8. Chinteche – Livingstonia – Tanzania 16 – 27th September

We travelled on from Chinteche and parked our van at Sangilo Lodge for the night, before tackling Livingstonia, a little Presbyterian missionary village, at the top of a very steep mountain with twenty switchbacks (hairpin bends), Established by a man named David Law, it is named after David Livingstone. How they toiled up the mountain, and built a school and hospital, as well as other Victorian-type buildings, I have no idea, as the road is a battle for a 4x4 in this day and age!!! We slept up there, perched on edge of the mountain, in an open chalet, and it was a magical experience to see all the lights of the fishing boats dotted over |Lake Malawi…..it is truly ‘The Lake of the Thousand Stars’.

Itching now, to get on to Tanzania, we headed for the border and all the chaos that is part of the African scene. Umpteen people, all very pleasant, but insistent, that we should change money through them, buy cellphone cards, insurance, water and fruit. I felt like shouting ‘What part of ‘NO’ do you not understand?’

We made for a coffee farm for our first night there, and then on the next morning to a place called Kisolansa farm, which grow and produce all their own food. We had a gourmet meal there in the atmospheric ruins of an old cottage, that they have cleverly turned into their restaurant. Somewhere between the coffee farm and Kisolansa, we, (and this is the royal ‘we’, and I think it was probably me), lost Lionels’ phone, which means that we are only contactable with the local number which is……+255 76394 7442.

Onwards towards Dar Es Salaam, we camped overnight at Baobab Valley Lodge, which is a great place on a wide fast flowing river, (complete with resident crocs) and, here too, we had a really good meal. (Still no internet.) Not too many problems getting through Dar and drove straight onto the ferry that links the City with a place across the bay, called Kigamboni. (It is a 600m ferry trip that saves 39km by road.) It was a Sunday, but we couldn’t make out why the place was so quiet, and then we found out……………….

It was Eid, and all the people were beautifully, dressed up to the nines, and out celebrating after fasting. We arrived at our campsite, which is a resort called ‘Sunrise Beach Resort’, to find that the whole of Dar was doing their celebrating there!!!!!! I was in seventh heaven!!!! I grabbed my camera, and sat on the beach and snapped away happily at the passing parade. Lionel was very understanding, and muddled through, setting up camp without my expert help. We had 2 days of the Celebrations, and crowds of people, but it was a happy crowd, and an experience that made me wonder if we Westerners haven’t lost the plot somewhat, with our subdued colours, and casual approach to dress. I have never seen so many beautifully dressed women and children in my life.

We spent some happy days just swimming in the warm sea and generally relaxing, before leaving our rig at ‘Sunrise’ and taking a ferry (3hr crossing) from Dar to Zanzibar.

We were really looking forward to staying in an hotel with an ’en suite’. We led our long-suffering taxi driver a merry dance trying to find the ‘right’ hotel in Stone Town. Once again the camera was pressed into service. The quaint narrow streets with an eclectic mix of people, going about their business with taxis hooting, children playing, dhows bobbing, and fisherman fixing their nets along with the call to prayer echoing through the town. Peeled sweet oranges, ginger tea, dates and coffee, all been sold from barrows and stalls in the streets. Shops, shops and more shops, ………I hadn’t seen so many in a long time……….. I loved it!!!

We booked to go on a Spice tour and it was worth every cent. The bus drives through various villages and onto a farm where the place is aromatic with all the spices that they grow. Did you know that a type of camphor and cinnamon come from the same tree? The cinnamon is from the bark and the camphor is from the leaves. There is also a camphor tree that camphor chests are made of. We visited the slave caves and had a very tasty lunch made with the various spices.

Lionel was very happy to find a good Indian restaurant to satisfy his taste buds. We enjoyed Zanzibar, and once back in Dar took a day drive to discover that there was a Spur Steakhouse in one of the upmarket suburbs! With mouths watering we ordered our meals. The place was really humming and just like the S. African ones, same menu and salad bar. Ons het dik gevreet!!!

Ever onward, we will be travelling north along the coast again tomorrow………we have people to meet, and places to see……….