We were lucky enough to be invited out for an afternoon with our Tanzanian friends on Sunday. We headed out west on the Nairobi Rd and then due west towards the Serengeti to Maasai country. Mt Meru is always in our sites rising out of the more arid grasslands or open grazing land to the west of Arusha. We seem to leave behind the lush coffee and banana plantations as the landscape changes dramatically within 30 km.

Our friends, Helene and Jasper, are quite fond of the Snake Park and Maasai cultural centre. So we head out stopping for lunch in a forested park area. It's great to travel with locals because you would never know this was a restaurant serving game food. We sat in the garden area and we serenaded by a large array of birds. It was peaceful and quiet and the food was delicious. We were treated to a meal of Eland, fried potatoes, ugali (corn meal that is cooked like grits or porridge) and salads. The Eland (antelope) was delicious.

The Maasai herders seem to wander perilously close to the road as drive further into the dry regions west of Arusha. The day is hot but dry and the riverbeds are all dried beds. There hardly seems enough for any animal to graze in this short rain season. The variation in rainfall is remarkable for such a short distance.

Helene is clearly in her element at the snake park. We have a guided tour of the pythons, black mumbas, red pythons, crocodiles and turtles. This snake park has the antidote for most of the poisonous snakes, if you are lucky enough to make in on time, as well as a medical clinic and educational centre. In many cases what starts out as a tourist attraction gets some funding for something else and becomes many things. Our guide is very knowledgeable about the neur-toxins and time it takes for the poisons to work. he is also able to tell us the habitat and feeding rituals of the snakes. It is quite an interesting tour .

As well as being a snake park, there are camel rides provided by the uncharacteristically gleeful Maasai herder. Oona and Helene decide to go for a ride and the ever present Mt Meru is the backdrop.

We visit one of the larger gift shops that cater to the safari trade and overwhelmed with the selection of carvings and paintings for sale.

Arusha -

Arusha is the largest urban centre in the Kilimanjaro district. Mt Meru, the second highest peak in the country, serves as the backdrop for the this area of western Kilimanjaro. As we leave Moshi and travel to Arusha the landscape is more lush with lot's of coffee and banana plantations.


Arusha's Natural History Museum is the old German 'Boma' built to defend the territory controlled by German East Africa Company until the territory was turned over to the British as part of the First World War Armistice settlement. The German's surrendered only after the war ended in Europe. They had a stronghold here in Arusha. The remnants of the German colonialism is still very evident. Many Lutheran churches and charitable organizations still rival the Roman Catholic churches across the country. The German's really introduced the agricultural practices of coffee and banana production. Quite a few of the guides speak English and a bit of German.

The UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda continues to hear cases here in Arusha and an International Court for Human Rights has also been set up in this area. The town has a mixed culture but the Maasai and Meru tribes are predominate in Arusha. The colourful plaid coverings they wear create a stark contrast west of the city where the plains are dry and dusty at the beginning of the short rain season before the grass and water returns The Maasai continue to herd their cattle and live a somewhat nomadic lifestyle. They practice ancient ceremonial customs including ear piercings and adult circumcision. Maasai women have no property rights.

Arusha has a large population of Muslim and other Indian cultures. This is really a peaceful community considering the mixture.

We had the opportunity to visit some one of the villages and the Cicely foundation's orphanage near Arusha. Here some education is made available for the poorest in the villages and some orphans who would not otherwise have an opportunity to attend a school.


This city is the centre for safaris. Endless convoys of tourists sitting in tightly packed Land Rovers or other heavy duty vehicles clog the already chaotic streets. Time seems to have stopped when you see hand pulled carts, sidewalk vendors and dirt side roads.

Artists in Moshi

The shops here sell a lot of wood and stone carvings as well as artist paintings of local culture and history. The colourful paintings and batiks are everywhere and represent very well the culture and life of the various groups.

Today I visited an area that is sponsored by the YMCA and other groups to bring the artists together and offer workshops to for local youths and visitors who wish to learn how to carve or paint.

It's hard to resist some of the paintings and everyone is so desperate to sell their work. It may take one or two days or more for the artist to finish the piece and the price is rarely more than $20-30. It was interesting to see that the artists at work and hard not to buy from all of them because they are all so needy.

