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TANZANIA (2nd time)
Day 314 20.11.05
Mburo to Bukoba
Walkguard Hotel
We are heading back into Tanzania but this time on the west side of Lake Victoria with the intention of getting the overnight ferry the next day across the lake to Mwanza.
The border crossing paperwork follows the familiar routine of presenting ourselves and our passports and our carnet at the various offices, first on the Ugandan side and then repeating again on the Tanzanian side.
With the intention of camping at the Lake Hotel in Bukoba we arrive to find it closed down.
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There do not seem to be any other campsites so we are directed to the Walkguard hotel with a view over Lake Victoria (We have trouble understanding the name of the hotel as we are given directions and later find out it is a made up name out of the initials of the owner's children.)
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Lake Victoria
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Day 315 21.11.05
Bukoba
Camping at hotel on beach.
We hotfoot it down to the tourist office to meet Bart who we have been in email correspondence with about the ferry.
It turns out that they didn't believe us about the weight of the Land Rover. It would have to be craned onto the ferry deck and the crane can only lift 2 tons. It cannot lift our Land Rover
We decline the offer of trying!
However this now leaves us with a serious dilemma. We have been warned by several people not to drive the road on the West Side of Lake Victoria due to bandit activity. On the other hand we have now crossed the border into Tanzania and to go to Mwanza around the other way would mean crossing back into Uganda and then Kenya, which would not only cause us more expense in terms of visas but would take a lot longer than we have.
Locally opinion concurs with the advice we already have not to drive the road.
Raymond, from the tourist office, takes us to the police station to discuss the dilemma with the staff officer. He offers 2 armed police officers to come with us in the Land Rover. We have to pay for the service (about the same as the ferry) and they can return on the ferry. We agree to this, arranging to leave at dawn the next day.
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We then accompany Raymond to tour Bukoba. It is Nsenene season so we are able to buy the fried grasshoppers as a tasty snack. (lucky us)!
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Raymond buying Nsenene
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We enjoy visiting Budap, which is a great project where disabled people from Bukoba are making traditional drums of a high quality. Made from wood and cowhide totally by hand these are now being sold over the Internet as well as locally. www.budap.org.
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Drum making
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We move to a hotel on the lakeshore where we can camp on the beach in front of the hotel.
The elections are being heavily campaigned for in Tanzania having been delayed by the death of one of the presidential contenders and here is another town we witness political rallies.
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Political rally
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Day 316 22.11.05
Bukoba to Mwanza
Tilapia Hotel
S020 31.699
E032 53.703
Up before dawn to get to the police station on time. Yet again we have had to reorganise the inside of the Land Rover to accommodate 2 extra passengers.
We are grateful to Raymond for turning up to ensure that we met up ok with the policemen and to help us sort out payment.
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So a 12 hour journey travelling with 2 policemen and their AK47 guns. We took it in turns to drive or to sit in the back knee to knee with one of the policemen so that one could sit in the front. No point in having an armed guard stuck in the back. We had the roof hatch open so the one in back had instant access to the roof.
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Armed escort
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It was interesting to have them there. No one yelled Mzungu at us or asked us for money. Police checks were brief.
At lunchtime we ate with them in a local eating place, good plates of hot meat and rice with drinks for the 4 of us, for a price we would pay for one meal if we were on our own!
One of them also sorted out a problem we had with using our mobile phone. Towards the end we had to use a ro ro ferry and they got the information about where to queue and joined the scrum for tickets. It was great having them there.
They took us along more minor roads so we avoided the worst bit of bandit road and there was no hint of trouble.
It was late and we were tired when we got to Mwanza so we checked into a hotel. Day 317 23.11.05
Mwanza to Serengeti
Stayed Serenera
In the morning we thought we would take advantage of the fact that the hotel had Internet connection in every room so we could update the website. Having spent some time madly tapping away we discovered that the Internet was not working. However the laptop detected a wireless Internet connection and on making enquiries we discovered Spidernet across the road. This is a project set up in container offices, which aims to bring wireless Internet to the whole of Mwanza. I was able to become their second customer. Wireless Internet is great and I was able to sit by the pool sorting out emails and emailing the update to Chris. While I was doing this we heard a 'hello' and it was Warren, one of the pilots we had been rafting with in Jinja.
We were then much later than we meant in setting off to the Serengeti and arriving at the gate were told we should make it to the campsite if we didn't stop.
However we were there for Steve's birthday present. (Yes I know it was in February). We were going ballooning the next day and had to call into Serenera Lodge to register and pay for it that evening.
We couldn't go that fast as there were streams of wildebeest in mid migration crossing the road.
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Wildebeest on the move
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As the light faded fast the sky was spectacular.
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Serengeti sky
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We reached the lodge in darkness and by the time we had done the registering it was difficult to continue another 10k to the campsite. James the balloon rep told us that anyway we would have to drive back to the lodge for 5.30 am to be picked up.
