Moving: New House IV

Front of the house. Ignore the chair on the railing, it was cleaning day!

Well, we recently moved to our fifth place in Tanzania (1,2,3,4). Although it's a lot of moves in just over two years, I think we've finally found a place we really like.

We moved about five minutes from our previous house which was ideal since we love our neighborhood. We love it for a few reasons, namely that it is out of town a bit (but not too far), has reliable water and electricity, and is quiet and small with a friendly vibe where you know the shopkeepers and neighbors.

The size of the house and arrangement is also near perfect. There is another house with a Tanzanian family that live in our compound and we share the backyard space. The mother does tailoring on her porch, chickens run around, kids play, and it generally feels relaxed and homey. It also helps to have people around since we are frequently out of town.

The house itself is a two bedroom (one en suite), with a storage room, split bathroom and sitting room. We also have covered parking and a covered porch. We joke because I call the extra room the studio since it's got a drum kit and Ana calls it the gymnasium since she does exercise there. Maybe it's a multi-purpose room?

Unlike our last place, which was massive, this place is easy to maintain and comfortable. We also have slowly acquired most all the furnishings of a house. We only need to buy a kitchen table and then we'll be good to go! For now, we take our meals on the porch!

Sitting room.

Sitting room from another angle.

Split bathroom.

Main bedroom.

Ensuite bahtroom with a western toilet and shower.

Studio/gymnasium room.

Kitchen and backdoor with entry to store room.

Store room. Could be a third bedroom.

Kitchen from the store room angle.

Marangu: Marangu Hotel and Ndoro Waterfall

Ndoro Falls.

We have been talking about making more of an effort to explore all the spots located on the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To actually enter the park requires payment of national park fees, which in the end would end up to be about $100 USD per day to go on a hike. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the areas on the mountain have been cultivated right up to the border of the park, making it more of a hike through farmland than through the montane rainforest that exists in the park. We previously visited a place on the northeast side of Kilimanjaro as well as a place on the west side, so we decided to check out Marangu, which is only about 45 minutes from us on the south east side of the mountain.

There is a nice hotel located in the area with very nice camping facilities and reasonably priced food. The hotel specializes in group climbs and we found the facilities to be quite nice, similar to many of the accommodation options on Kili in that it was obviously an old plantation converted into a hotel. The hotel is located outside of the main town with spacious grounds and some nice views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We reluctantly took a guide in hopes that he would know some nice birding spots and trails, but he was a bit drunk and although he wasn't bad, he certainly wasn't a positive addition to the hike. It would have been challenging to independently navigate the village trails, and he did show us where the waterfall was which was a pretty substantial walk from the hotel.

As residents of the area we always find it difficult to go with guides as they are somewhat pre-programmed to give a certain "experience". Most have been trained in a very specific way and since we already know much about the local culture and flora/fauna, most of the facts they give can be redundant. Even speaking Swahili and them knowing we have lived here for some years, they still deliver the same program. I'm sure that the vast majority of people enjoy these tours and there may be a tactful way to tell them we just want to walk but usually we feel bad and feign polite interest in their facts.

The Ndoro Waterfall was pretty cool and somewhat well organized with an office and small building where people signed the visitors book and paid the fee. It was a bit odd as a young guy was stationed on the road about a hundred meters before the entrance and he quickly latched onto us and explained we had to go to the office to pay the fee. However, since we were already with our guide we were allowed to go down the falls with him.

The walk down was steep but short. There was a group of young Tanzanians swimming and we joined them in the VERY cold water. We enjoyed the environment as the river was surrounded with lush vegetation and the sound of the falls was calming. A large group of tourists came just as we were ready to leave, which is good because the area wasn't really too large and could easily feel crowded.

We enjoyed our time in Marangu but I'm not sure if we'll be rushing back anytime soon. We did like that it was very close, we could camp, food was good and fairly priced, and it did have the "mountain" feel (cold night, nice views). However, the main activity, which would be hiking, was somewhat limited, but perhaps if we just needed a place to chill out, it would be perfect.

On a walk through typical villages on the mountain.

Hiking down to the waterfall.

Ana and I at the waterfall...it was VERY cold!

Hiking up the trail from the waterfall.

