Isimila Stone Age Site

 

Taking in the views

 

Isimila Stone Age Site has been on my list of places to go for about five years. It's a shame that we haven't gotten out there before today, though in retrospect I must admit that I had totally underrated it. I am not sure why though it may be traced to a trusted friend giving a negative trip report. It's only about a half hour drive from Iringa town and is an easy half day trip. In my defense, one does have to go down the big hill from Iringa, which can be painfully slow if there are overloaded trucks. The road due south from Iringa to Isimila is also densely populated with traffic police and thus the travel situation can be overall discouraging.

The site is home to the Middle Pleistocene archaeological site with most of the artifacts being roughly 60,000 and 100,000 years old. To be honest I was not very impressed by the archeological site which may have been partially our fault for rejecting the guide. But there were no signs or educational content, something which could have greatly enriched the experience. There were some very crude stone tools laying in modern man made structures built to protect the stones.

However, the landscape and rock formations were quite stunning. It's a bit of a random occurrence that the archaeological site happens to be next to a beautiful natural area but it certainly helps to create a worthwhile day out at the site. There had been significant rain in the past week so the area was green and the ground was soft. There is a nice trail that walks along the bottom of the canyon and the varied sandstone pillars were stunning. I couldn't believe that more people in Iringa don't talk about this place as a "must do" for Iringa day trips!

I also must commend the main office. The staff were friendly and helpful. Prices were transparent and payment was done electronically. The visitor log also indicated that they were getting plenty of visitors which is a great thing for second rate tourist attractions like this. We really enjoyed the walk and next time we'll come a little earlier to beat the heat.

Dry soil with what I think is clay mixed in.

Impressive rock!

Canyon views

Rainy season: After one month

Same landscape, commiphora grassland

 

Same area, now with water

 

It has been one month since the rains started and the area is brimming with life. It's difficult to explain the rapid change in environment but photos do a good job illustrating it visually. Aurally, the air is filled with sounds of more birds, some of them migratory while others are simply more active. Insect sounds fill the air from crickets and grasshoppers buzzing to beetles hissing. The air is no longer hot and dry but rather it's humid and heavy. Clouds hang in the air greatly diminishing the suns powerful rays. 

I often think that visitors never truly understand tropical climates until they experience both extremes of the rainy and dry season. It's truly difficult to believe that the area can make such a huge transformation but life proves to be very adaptable. In the dry season elephants dig for water, turtles bury themselves for months until the rains come, seeds lay dormant and other creatures migrate. The rain brings everything back resulting in a rich proliferation of life. 

An ephemeral pool

It was clear that a group of ungulates had passed through this grass, if you look carefully you can see the trail

Veterinarian bush doctor

 

A simple cone from cardboard and duct tape that you can attach around the collar.

We eventually put a small piece of cardboard to close the gap but we gave the dog a day to get used to eating and drinking with the cone.

A huge challenge having dogs in the bush is the lack of veterinary care. Village dogs are typically utilitarian; kept around for security, to eat scraps, and the worst, to "clean up" human feces (especially toddlers who can not easily control their bowel movements). The dogs are typically cared for but moreso as a farm dog than a domestic animal. They are normally not allowed inside due to being dirty and full of ticks. They are also not coddled and physically pet. Many westerners find this cold at best and bordering on mistreatment at worst but it's a very different context and in the end I feel like most people do ultimately care for their dog.

As I write this I realize I should probably have an entire blog post about dogs. The point of this blog post is to highlight the creativity one must have when seeking supplies for the dog. In this case, one of our dogs was bitten by a spider and it caused some serious itching above his eye. We realized we needed to get him a cone. 

Unfortunately there were not any cones available in our region and although the internet is full of advice for "do it yourself cones", they are actually lacking detail and, in my opinion, over simplify the issue. Dogs typically despise cones and it's not difficult to understand why; they obstruct basically all their senses and create a rather claustrophobic environment. Thus, the cone needs to be very secure or else the dog will easily remove it or hurt themselves trying to remove it.

Hopefully the first photo provides an easy to understand blue print to making a homemade cone. The most important aspect is to ensure the collar is very tight. I think cardboard is the best because it is not sharp and thus the dog will not hurt themselves trying to remove it but if I needed to improve on this design I might choose to line the cardboard with plastic to make it tougher.

Good news is, after about five days with the cone and some antibiotics the wound healed up. But it's good to know that we can manufacture the technology on site if necessary!

 

 

Kisolanza Farm House

A typical cabin

 

Inside with a cozy fire

I have only written about Kisolanza Farm House twice, one time after our first visit and another to mark the opening of their roadside cafe. Although there are only two blog entries we have visited countless other times and it remains our favorite weekend getaway from Iringa town. It is located only a one to one and half hour drive from Iringa town and has setting that makes you feel far from the (very relative) bustle of Iringa town. It has such a unique feel, combining the vibe from a large working farm with a hospitality of a bed and breakfast. It's a spacious property that is conducive to long walks and the southern highland climate means that the temperature is always cool. The furnishings are not ostentatious nor are all the amenities super modern but that is a good thing as it suits the farmhouse vibe.

There are accommodation options for everyone, from camping to tastefully furnished and adequate cabins. I can not say enough about the food about Kisolanza, much of it in part due to the fact they grow a variety of vegetables on site but also due to their preparation. One of my favorite things is that there is no set menu. There are vegetarian options but otherwise you don't know exactly what you will get for a starter, main dish, or dessert. I have dined there dozens of times and have never been disappointed in any part of a meal. It's even difficult to choose favorites because of how unique and delicious all the dishes are. I will say, their dairy based foods are out of this world. From their creams (strawberries and cream dessert!!!) to their butter, cheeses, and all the other dishes that benefit from dairy as significant ingredients, you can taste the freshness of the dairy and quality of the cows. 

