Tanzania – Russell on the Road

The Parks

It seems one cannot come to East Africa without visiting at least one of the spectacular national parks scattered throughout the region. Serengeti, Masai Mara, Murchison Falls: all famous names and all unique in their own way. From Zanzibar Meredith and I decided to travel to northern Tanzania and join a budget safari to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tarangire National Parks (Ngorongoro is technically a conservation area, which means the Maasai people are allowed to live and graze livestock there). We would have loved to travel overland, but as the bus schedule was not amenable and time was limited we caught a quick flight to the city of Arusha.

After an evening meal of beef pili pili (a sort of spicy sauce), pizza, and local apple beer (which tasted neither like apple nor beer), an early morning drive past Mt. Meru took us to the Sunbright Camp where we met our friendly guide, Ziggy, and unsmiling cool, Ali. We were joined by three other travelers, from Italy, Germany, and one guy from Kentucky who provided plenty of color commentary throughout the trip. We rode along a paved highway until we reached the entrance to Ngorongoro, where the road turned to dirt and we began the upward climb through green forested hills to the rim of the crater.

A long descent through the Crater Highlands followed, with Maasai villages and herds of cattle mixing with the occasional zebra and giraffe. But the real show started when we hit the expansive Serengeti plain and the hundreds if not thousands of zebra, wildebeest, and gazelle that make the southern Serengeti their home this time of year. We also caught sight of a few ostriches, several hyenas, and even a full pride of lions (with cubs play-fighting and all), among many other species. It is hard to imagine the sheer numbers of wildlife that make this place so special. The only analogue I could think of in the US would be Yellowstone, but even that doesn’t truly compare. The sight of a secretary bird searching for snakes in the grass or a lone cheetah stalking through the plains is inspiring, and gives one a sense of raw life that is sometimes hard to find in the urban jungle.

Just a few of the multitudes of wildebeest and zebra in Serengeti (photo credit from here onward to Meredith Saba)

We camped in the middle of the Serengeti Plain (with hyenas and storks wandering among the tents) and then at the rim of Ngorongoro Crater, created by a massive volcanic eruption millions of years ago. The steep hillsides encourage many of the animals to stay within the crater, and the lush vegetation made it an interesting contrast to the dryness of the Serengeti. Troops of baboons climbing the acacia trees, elephants tromping in the distance, and even critically endangered black rhinos grazing peacefully on the green grass gave us a sense of wonderment and awe, and even Ali smiled (a little bit) when he saw how amazed we all were with the experience.

Our last stop was Tarangire (named for the Tarangire River that flows through the park), with a new guide named Estommy and new travel companions from Minnesota. Tarangire hosts one of the largest concentrations of African elephants in the world, and we stood spellbound watching the massive creatures pull down branches of leaves with their trunks and amble through the sparse brush (I also couldn’t help but think of Sam’s comment from The Two Towers: “It’s an oliphant, Frodo! No one at home is going to believe this”). By the end of the four-day journey I think we were both exhausted and overwhelmed, and ready for a break. But the adventure doesn’t end here, for the next day we would enter an entirely new country: Kenya.

Bonus photos!

African Elephant, Tarangire National Park

The Island

Zanzibar. From the winding narrow streets of Stone Town to the turquoise waters off the northern coast, from villagers hawking a local fruit known only by the name ‘purple’ to the hum of food stalls that pop up in the sea-front Forodhani Gardens every evening, the island exudes a unique atmosphere that personifies its location in the Indian Ocean. Located about 40 kilometers from the Tanzanian mainland, the combination of Arab, Indian, and mainland influences is even more pronounced than in Dar es Salaam. And going through passport control upon arrival at the ferry port gives you the feeling that you have entered a new country entirely.

Indeed, before 1964 the mainland (then known as Tanganyika, after the lake on Tanzania’s western border) and Zanzibar were separate political entities. Although both controlled by the British during the colonial era, Zanzibar had been under the rule of an Omani Arab sultanate for centuries. Following independence from Britain the local African population overthrew the sultanate in a revolution and unified with Tanganyika a few months later to become the present-day United Republic of Tanzania. The island maintains a level of autonomy (hence passport control) and theoretically elects its own president in addition to the President of Tanzania, but tension still simmers beneath the surface between the Zanzibaris and the more powerful mainland politicians.

However this tension can be difficult to find in the laid-back and friendly attitude of the islanders. After meeting my girlfriend Meredith in Dar, we hopped on the midday ferry for the two hour journey to the island. Due to its long history of interaction with Arab traders and sultans the population of Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim, which could immediately be observed in the multitude of white hajj caps and beautifully colored headscarves among the passengers. Earlier we had been warned about the twisting maze of alleys that constitute Stone Town (the historic section of the main city on the island) and the associated difficulty of navigation. Sure enough, as soon as we walked out of the port we became hopelessly lost. Circling the same streets several times in the search for our hotel, we were eventually saved by a helpful local who led us in the right direction.