Lots of irrigation in the area with loads of water flowing off the mountain.

Looking over into the ravine.

Mt. Kilimanjaro visible from the pool in the morning.

View of Mt. Kilimanjaro in the morning.

A nice flower at the hotel.

Ngorongoro Conservation Area: Ndutu

Cheetah just chilling in the sun.

The northern part of Ngorongoro Conservation Area adjacent to Serengeti National Park is called Ndutu. It was my first time to this area and due to the time of the year, it was absolutely epic, likely the top wildlife experience I've ever had.

The landscape is similar to the plains of southern Serengeti though the presence of Lake Ndutu and adjacent woodland provides a unique habitat. This time of the year the wildebeests and other ungulates have made their way down to the emerging grasses and apparently they will give birth to their offspring in February. This means there is also an increase of predators and carnage and as the area is famous for, an extremely dense population of wildlife.

We spent a few days viewing some of the most amazing wildlife I have ever imagined. We followed a family of lions from the woodland to the shores of the lake, watching them jump over small pools and young cubs playing with each other. We saw a dead zebra getting foraged by hyenas and vultures. We had the extreme luck of seeing two honey badgers foraging. Our early morning game drive allowed for us to see a trail of wildebeests crossing the lake, certainly a NatGeo type moment. But the crown jewel of the safari was watching a solitary male lion take down zebra. We saw the lion eye the zebra and crouch in the familiar feline hunting position. The minutes passed and everyone was on the edge of their seat when suddenly he charged and took down the zebra, clasping his jaws around the neck of the zebra. You could hear bones crunching, zebra gasps, and low grunts of the lion. Unbelievable!!!

After such a long safari (7 days) it was incredible for most of the highlights to come towards the end. We are happy that we have the interest of birds or else I would say that after the luck we had, it wouldn't be necessary to go on another safari again!

A lion couple.

Family of lions lounging.

Chameleon outside my room.

Wildebeests crossing a lake in the morning light.

Not my photo but total carnage.

Here is the aftermath of the lion hunt.

Family of lions.

Solitary male lion.

A cheetah taking a snack of a young impala.

Ngorongoro Crater Trip III

Ana enjoying the view of the crater.

This was my third trip to Ngorongoro Crater (Trip I, Trip II un-blogged). This trip was especially fantastic because the short rains had made the crater green and lush giving it a completely different feel than my previous visits. The crater remains indisputably the most unique and beautiful place in Tanzania that I've visited. The view from above on the rim is breathtaking and the feel when you're in the crater floor gives an almost mythical aura. The second time I went is when my brother came and he did not have time for a proper safari. I said if there is one place you need to go, it's the crater!

Aside from it being particularly green, we had amazing luck with animals, particularly with the rhinos. Tanzania only has black-rhinos, and compared to other safari destinations like South Africa, it was quite a small threatened population (overall critically endangered). The area in the crater and the number of rhinos is so small there is a precise count of 26. During my previous trips I had spotted one from a very far distance, in fact we spent most of the time convincing ourselves that buffalo were rhinos. Well, during this trip we had great luck with a rhino crossing the road about two car lengths ahead of us. There were several other vehicles but everyone held a collective silence in awe. Even our guide said he had never been so close!

Crater landscape.

Some lions right outside our car.

The crater looked inviting.

Rhino in the sunlight.

View from halfway up the rim.

Serengeti National Park Trip II

Lions in a tree.

My second time to Serengeti National Park (Trip I) was completely different than my first trip due to the fact that this trip was after a bit of rain, while my previous trip was during the end of the dry season. We were also able to spend a few days there instead of a quick in and out.

As usual, Serengeti National Park and its endless plains were a real treat to spend a few days in. And it is a good thing that I am satisfied with the landscape alone because due to the rain pattern, the park was a bit sparse in wildlife. Around the central area of the park there were some lions and giraffes, though the ungulates (buffalo, zebra, etc) were quite sparse. We did get to visit one of the hippo pools which, true to its name, was loaded with hippos.

