few nice view points to have a short walk and it was awesome to have the crater to ourselves (no vehicles on that side). As usual we enjoyed ourselves immensely, though I was pretty tired after driving from 7AM-7PM...but it was worth it!

Momella Lakes region.

Lunch spot. Sacrificing cover for the view.

Mt. Meru towers above.

Montane forests of Ngurdoto crater rim.

View of Ngurdoto crater. Some water buffalo grazed below.

View from the opposite side on the inside of the crater.