We headed out today for a tour of a typical coffee farm along with some other Canadians and ex-pats living in Moshi. The plan was to visit the coffee farm in a village that terraces Kilimanjaro and then walk to one of the waterfalls that dot the side of the mountain. Andrew, our local Canadian resident expert has visited the waterfall and has arranged the trip for everyone. We all pack into the van and head up the side of the mountain for our adventure. Unfortunately, the rain has persisted for the night and most of the morning and the roads are very poor. As we pass each village along the way the roads deteriorate. There is very little traffic. The roads in Tanzania towns and cities are dirt tracks. There maybe a few paved roads in the main cities, but the majority of roads are dirt. This translates into deep 'Chagga' mud on the mountainside outside Moshi We travel as far as our driver feels safe to drive and stop. We have to walk the rest of the way. The driver pulls out ski or walking poles for us and we set out on the road up the mountain. This is no easy task in the deep, slippery mud that covers the road. We slip and slide and our boots get heavier and heavier. The rain continues and it is impossible not to sound like a 7 year old asking if we are there yet. My high tech trekking boots from the East Mountain Coop in New York that are designed for any trekking conditions have full out gardens weighing 4-5 libs stuck to the bottom treads of my feet. I'm barely staying upright with mud half way up my legs. And all of the Canadians are covered in mud but the locals are making their way to church services and wearing flip flops or shoes without a lick of mud anywhere. Even our guides are nicely dressed in jeans or shorts and they haven't a splat of mud anywhere. By the time I reach the farm where we are going I am huffing and puffing and covered in mud.

We pass a couple of villages on the way and Andrew asks about a ride back down on our way back. Impossible as it may seem, going up looks easier than coming down in these conditions.

Oscar, our host for the day has to assist me up the narrow path to his farm terrace after I finally slip and fall on the final ascent. Oscar is the youngest boy of 13 children and assists with the family coffee and banana farm. Everything is 'organic' and 'organic' becomes the word of the day for all of our conditions The farmers here all sell to the cooperatives after they harvest and partially dry and process the beans. They also grow a small portion of beans for sale to tourists who visit the villages. The villagers stop to see us and greet us on the road. They are not use to having 'mzungu' in their villages. By the time we reach Oscar's farm we have a small crowd of children who have followed us up the mountain.

Moshi town is a bustling centre at the foot of Kilimanjaro. From here or Marangu most of the tourists head out to climb the mountain. They call it the 'roof' of Africa and this seems fitting because of the massive size of the mountain's base as it rises up gently from the surrounding plain. This is not a mountain like our rockies. The top, at the moment, is still covered with snow. At the peak it is 5896 metres. The gentle rise allows for the amateur climbers but not without casualties. Yesterday our guide told us that a women tourist died on the mountain the day before. He also told us two porters died. The tourist suffered chest pain near the summit and they couldn't revive her while the porters died from dehydration. The Tanzanian officials are trying to manage this by weighing the cargo of the porters to ensure they are not carrying more than they can carry safely and that enough food and water is going for the tourists and the porters. This is not a country with minimum standards. You have to travel with a reputable company or 'getting what you paid for' can be a fatal mistake.

The mountain has been shrouded in cloud for the past 6-7 days. We are in the short rain season. Some are saying there has been more rain here in the short than they usually get in the long rain season. It seems to rain or cloud most days until the clouds opened and we were able to see the mountain yesterday.

Life if not easy for the average Tanzanian. Walking in the village you encounter a mixture of cultures. The ever present mosques call the faithful to prayer on loudspeakers several times a day. There is a Hindu and Sikh temple and the ever present Lutheran and Catholic Church. Everyone belongs to something. The tribes that dominate here are the Chagga and Masai. This is a market town with lots of fresh produce from the farming villages (like Marangu) that line the rich volcanic slopes of Kilimanjaro.

