It was tough to leave Kenya after having such a good time there but it was onto Tanzania which I thought would be similar to Kenya and it sort of was but it sort of wasn't.
I got to Longido after a bit of a wait at Customs. It was the Christmas rush of European tourists trying to get into Tanzania from Kenya. They all fly into Nairobi then us down to the border and onto their destinations - usually Arousha or Moshi for Mt Killimanjaro.
My first meal in Tanzania. Rice, greens and some kind of offal meat with a cold beer.
There was a bit of a climb to get around the side of Mt Meru. I didn't get to see the top because of the clouds but it was very green and pretty.
Mt Meru on a clear day.
Swahili is the language in Tanzania so it was back to picking random things off the menu again.
I made it to Arousha a few days before Christmas so I decided to visit the Ngorongoro Convsrvation Park and make it my Christmas present. Its the world's largest inactive, intact, and unfilled volcanic so some geology and animals for Christmas.
Shopping and art near Ngorongoro Crater
The road to the crater with Anti-poaching signs.
I spent an evening at a campsite before going to the park the next day. During the evening I got talking to one of the locals and I asked about the trafficking in Ivory and where it all goes. After we established that no I didn't want to buy any ivory ($5000 US/kilo and I didn't want a lions foot or lions teeth either) he told me a story about where the Ivory goes and how it gets there. The story was that the Chinese presidents son visited Tanzania to purchase Ivory. He and his officials purchased all the ivory they could find which forced the price up to $11000 US/kilo. The ivory was loaded into diplomatic crates and put on a plane that was to go to China. The local customs officials usually receive bribes to allow the ivory to leave but because there was 10 tons loaded on the plane it was stopped from leaving.
This prompted a visit from the Chinese president to get his son and the ivory out of the country and a declaration of there being a special relationship between China and Tanzania.
The news reports pretty much confirm that something like this went on.
The reason that this kind of thing is allowed to happen is that China plays the major role in African development. If its a major infrastructure project happening in Africa its almost certain that a Chinese company or Chinese government corporation is involved. The Chinese are cheaper than everyone else, they will pay the bribes to get the contract and they will then provide the finance for the project.
Because of this more and more animal parts are being loaded onto planes bound for China. The people involved make a lot of money and the animals all over Africa continue to die at an alarming rate.
The visit to the Crater was great. I was more interested in the Crater itself than the wildlife having seen everything I wanted to see in Kenya. However it was good to see everything roaming free and it was a really special place to see.
The view from the Crater lookout.
After the Christmas break it was back on the road South to Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania. Along the way I sneaked a photo of some Massai at a market.
Watching the football in Babati. Africans are obsessed with the English Premier League and they all support the axis of evil (Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City & United). Also on display is the hair style that I like to call "the African". Its basically a shaved head but everyone has it. Men, Women, boys and girls all proudly sport "The African"
I reached Babati I had a choice to make on the direction I would go. I could continue directly South and take what my GPS said was a bad road or I could follow the good road which was around 250km further. After talking with some of the locals I was assured that there was a section of bad road for 80km then it was good after that, so I took the bad road. It was a 250km stretch so I really hoped that the local were right.
The first 50k was a little rough but not too bad really.
Over the next 160km it got a lot worse.
The scenery was great and once the road is finished it will be an incredible ride. Some hills, flats and lots to look at but its difficult to take in when you are concentrating on just staying on the bike
The campsite at Kolo.
Some friendly locals.
Everyone in Tanzania is incredibly polite. Each conversation starts with Hello, How are you?, I am fine, How are you, I am Fine. Only after this is done can you ask for something.
Even the children were respectful. If I indicated for them not to approach me they stayed away until I had finished when I was doing then I would wave them over.
Chips Myata (Chips & Egg). This was the main thing I ate in Tanzania. Cheap, tasty with carbs, protein and salt. The perfect bike food.
I spent New Year in Kondar. It was a nice town along the "bad road". I was hoping to update the blog there but there was no Internet so it was a few days eating chips, watching the football and relaxing.
I knew the Christmas/New Year period would be a difficult time. I was in a part of Tanzania where I was the only white guy in the village, I was very far from home and its the time of year when you meet with friends and family over the break and on top of that it didn't really feel like Christmas. I think I was a little homesick!
I have been though a similar kind of thing when doing triathlons - its a tough time of year to be training so I did expect that but you have to try and push through it. So after new year I set out to get to the end of the "bad road" and to Dodoma as fast as possible.
There are many people on bikes in Tanzania. They all seem to enjoy a race so here is a local that has just past me very quickly. I passed him a sort time later. Their bikes only have 1 gear so its pretty easy to catch up.
I was biking up to a security check point like this and there was a group of monkeys on the side of the road. I slowed down and had a look and when I got to the checkpoint the security officer stopped me and asked if I would like to buy a monkey. I laughed and said i have no where to put a monkey and laughed. He was totally serious about selling me one.
Africans do carry things on their heads. Its everywhere and not easily done. Here a woman has a bag on the head and a baby on her back.
The 9000k mark.
So that's Tanzania done. It was not as tough as Ethiopia but more diff cult than Kenya. It was the little things like having to constantly ask for my change when buying something, attempts at over charging, and quite a bit more Muzungu (white person) harassment that lead to some confrontations. There was some stone throwing and a fair bit of dangerous driving that meant it wasn't great. Tanzania for me wasn't good, it wasn't bad it was OK. I did miss the very famous tourist parts of the country so maybe it was better there. I always had the feeling that they were not so welcoming and that you were just another tourist - true but not ideal. It a very beautiful place, incredibly green, lots of hills and plenty to see so well worth a visit.
I can't understand why you didn't want a Monkey ?! Haha !! Great work Kylio! Stay safe:-) xox
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