Reluctantly we got a room at the lodge. We knew it would be a rip off and it was. Mass catering and mediocre room for a grossly inflated price. Day 318 24.11.05
Serengeti to Arusha
Up before 5 for the promised 5.15 am cup of coffee before being picked up at 5.30.
At 5 25 we had to ask where was the coffee.
Just as we finished it James arrived. He sat down and had a cup of tea. Then he mentioned he had just been to the campsite to pick up some people. So why had he told us we would have to get ourselves to the lodge if we camped? He didn't seem to have an answer. Then we realised that he had left the people outside in the car while he was sitting inside drinking tea.
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Neither of us had been hot air ballooning before and Steve in particular was fascinated by the mechanics of balloon inflation. We were allocated a compartment in the large basket and climbed in, while it was still on its side, ready to be hauled up by the balloon as it filled.
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Balloon mechanics
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It was spectacular to see the Serengeti spread out beneath us in the early morning light as we drifted over it.
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View from the balloon
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We landed with a jarring thump and the basket came to rest on its side requiring us to extricate ourselves from a lying position.
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Basket case
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We were welcomed back to land with an excellent champagne breakfast in the middle of nowhere.
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This was the last time we would be in a game park on this trip. As we drove out of the Serengeti we reflected on all the wonderful animals we have seen. The only thing we hadn't managed to see up close was cheetah.
With about one hour's driving left in the Serengeti we spotted a flock of vultures on a small hillock. We stopped to see if we could spot what they were waiting for. The grass was long and nothing was visible. Then a head appeared. It was a cheetah sitting up. Then another, until we could see there were four cheetahs there. We couldn't believe it. As they moved off together the vultures closed in for their left overs. We watched as the cheetahs walked through the long grass. They got closer to the road until they were walking casually along in front of us. It was surreal, the one thing we had still wanted and in the last hour in the last park we were being granted it.
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Cheetahs patrol
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In the shade
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One of the cheetahs sighted some prey in the long grass and accelerated off a small mound to make the kill. so fast I couldn't catch it with the camera. The others walked on to flop down in the shade of a tree right beside the road. They were so beautiful.
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The rest of the day was a long drive to Arusha to Massaai camp where we had stayed before. By the time we got there I was quite unwell with food poisoning (Outrageous to have paid to stay at the lodge and then get poisoned.) Day 319 25.11.05
Stayed Arusha
Michele unwell. Steve did great job of sorting her out!
We were very surprised when Michael and Karen (last seen in Kipepeo) drove in. We had thought they were in Uganda. It was great to catch up with them. Day 320 26.11.05
Arusha to Pangani River.
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Uneventful drive through the usual small towns and villages.
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Typical small town
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Parking up by a post we saw a notice detailing the UK premiership football, which is avidly followed all over Africa.
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Universal language
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Stayed Pangani river camp where we had stayed before.
This campsite still very laid back and relaxed by the river.
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Day 321 27.11.05
Pangani river to 30k S of Tanga
Peponis Camping
S5 17.130
E39 03.597
Headed for Peponis as recommended to us by Roland and Brigitte who had emailed us to say they stayed there and we shouldn't miss it.
Camping right beside the beach among the trees we are glad we didn't miss it. Days 322-324 28-30.11.05
Stayed Peponis
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Our task for these few days was to get the Land Rover ready for going into the container for the trip home. We cooked our last meal at the Land Rover and slept our last night in the tent. Steve baked the last loaf in the fire.
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The last loaf
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We managed to fit in a trip on an ngalawa, an outrigger to the sand island 5k offshore. Two local fishermen took us and Pendo and Elias out for the day.
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Elias explained that he and Pendo are teachers in Tanzania. Recently married, they are on honeymoon. They tell us the names of some English friends of theirs and to all our surprise it turns out we know them!! Nigel and Gina had travelled to Tanzania earlier this year.
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It was fascinating to see how Hassan and Hamisi managed the boat. It was made out of a hollowed out mango tree with the sides built up and the gaps sealed with cotton and oiled. It has one huge sail. What appeared at first to be a random arrangement of bits of wood tied together to lash the outriggers on is in fact a careful construction allowing various ways of rigging the boat.
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Detailed rigging
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The island is a heap of sand, which is covered at high tide. The snorkelling on the nearby reef was perfect and we had a great time.
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Sand island
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Day 325 01.12.05
Peponis to Dar es Salaam
Stayed Sea Cliff Hotel
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Our last drive on the dirt roads of Africa
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The last dirt road
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and then tarmac to Dar.
We have managed to put the tent away dry and don't want to risk getting it wet so we check into the Sea Cliff.
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Day 326 02.12.05
2nd Dec
Last day of the trip.
We put the Land Rover in the container and close the door on what has been an amazing journey for both of us.
Closing the door on the Africa Wanderer
Now we need a bit of breathing space and are off to the beach before flying back to the UK in mid December.
The landy should get home in another 6 weeks.
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