The villages, for the last 160-170 years have been growing crops introduced by Europeans (Germans). They introduced bananas from Asia and then coffee (Arabic) and the two seem to be perfectly compatible. They also grow their market vegetables including potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper, onions and carrots. All the ingredients they need. It is not the safest town to walk at the best of time. Without sidewalks and chaotic traffic you have to keep your wits about you to avoid accidents. All this and street touts who are constantly harassing you to visit a store (for a commission) or go a safari or climb (they get a commission). Everyone has their hand out and the local touts follow you everywhere. Numerous times I have had to engage an escort to get back to the hotel or coffee shop. The hotels have enclosed courtyards and gates to shut the world out for their first world guests. Some or maybe most never venture outside their hotel compound. They see this country through the safari vehicle window or deluxe van to the airport. It is quite different for the volunteers or others who live here and experience life as a local. Even this experience is much better than the life of the Tanzanian who probably does not have a 'house girl or boy' to do the laundry and cleaning. After meeting a number of the local volunteers from Canada, I am really awestruck by their courage and determination. The ones who stay are laid back and accepting of the local culture. There is a different cultural view of property ownership. This translates into what is yours is mine and their shoes may end up on the feet of the house help or their cell phone disappears. Actually caring for electronic equipment or valuables is hard work (bring as little as necessary). Walking through the crowded markets you may have someone trying to get into your backpack so keep it zippered and all easy to grab at the bottom of your bag.

The street sidewalks are crowded with sewing machines and tailors who sit all day sewing clothes, pillows, blankets or anything you may need. There are street vendors with baskets of cigarettes who travel around like portable coffee vendors. Not many street vendors selling hotdogs or hamburgers, but you may buy scoops of peanuts or cashews. Lots of vendors selling cheap wallets and watches. The fumes from buses, trucks and cars can be overwhelming. When the sun is out it is very hot, sticky and dusty. The buses have a conductor who is constantly shouting out for more people. The local have to wait for the bus to over fill before they depart. Not a time sensitive way to travel.

Marangu Village Tour

Kilimanjaro is a highly populated area of Tanzania. You notice this when you travel from Marangu to Moshi and see almost uninterrupted pedestrian travellers along the main highway. People are just out walking from one place to another. There are no sidewalks for pedestrians so they walk along the roadway moving out of the way for animals and vehicles along the road. Along the road to Marangu one village leads to another connected by trails that run parallel to the main road and through the village.

A walking tour of the village was offered through the hotel and a local took us out to teach us about their culture and how their communities are set-up. Philius was a father, grandfather, village elder, coffee farmer, and excellent guide. He was very proud of his country and believes that his life has gradually improved since independence was gained in 1963. He compared the traditional Chagga house of his parents to his own cinder block home and concluded that life was gradually improving for the average Tanzanian. The plots of land are divided and sectioned so everyone in the village has enough to grow some coffee, bananas and to keep their goat and cow. His cow and goat are fed fed the banana leaves and kept in their corrals 'outside' rather than 'inside' as they were in the past. The Masai tribe would raid the Chagga villages for cows because they believed any grazing animal belonged to the Masai people.

The children all go to school in uniforms, but there is a cost for the family to send children to school. They attend to age 15 after which only a small number go on to a higher education. They too have their problems with unemployment of the young which can lead to alcohol and drug use. The alcohol is sold in small packets that they buy everywhere and are littered on all the paths from village to village. We travelled to a waterfall that was very spectacular, but the heavy rain made the rickety steps so dangerous I almost tumbled down the cliff. Our guide was outraged with the condition of the steps and made a point of complaining to the person running the tourist site. This is one of the many tourist initiatives to raise money and employment opportunities. We toured the Marangu village market where lots of fresh market vegetables were available. There were bananas (that are more like potatoes) frying to deep fry pans, and lots of local foods available. The villages were drying millet they use to mix with bananas for a type of beer. This beer is only drinkable for a day or two after fermenting. Philius explained that it was important for any traditional celebrations. Alcohol is a problem for some of the villages. The food from Tanzania is a lot of beans and corn and while there are lots of spices available, they seem not to have developed seasoning skills in the same way as the Indian or middle eastern cultures.