We took the next few days at a slow pace, soaking in the island atmosphere, enjoying delicious seafood (octopus stew and grilled kingfish – I also tried caviar for the first time; it was ok), and simply getting lost in the labyrinth of streets. We also met up with Meredith’s college friend Megan, who is currently leading a study abroad program in Tanzania and happened to be on Zanzibar at the same time. It was great to learn about the culture and politics of the region from someone who had studied it for so long. Megan also introduced us to some of the local specialties at Forodhani Gardens, including “Zanzibari Pizza” and a tasty stew of many ingredients known as “mix”.

Delicious balls of fried dough (zarabiya) at Forodhani Gardens

On our final day on the island we took a dalla-dalla (local minibus with more people than you think possible crammed in) up north to the beach at Kendwa to help achieve my dream of swimming in all of the worlds oceans (you’re next, Arctic!). About halfway to our destination the bus stopped briefly in a village and we were immediately surrounded by vendors selling grilled corn and ‘purple’ fruit, shoving bags full through the open windows. The bus let us off on the side of the main road and a dusty two kilometer walk later we were at the ocean. The turquoise color of the water was surreal, and a few hours swimming and relaxing at the beach with a local ‘Tusker’ beer was the perfect end to our time on the island.

The Coast

The busride to Dar es Salaam was long and beautiful. After boarding the Kilimanjaro Express bus and leaving Moshi about 45 minutes after the scheduled departure time (this is East Africa, after all), we left the shadow of Kilimanjaro and passed by the steep green slopes of the Pare and Usambara mountains on the way down to the coast, with plentiful pineapple plantations and small villages at their base. Stopping a few times to allow herds of cattle to cross the road, what was supposed to be an 8 hour journey turned into 11 hours as the bus constantly became stuck behind slow-moving trucks on the two-lane road into the city.

I had booked a room at a hotel near the airport in the Ukonga district, across the city from the bus station. With only vague directions my taxi driver needed to ask a local boda boda (motorcyle taxi) to show us the way down a dark, poorly maintained dirt road to the hotel gate. This scenario would replay itself many times over the course of the next two weeks (boda bodas are the local experts everywhere in East Africa, after all).

Riding a bajaji (autorickshaw) through Dar

The following day I came face to face with Dar’s number one problem: traffic. Covering the 15 kilometers across the city to the Kenyan consulate on a bajaji (a three-wheeled open-air vehicle similar to a tuk-tuk in Thailand or autorickshaw in India) took over an hour and a half of dusty travel, complete with white-uniformed traffic police ignoring the horns of frustrated motorists at every intersection. With the help of Japanese engineers, the government has begun construction of an elevated “flyway” that should help alleviate some of the congestion, though when I asked my driver when it would be completed he shrugged and said it was supposed to be completed two years ago.

Replica of the skull of “nutcracker man”, discovered in Olduvai Gorge in 1959

After a quick stop at the Kenyan consulate to confirm that I could obtain an East Africa Tourist Visa at the border (and a lunch of stewed meat and rice), I spent some time in the National Museum exploring a fascinating exhibit on human evolution and Tanzania’s role in the discovery of ancient hominid fossils in Olduvai Gorge near Serengeti. There were also interesting exhibits on Tanzania’s colonial history and the independence movement in the 1950’s and 60’s as well as a small memorial to the 12 people who died in the Al-Qaeda attack on the US Embassy in 1998.

Memorial to the victims of the US Embassy attack

Wandering the streets of Dar es Salaam it is easy to observe the diverse influences that have impacted the make-up of the city, with black African citizens from all parts of the country rubbing shoulders with Arab shopkeepers and Indian fruit sellers. Arab traders have a long history in East Africa (in fact, many Swahili words originally derive from Arabic), and many Indians arrived and established roots during the British colonial era. It is a very lively city and I would love to spend more time strolling through the city center and tasting all of the local foods (many of which are based on ugali, a soft corn-meal dough usually paired with meat or fish).

My next stop was the small city of Bagamoyo, located about 70 kilometers up the coast from Dar. In the 19th century it served as an important transit point in the East African slave trade, as slaves from the interior were brought to the port on the way to Zanzibar. It was also here that the Germans established their first colonial capital in East Africa in 1887, before transferring it to Dar in 1891. There are many interesting historical buildings in the city’s old town to wander through, including a caravanserai (lodge for traders) built by the Arabs where I learned a great deal about the city’s history and Tanzanian politics more generally and from the friendly curator. Inevitably when learning I am from the US a discussion on Trump arose, with the curator expressing her support of the new administration for its anti-same sex marriage bent (homosexuality is an extreme taboo in most of East Africa). Some younger visitors who happened to be passing by voiced their support of same sex marriage, and a small argument ensued.

German boma (administrative office) in Bagamoyo

I ended the day walking along the beach where fisherman carried in their dhows (a local boat with a triangular sail) and women sat on the beach cleaning the day’s catch to be sold at the fish market nearby. I bought a coconut and sat looking out over the Indian Ocean, listening to the calls of the fish-sellers blend with those of seabirds as the light slowly faded into dusk.

The Mountain

Jambo rafiki! (Hello friend!)

