Visit from Chinese Friends

Enjoying some fresh coffee on the coffee tour.

Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

I was very excited when my friend from China asked me about visiting Tanzania. I strongly endorsed a trip here and excitedly told her she could see all these awesome African animals and then kick back on the beach in Zanzibar. I told her I would help her book everything on the ground and advise her on her options and before I knew it she had convinced three of her friends to join her! All four of them had been working in Shanghai for at least five years, so they were quite cosmopolitan and well traveled. Still, I was a bit nervous booking all of their activities as I only knew my friend and didn't know much about the other three.

When they arrived they quickly admitted they had been too busy to properly read all the things I had sent them and simply trusted my choices. I was somewhat relieved but still a bit nervous that they wouldn't like some part of the trip.

In the end, the trip was nearly perfect. They went on safari and spent some days in Zanzibar, all with Moshi activities interspersed throughout. We went on a coffee tour (Trip I), which I loved the first time, and also went to the hot springs (Trip I, Trip II). The highlight for me was doing a Mt. Kilimanjaro day hike but that will get it's own entry (see here). It was really interesting to see a tourist from a different culture other than the usual American or European.

Before they came they asked us what they could do to show their appreciation. We said that we already had most of the things we needed BUT it would be great if they could teach us how to make some Chinese food. Sure enough, they loaded their bags full of Chinese treats and one night we got together and cooked up a storm. They left us with tons of sauces and vinegars, so if you come visit us within the next few months, you might be able to get some tasty Chinese food!

Getting some great info on coffee

Hot springs!

Feast of Chinese food in our house. Yum!

Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park: Day Hike

View of the mountain with local flora.

I finally got the opportunity to go into Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park. My Chinese friends wanted to do a day hike and insisted I join them, which  seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally enter the park. I haven't entered the park before because park fees are quite high and I can't bring myself to pay nearly $100 for a day hike. But, it was perfect to spend some time with my friend as well as experience a unique landscape.

The hike began at the Morum Barrier at 3500m (11,500 ft). I was really surprised at how high we started and somewhat disappointed we passed through the montane rainforest. What lay ahead of us was a barren and desolate Shira Plateu, a 13km stretch that is actually a caldera, or collapsed volcano. It was nearly entirely devoid of fauna and the beautiful landscape with the eerie silence gave a vibe reminiscent of a desert. We had chosen this route because my companions were worried about the physical demands (the lower routes in the forest are very steep) but the drawback was there was no loop and we simply walked until we were tired, then turned around. As a result of being above the tree line there was also a notable absence of shady places to rest.

It was really cool to be so close to Mt. Kilimanjaro and we lucked out with a relatively clear day allowing us to see fantastic views. I was happy to experience the unique plateau, though it is probably the closest I'll ever get to the top!

Small river.

If you look closely you can see the camp in the distance.

Starting point.

Trailhead.

Nyumba ya Mungu: Trip XI

Dry landscape eventually gives way to the lake.

Since our July has been booked with travel to the US and Spain, as well as hosting some friends from China, we have had a bit of a drought in our personal trips. We decided this weekend to go out to Nyumba ya Mungu to do some birding (Trip I, II, III, IV, V & VI, VII, Trip VIII, Trip IX, Trip X).

We had never been to the lake at this time of year and the lake was at the lowest levels that we have ever seen. It made it very difficult to see birds because they were hidden behind the deep reeds and we are not so enthusiastic to jump into the lake due to the presence of  Schistosomiasis. We were also curious to see if the rumored ban on fishing at the reservoir had been enforced. In May the government had announced that fishing was to be banned for one year due to declining stocks. Sure enough, we didn't see any boats or the usual traders of fish along the shoreline. We did see some small scale extraction but nothing like before. It is a curious move, which is very demonstrative of the administration. Instead of addressing the issue of illegal fishing methods and declining stocks, they simply put a blanket ban on the activity. There are hundreds of people in the very poor area that have no alternative livelihood. Instead of investing in education or alternative programs, they take the easy way out which will likely only increase illegal fishing activities and further increase poverty in the area.

We hope that next time we visit we can rent out a boat and maybe take some time to talk to people about the local ban. I'm curious to hear how the locals feel about it, how enforcement was announced, and what people are doing in the meantime. Until then....

Traffic jam on our way there.

Ana surveying the landscape.

Possible illegal fisherman?

Cows grazing.