Our accommodation was a pretty cool set up at a temporary camp in the middle of the park. It consisted of a main camp with about 10 smaller tents on the periphery. It was pretty cool to hear hyenas and other creatures of the night lurking around at night (though some in our group were less enthused) and you could even hear them scratching against the tents! The major drawback of the place was that you couldn't walk anywhere outside the camp. Unlike many people think, the real risk is buffalo as there is a very low likelihood that you'll be eaten by a lion or leopard. I love to get out and walk, so being contained in a very small area was a bit frustrating, though this is my biggest "complaint" with traditional safaris.

I still would one day love to go through the north of the Serengeti but as I'm learning, it all depends on the time of the year as the landscape and wildlife are constantly changing with the rains.

Our campsite where we spent two nights.

The plains of the great Serengeti!

Hippo pool, with more hippos than I've ever seen in my life.

Plains with characteristic rock formations. Lion King style.

Lonely croc with his mouth open, waiting for an unsuspecting young animal to crawl in.

You want grass? Serengeti has grass.

Coffee tour on slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro

All the stages from plant to bean to cup.

My family recently came to visit and one of the activities I booked for us was a coffee tour. I was initially hesitant since many operators offer a coffee tour/waterfull excursion, which is really just passing through someone's house who happens to grow coffee in an area near to a popular waterfall. However, one of my favorite cafes in Moshi, the Union Cafe, is basically an income generating company for the Kilimanjaro Native Co-operative Union. They have an announcement offering coffee tours and since I enjoy their organization so much I figured it was worth trying.

We met at the cafe and took arranged transport up the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We made our way to a small village where we were welcomed with naturally, a cup of coffee. Our guide came and introduced himself as a small scale farmer from the area and we began our tour. Our guide was charismatic, knowledgeable and fun. Our first stop was to the selling area where the price per kilo was labeled on a chalk board and people were bringing bags to be weighed. I loved that we saw normal people in action as opposed to a staged setting.

We then made our way to a house and the guide explained they rotate who they have host the tour groups so everyone can benefit. He said they only have to have benches for people to sit, a mortar for demonstrations, and of course, must grow coffee. We then went to pick some fresh coffee and proceeded to follow all the steps until it was ground and mixed with hot water to produce the freshest cup of coffee I've ever had.

I can't say enough about how much I loved this coffee tour. Not only do you get to view a taste of village life on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the information given is very interesting and the hands on nature of the tour really makes it into an experience. I will recommend this trip to everyone that comes as a guest to Moshi, and even those whom reside here!

Weighing the bags of coffee.

Enjoying an explanation on the various stages of coffee.

Coffee left to be dried for days.

Finally, the roasting of the bean. Last step before grinding and drinking.

Zanzibar: Mangapwani Coral Cave and Slave Chambers

Note: I didn't have my camera so I lifted these from the internet.

We wanted to get off the beaten track a bit while in Zanzibar and since we rented a car we figured we could explore a bit. One of the places we read about was the Mangapwani Coral Cave and Slave Chambers. Located about 40 minutes north of Stonetown, the Coral Cave and Slave Chambers are located near to the coast and are basically across the road from each other.

We first went to the Coral Cave and found a few enterprising youth who stated they were guides. We paid a small fee and I wasn't a huge fan of their demeanor so we took flashlights provided and informed them we didn't really want a guided tour. They explained there were two ways to go in the cave; left, which didn't end and had low oxygen, and right, which led to some small pools and eventually the ocean.

The first path left was pretty cool as the light from the entrance faded and bats filled the ceiling. There was indeed low oxygen and we both felt ourselves gasping for air. I initially thought I was out of shape while my sister initially thought she was too scared.  I didn't realize she didn't like dark spaces (or bats) so we headed back up to the other side to check out the pools. Our stay was brief and unfortunately I don't thinks she was up to crawl through to the exit at the ocean but I was more than pleased since it's been quite some time since I was last in a cave.

Entrance to the cave. Note: I did not have my camera so these pictures were lifted from the internet.

Exit of the cave. Note: I did not have my camera so these pictures were lifted from the internet.

After the coral cave we crossed the street to the slave chambers. A young woman was ready to give us a tour which was brief but full of good information. We walked down to the slave chambers and then out to the ocean where we followed the path of slaves that were trafficked after abolition. The views of the ocean were beautiful and I was happy the two attractions were so close as it made the trip quite worthwhile.

Inside the slave chambers.

Getting all the information.

Walking out where they were met at the sea.