Starting the ascent from the Machame Gate

I write this post having successfully climbed the highest peak in Africa. Scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet/5,895 meters) was certainly an adventure, although a somewhat contained one. With a guide, cook, waiter, five porters and a toilet man (yes, I had a personal toilet tent) all supporting me throughout the 5-day trek, I felt somewhat less an adventurer than a neocolonialist British aristocrat on holiday.

As someone who is used to carrying all my own gear and food on camping trips, it was a bit jarring having a hot meal and pitched tent waiting for me when I arrived at camp every day. It was pleasant having a cup of hot tea brought to my tent every morning, though, and my guide (Joseph, or Commander White) and the rest of the crew were very friendly and fun to have around. I also met a number of other climbers along the way, from Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia, and Demark/Singapore. Since I was attempting the climb solo it was great to have fellow travelers to hang out in camp and swap trail stories with.

Commander White and I on the trail, with Kibo peak in the background

In order to acclimitize to the extremely high altitude we slowly increased the elevation we slept at each night. The first night was 2835 meters, second 3800 meters, and third 3900 meters after ascending to 4600 for lunch then going back down. I also drank more than 4 liters of water (collected from streams and boiled) to help my body adjust. For most of the climb I had no problems and accordingly the standard pace set by the park was excruciatingly slow. This was evident in my taking on average 2-3 hours less than expected to hike the set distance each day, and being the first climber to reach the campsite every afternoon. So when on day 4 Commander White nonchalantly gave me the option to go for the summit that afternoon instead of early the next morning, I jumped at the opportunity.

After putting on the layers needed to keep warm at the top and getting all of the gear together, CW checked my oxygen level to make sure my body was ready for the altitude. My blood oxygen level was a solid 70 percent, but worringly my resting heartrate hovered around 120 bpm. Not wanting to have a heart attack on top of a mountain, we decided to ascend into the clouds to 4900m and check again. Each time we checked my heartrate eventually dropped back to 120, so CW decided it was ok to press on. At this point we had already hiked 11 kilometers with 5 remaining to Uhuru peak. The altitide finally hit me and I developed a slight headache, with some dizziness and nausea to boot. The final two kilometers before the crest at Stella Point were probably the most difficult I have ever done. Finally, after many breaks, some life-saving ginger tea and CW carrying my backpack as well as his own for the last 100 meters, we made it to the top.

The summit at dusk. It was cold up there.

Descending from the summit to basecamp where we would sleep involved sliding down the steep scree-filled slope by headlamp, which was actually a lot of fun and much easier than going up. It also reminded me a bit of what I imagine Mars would look like, covered in dust and rocks. Unfortunately my headache didn’t go away until we went much lower the next morning, hiking another 20 kilometers and descending some 3000 meters to the exit gate. But with incredible views across the plains to Mt. Meru and beyond, it was easy to forget. We also spotted a troupe of black and white colobus monkeys in the rainforest on the lower slopes just before the trail’s end.

If you are interested in a more detailed account of the climb, I will post it here in the coming weeks. Tomorrow morning I leave for Dar-es-Salaam (or simply ‘Dar’), the largest city and economic and cultural capital of Tanzania. It will be an all day journey but I am very much looking forward to seeing the countryside and experiencing more of this beautiful country.

Arrival

This morning I opened my curtains at 7am to a view of the two peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, the early morning sun reflecting off the snows of the higher Uhuru peak. It was a fitting welcome to this great continent, which I had only visited very briefly once before when stopping in Egypt on my Semester at Sea voyage ten years ago.

Mt. Kilimanjaro in the morning light. Uhuru peak is on the left.

It was also a welcome sight after a long journey that began in the wind and rain in San Francisco, where I left my house of three years and took the train to the airport. Unfortunately due to the weather my flight to LA was delayed and I ended up having to rebook on a direct flight to Amsterdam, in hopes of catching my connection to Tanzania in only 25 minutes (IF my flight arrived on time). Luckily the two gates were right next to one another and I barely made it onto the jetway before the crew closed the door and the plane pulled away from the terminal (my luggage was not so lucky). After a quick de-icing of the plane’s wings, we were off to Africa.

Landing at Kilimanjaro airport (about halfway between the cities of Arusha and Moshi in northern Tanzania) was rather chaotic, with many European vacationers ready for safari disgruntled at having to wait to obtain a visa and go through passport control. Eventually I made it through (sans luggage), met Jennie from my Kilimanjaro guiding company outside and made the quick 45 minutes drive to my hotel in Moshi along the darkened highway, the only light coming from the oncoming headlights of the many trucks we passed.

Most of today was spent preparing for my upcoming climb of Kilimanjaro (I start on the trail tomorrow!), meeting my guide (who goes by the moniker “Commander White”) and renting some of the required gear for the six-day trek. I did have a chance to walk around Moshi for a bit and take in some of its busy atmosphere and interesting landmarks, including the local mosque and Hindu temple. I also met a local named KB who showed me to a small corner eatery for lunch, where I feasted on roast chicken and rice.

We start for the mountain in the morning with a drive to the Machame gate followed by 11 kilometers to the first camp at 2,850 meters (9,350 feet). I will be slowly acclimitizing for the next several days until attempting the summit on the 14th. Keep your eyes open for the next post!