Iringa residents all have a soft spot for Kisolanza Farmhouse and it feels like a real hidden gem of Tanzania. I often see overlanders and campers passing through the property and I always think about how it's just a blip on their radar on a likely long journey. We met a huge bus last night and they were coming from Victoria Falls on the way to Kenya and Uganda meaning the overnight at Kisolanza is likely to be unmemorable. My only advice for these travelers is to take a break from cooking your food whichever night you stay at Kisolanza and enjoy the bounties of the farm! It's better food than you can get in most restaurants in big cities in Tanzania and for sure they are unique dishes.

Steak with potatoes and steamed veg

Chocolate cake and strawberries

Homemade yogurt with honey, fresh butter, and strawberry jam for your toast.

Simple breakfast, eggs to order, bacon and tomato.

Charcoal

A very typical charcoal stove.

Another common design for roadside and informal food vendors.

This roving salesman has a tiny bit of charcoal in the bottom of his portable oven with roasted banana and meat. It also appears that he has homemade hotsauce taboot

 

Being from America, I most closely associate charcoal with grilling out in the summertime. Using charcoal only occurred a few times a year and unlike charcoal in the developing world, it was packaged in a way that made the little pieces of charcoal completely uniform. In Tanzania the charcoal is varied with the ray structure of the wood preserved.

Tanzania still has vast areas of land that are unpopulated. Whenever people expand and land is cleared, charcoal is ultimately a nice little byproduct of clearing the land. Making charcoal is relatively easy and makes sense if you have a bunch of fallen trees from clearing areas of land for  framing. You basically stack up a bunch of wood in a teepee like structure, cover the outside with mud or earthern materials (leaving the top and sides open for oxygen flow), light the wood on fire, and then when the fire is burning you plug up the holes and leave it to burn for a day or two depending on the size of your charcoal dome. The science behind this is that heating wood to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen allows it to partially combust and remove water and impurities. This leaves behind an almost pure piece of carbon.

Why charcoal? It burns hotter than wood without smoke and with less flame. It provides a more steady temperature and requires less maintenance than a wood fire. But the really critical factor is that due to the ever expanding human population, charcoal is being made and sold at a very low price. Much cheaper in fact than natural gas and in a low-income country like Tanzania, every shilling counts.

As a nature lover it is always a little painful to see clearing of land and creation of charcoal. The first sign can often be found before reaching the cleared area. Motorcycles stacked with gigantic sacks of charcoal act as middlemen transporting the charcoal from frontiers to the nearest villages and cities. Next is the smell, charcoal mounds have a tell-tale smell, usually amplified by the fact that several mounds are typically found in short proximity of each other. Eventually one will see denuded landscapes with active land clearing at various stages and usually a bag or two of charcoal on the side of the road indicating that there is charcoal for sale. 

Charcoal can get a bad reputation and blamed for environmental degradation but based on what I've seen, at least in Tanzania I do not believe it to be a primary driver of environmental desegregation. Many times it's a secondary byproduct of clearing land for agriculture or other uses. The photos below are from an area that was being cleared for a tree plantation. 

The first prep of branches and logs

Covered in earthern material. You can see remnants of a processed charcoal mound in the foreground of the photo

Bags ready for transport

Hard boundary of a miombo woodland.

Rainy season: Caterpillars

 

All these were taken within 48 hours!

EDIT: Here is the follow up post "Rainy Season: Butterflies and Moths"

 

The rains came late this year and with it, a proliferation of caterpillars that I have never experienced before in my life. They were not only numerous but there were also a variety of different species. The sheer numbers were staggering and it felt almost absurd at some point with caterpillars falling off the trees, crawling across my laptop keyboard, and covering all the trees. There was a very short period of time where the caterpillars seemed to explode all over camp. 

Within a few days the caterpillars started making cocoons. The photos below were taking within eight hours and I was fascinated to see the caterpillars slow process into forming into a pupa. I was working at my desk throughout the day and kept checking the caterpillar to see it slowly morphing into a pupa. Not exactly the fastest moving action but still riveting! 

It was then very cool to see a week later these pupae exploding into butterflies. The most common were of the African Migrant (Catopsilia florella) and I did get to see a few emerge out, stretch their wings out, let them dry, and then depart. Metamorphosis is pretty unbelievable!

Forming into a pupa.

This photo was taken 7 hours after the initial one.

 

About a week later these Catopsilia florella (African migrant, African emigrant, or common vagrant) emerged

 

Look closely and you will see loads of caterpillars!

Modern Urinal Challenges

Urinals are a relatively new thing in Tanzania with the toilet of choice being a squat toilet. Buses stop at specific rest points and many of these places have a urinal that is basically a trough with a piece of metal pasted on the wall. It's not a very private nor clean affair and thus more and more urinals are appearing throughout the country. 

Toilet habits can be taboo in any country and it appears that no one thought about how to educate people on how to use the new toilet technology. It reminds me of stories in Asia of people standing on western toilets and squatting on them. But in this case it's a matter of understanding how the actual flushing mechanism works. I've seen quite a few signs that help users understand exactly how to use the urinal without breaking it, something which I have found mildly amusing.

This implores users to only press, not to turn or twist.

You wonder how many times someone slammed their fist into the sensor before they put this sign up.