On the Road Again
The Journey to Ruaha
After getting to bed at 2am, we were up at 5am on
our way to Ruaha National Park. We picked up Mwanga and made our way south
towards Iringa.
We stopped at Chalinze again for Chapati’s and Chai. It’s wasn’t quite as nice as the first shop. The Chai was little bland (I’m developing a more discerning taste for Chai) and the bees found the sugar quickly.
Ah The Supermarket at our fingertips!
Fine Dining...
The drive as dreamy...partially because I was half asleep and partially because of the landscape. The trip was 14 hours of pretty rough riding. The Tanzania Road Authority seems obsessed with speed bumps...on the highway. Mostly to keep you from entering a town quickly or to make sure you can stop for elephants crossing the road.
We drove though one small village after another. Most were nearly hidden as you approached... surprising you as you came around the corner. Each seemed to have it’s own character. Some were falling apart while many were clean and well-built. People were working much as if they must have for hundreds of years. Though power (destined for Dar es Salaam) ran above and a road next to their village, few seemed to have access to either. We met a woman along the trip who had lived her entire life within 4-5 miles of her house. She had never gone to school or left the area. Her life seemed a departure from any reality that we knew.
A typical roadside village
Maina and Mwanga looking for subjects.
She has never been more than a few miles from home...
About half way to Iringa, we entered a forest of Baobab trees. For miles their gnarled silhouettes dotted the landscape. It seemed otherworldly...like a scene from “Lord of the Rings”. I think there is a movie to be shot here someday. For miles, these ancient trees were nearly all we saw...except for the occasional Baboon troop who seemed to barely notice us as the lounged by the road.
A scene from Tanzania...or Lord of the Rings ?
At 3pm, we reached Iringa, a busy industrial city nestled into the hills. After a quick lunch, we began the final leg into Ruaha National Park. The pavement faded into dirt roads within 2 kms and the ride became more of a roller coaster than a journey. We again passed through small towns and villages with little more than street side markets. The people on the road looked less inviting than before. I felt like an intruder into their quiet space. Only a handful of trucks came through this area, interrupting the village life with horns (for people to get out of the way), noise, and worst of all, dust. Suffocating clouds of dust followed each car as it thundered through the village. The people simply braced for impact and scowled at the passers by.
A Maasai herding roadside. We met another Maasai on the road to Ruaha. We asked him "Do you see any Lions out here?" He said "Of course!" We asked him "Are you afraid?" He said "No! I am an animal too!" ... I had the impression he could handle himself.
Kids on their way home.
The crew
Mwanga with his Zim shirt...hopefully we'll get him there to visit soon...
Entering Iringa
Wu Tang Clothing :))
Villagers as we exit Iringa for Ruaha.
The Endless Road to Ruaha
The only exception were the children who would wave frantically in an attempt to get a reaction from the passing travelers from another world. A returned wave would often result in hysterical laughing and cheering.
Someone had tried to steal the jack last night...we're glad they didn't get away with it.
From there, we had 160 kms of dust, gullies, and uneven terrain. After fixing a flat tire, we finally arrived at Ruaha in 8:30pm...Shaken but not stirred.
We stopped at Chalinze again for Chapati’s and Chai. It’s wasn’t quite as nice as the first shop. The Chai was little bland (I’m developing a more discerning taste for Chai) and the bees found the sugar quickly.
Ah The Supermarket at our fingertips!
Fine Dining...
The drive as dreamy...partially because I was half asleep and partially because of the landscape. The trip was 14 hours of pretty rough riding. The Tanzania Road Authority seems obsessed with speed bumps...on the highway. Mostly to keep you from entering a town quickly or to make sure you can stop for elephants crossing the road.
We drove though one small village after another. Most were nearly hidden as you approached... surprising you as you came around the corner. Each seemed to have it’s own character. Some were falling apart while many were clean and well-built. People were working much as if they must have for hundreds of years. Though power (destined for Dar es Salaam) ran above and a road next to their village, few seemed to have access to either. We met a woman along the trip who had lived her entire life within 4-5 miles of her house. She had never gone to school or left the area. Her life seemed a departure from any reality that we knew.
A typical roadside village
Maina and Mwanga looking for subjects.
She has never been more than a few miles from home...
About half way to Iringa, we entered a forest of Baobab trees. For miles their gnarled silhouettes dotted the landscape. It seemed otherworldly...like a scene from “Lord of the Rings”. I think there is a movie to be shot here someday. For miles, these ancient trees were nearly all we saw...except for the occasional Baboon troop who seemed to barely notice us as the lounged by the road.
A scene from Tanzania...or Lord of the Rings ?
At 3pm, we reached Iringa, a busy industrial city nestled into the hills. After a quick lunch, we began the final leg into Ruaha National Park. The pavement faded into dirt roads within 2 kms and the ride became more of a roller coaster than a journey. We again passed through small towns and villages with little more than street side markets. The people on the road looked less inviting than before. I felt like an intruder into their quiet space. Only a handful of trucks came through this area, interrupting the village life with horns (for people to get out of the way), noise, and worst of all, dust. Suffocating clouds of dust followed each car as it thundered through the village. The people simply braced for impact and scowled at the passers by.
A Maasai herding roadside. We met another Maasai on the road to Ruaha. We asked him "Do you see any Lions out here?" He said "Of course!" We asked him "Are you afraid?" He said "No! I am an animal too!" ... I had the impression he could handle himself.
Kids on their way home.
The crew
Mwanga with his Zim shirt...hopefully we'll get him there to visit soon...
Entering Iringa
Wu Tang Clothing :))
Villagers as we exit Iringa for Ruaha.
The Endless Road to Ruaha
The only exception were the children who would wave frantically in an attempt to get a reaction from the passing travelers from another world. A returned wave would often result in hysterical laughing and cheering.
Someone had tried to steal the jack last night...we're glad they didn't get away with it.
From there, we had 160 kms of dust, gullies, and uneven terrain. After fixing a flat tire, we finally arrived at Ruaha in 8:30pm...Shaken but not stirred.
Posted: Wed - July 23, 2003 at 09:09 PM Africa, Summer (Winter) 2003 Email Comments
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Total entries in this blog: 31
Total entries in this category: 31
Published On: Aug 05, 2003 10:45 AM
Total entries in this category: 31
Published On: Aug 05, 2003 10:45 AM