Everywhere cooking is done by heated charcoal or wood under clay pots. There are no modern cookers. Even at the Hilton in Zanzibar and the Movenpick in Dar, the cooking was done with charcoal and clay pots. The washing or laundry is all hand done and hung to dry. Again even in Dar this is the method of cleaning clothes. As a result, there is not much cleaning of clothes and many people only wash their clothes after a week or more.

Arusha National Park

Our safari to Arusha national park was an introduction to the Serengeti. The park actually has an area called the 'Little Serengeti". Our knowledgeable driver and guide, Victor, was arranged by Jasper. They are both members of the Chagga tribe which populates, along with the Masai, the area around Kilimanjaro and particularly Marangu. Mt Meru is a smaller mountain than Kilimanjaro but still spectacular. We are told that it takes about 3 days to ascend. This is another popular trek for tourists. This volcanic mountain is in Arusha National Park. The land around the park entrance is dotted with farms growing vegetables, bananas and coffee. The coffee is world renowned from this area. Now the coffee is starting to ripen and will be harvested until the ned of November. Arusha National Park has an area called the "Little Serengeti" because this protected area on the slopes of the mountains has many features of the Serengeti. Our day trip from Marangu to the park led us around Kilimangaro to the second highest peak, Mt Meru. This area in the foothills of the mountains has rich volcanic soil, great temperatures and plenty of rain. Small farms growing bananas, coffee, and vegetables dot the landscape on our way to the park. This park does have a day trek walking tour with a park ranger who carries a gun for protection against aggressive animals. We had planned to walk into the park, but instead we settled for a tour with our safari driver Victor. This turned out to be a good decision because the park is very large and hilly and we certainly would not have covered the area we covered in the land rover.

Within minutes of park gates we arrive at an open meadow ares with vistas of the mountain in the background. Around the water hole are crowds of water buffalo, warthogs, zebra, baboons and antelope. The giraffe are feeding from the nearby trees. This idyllic scene of the animals living in harmony was undisturbed by any of predator leopards that are common in this area. The elephants are more rare in Arusha due to the poachers over the years We will have to go on the big Serengeti to see the elephant.

We pass a large group of baboons walking along the road. They scatter slowly and eye the vehicle suspiciously or covetously. Appears you cannot leave food on the dashboard or they will actually come right up to the vehicle and reach in for the food. A tourist from Australia told they were hounded by them when their guide disappeared. He gave them a stick to fend them off with, but they instinctively knew the 'mzungu' wouldn't hit them and defiantly helped themselves.

We drove around the rim of the Ngurdoto crater which opens up to a large swamp area where the ever present water buffalo graze. The crater appears as an almost perfect circle with cliffs of Mt Meru in the distance.

We drove on to the Momella Lakes passing the smaller lakes or ponds along the way. Different birds liked the fish and plant life in the different lakes. In one of the lakes, huge flocks of flamingoes turned the water pink and the island disappeared with the flamingoes covering every inch of ground on the islands. There were pink and white flamingoes.

After reaching the farthest points in the park, we headed back having to wait for giraffes crossing the track to get to food from the trees along the road. They were used to the vehicles and allowed us to get very close. This area also has long tailed black and white monkeys that we saw as we were returning to the start of our trip. We were exhausted by the end of our day. The week ahead was a busy one. Although we didn't have turkey, we had a nice dinner at the logde.

It's a short flight from Dar to Kilimanjaro but the geography and cultural differences are immediate. The 'small or short' rain had arrived in the mountain region and the brown landscape was starting to change. We headed for Marangu which is close to Kilimanjaro national park. I think they call it the coca cola route. The towns and village have only dirt roads but the main road has two lanes of paved road. Traffic along the road is chaotic. Cars and trucks passing motorcycles in the same lane, dalla dallas overstuffed with passengers driving at breakneck speed with the side door open and passengers holding on for dear life but not suffering the crush of humanity inside. There are donkeys, chickens and cattle wondering along the sides of the road. We make our way to Marangu. The Marangu Hotel is bustling centre offering climbing trips for those wanting to climb Kilimanjaro. The grounds of the hotel are lush and many of the trees are flowering. The cottages are We canvassed the staff and guests to see if we could find some candidates for the study, but so far it has been quite difficult to locate anyone who meets the criteria. Off to one of the national park tomorrow.