The Polar Express [part 1]

I have to admit that one would not expect either arctic temperatures nor the matching scenery in Africa. Nevertheless, I was on my way to the only place in Tanzania where there is snow.

A few weeks agos, Anya and I had already planned for this route to be our final trip. After spending one night in Tanga we moved on to Moshi. Unfortunately, we were a little unlucky with our bus which happens quite often in this counry. We were setting up front in the bus and already after a few minutes drive we noticed thick smoke coming from out the driver´s cabin. So we stopped at the next petrol station and got buckets of water to slosh over the overheated engine. Great, these were happy prospects for our journey. Nevertheless, the bus driver took two spare buckets of water with him. Still the trip from Tanga to Moshi takes a few hours and after some time even that water was used up. But what do people do in Tanzania in such case? Exactly! The guys pulled down there pants and had a piddle on the engine. Oh, how I love this down-to-earth attitude to simply improvise whatever there is that needs fixing.

Moshi is a relatively small town. We booked in to a cheap hostel which only offered single bedrooms but the spacious bed was just big enough for the two of us. We went out to oam through town the same day. We walked down the streets which where packed with souvenir shops until we found a little café that sold coffee. The north part of Tanzania is where all the coffee plantations are. Although most of the coffee is being exported and therefore people here only drink instant coffee there are some places that offer proper coffee for tourists.As we made our way back tot he hotel we finally saw him: the Kilimanjaro. The people here tend to call him “the shy mountain“ as clouds cover him most of the times. But we were lucky as the clouds had drawn back and the snowcovered peak oft he mountain was now visible.

We had planned to go on a coffee-tour the next day. Already in the early hours of the day a guide came to pick us up and to drive us a little up the mountain. From there we started walking until we reached a little hut where the owner offered banana beer and banana wine. I have to say that banana beer tastes terrible! The wine was much better but did not taste of banana at all. While we continued to hike further up the mountain our guide told us about the local tribe called “Chagga“ and about their conflict with the “Massai“. Suddenly, our guide stoppedin his tracks, plugged a little animal of a branch and put it on Anya´s arm. It was a chameleon! I always thought they were much bigger but this specimen also had two nobs as a nose. We let the chameleon off into the green jungle again, as it was now hissing grumpily. Once again, we continued our walk until we reached our destination. We got to a coffee plantation run by a lady. She told us all about the different types of coffee plants and how they were cultivated. Back in her courtyard we made coffee ourself. First we had to grind the raw beans to get the shells off. Afterwards we roasted the beans and ground them again, to produce the coffee powder. After sifting the powder thouroughly we cooked coffee. Of course we could not miss out on trying the end product.

For the rest of the afternoon we went out to explore the rest of the town. Here and there we bought little things until we found a very interesting workshop little outside the city centre. It was a workshop which specialized in working with leather. One found everything in this workshop: furniture, key rings, decoration… In the evening we stopped at a beautiful restaurant in town which offered not only really good food but also cakes. The restaurant had also a pation alongside its front which gave you a feeling of being somewhere in New Orleans. After we treated ourselves to a nice meal and of course some cake, it was time to get back tot he hotel.

Our next stop was called “Usa River“. On the outskirts of Arusha there was a place named like this. Actually, there was nothing here to see. Still, a couple of month ago my mum sent me a link for a website about a training centre for people with disabilities run by the German Protestant-Lutheran church here in Usa. Including the training centre there was also a German bakery even selling pretzels (which I love!). That was a place I had to visit! This tip proved itself to be a great success. As volunteers we did not only get really fair prices but found ourselves sheltered in the best accommodation we ever had in Tanzania. The guesthouse was nicely furnitured and it was really light and clean. Apart from the rooms there was a living room area, a dining room area and a small kitchen where we even found little bits and bobs from IKEA. Even the rooms were purely luxurious to us. They were immaculately clean, there was hot water supplies and the beds were equipped with down-duvets. I was in paradise! I was already getting excited to have the first hot shower I had in 4 month and to cuddle up in those fluffy duvets.

As we were feeling peckish we went to the little café at the front. The shop does not only sell snacks and homemade food but also items the disabled crafted in the workshops. There were animals made of scrap metal, self-made jewelry, things made of textile and others. The training centre included a special class which took care of some vegetable patches and a bakery run by a german baker. Both workshops supplied the café with their goods. Even all the oils, jams and salade dessings were homemade by the ladies in the shop.

If I am saying that I never felt more welcomed anywhere in Tanzania than here, I am not lying. There was such a friendly atmosphere as the women in the shop were constantly joking and laughing and making sure we were well taken care of. While Anya and I were munching away on a salade and baguette a young woman joined us who was obviously german. She used to be a volunteer in this institution but after a few years she was asked to return to work here. We got talking and took a walk around the village together.

The next day we wanted to go to the “Maji Moto“ (hot spring). The women in the shop gave us a phone number to get in contact with a taxi driver who would rive us tot he water hole. We drove through pure no man´s land. There was nothing but dry countryside to look at. After about an hours there was a little patch of green appearing on the horizon.It looked like a real oasis. Although the water is definitely not hot or warm that place was awsome! The water is cristall clear and the spring is being framed by trees and thicket. The whole scene gave off a mystical impression. By now, this secret place had gained popularity. By now, people had put up a few tents and were relaxing at the bank and locals catapulted themselves by a rope into the water. Nevertheless, we had a good swim and watched the locals challenging each other in amazing acrobatic ways to swing on a rope and dive into the water.