Off The Road

Off  The Road Day 19 – Feb 23

I am fond and familiar all over again with Tanzania. Its a big country.

It has been rewarding, engaging and fun to visit.  And so beautiful. So busy too.

We have learnt and done and seen lots.  A lot about wildlife but we have visited again and through Taran’s eyes lives framed and shaped by poverty (sometimes absolute) and a very different culture.  It reminds you to think a little at least.  How can people thrive with seemingly so little?  What do we need? What should we be given?  Am I required to do anything? How much should I tip? You know just the easy questions.

Our taxi driver steered straight off the road into a ditch and then the boys from the football pitch lifted the car back on to the road and we carried on.  Hardly a pause. I tipped him 5000Tsh.

We went to the market today to shop for lunch and dinner as we have our own kitchen in Kilmango Farm Mbuyuni Retreat.  For lunch I fried Pineapple, onions, tomatoes, chillis, and ginger together and Taran made Ugali.  I made a bean salad with Maringa. 

Taran then cooked a very tasty pasta supper on his own.  He would not let us in the kitchen and as he cleaned it all up himself as well we were pretty impressed.  Our own little chef at last.

The market was big and hot and stuffy and full of stalls piled of things that Tanzanians eat in large quantities and was a bit confusing for us and hard to buy the tiny quantities we needed but we cheated by having a guide and not haggling too much and came away with pretty much all we needed.  Except for Olive Oil and cheese which we bought at a crappy little expat supermarket full of fading Dorito packs and Brillo Pads but which tasted super good with the pasta.

Sam at Mbuyuni was very good company. She is a real travelling lady – lucky the man who can keep up with her. Will she ever settle down?  Comes from Sydney by way of the world and is running Mbuyuni with an easy organised charm.  Spoke to the traveller in each of us. Our delightful host on the organic farm while the owners are away.  And then on to her next adventure.  Thanks Sam.

I should write about the ideological brio, warmth and impressive achievements of David Guthrie from A Tent with a View. And I will one day and catch up again with him too. But Thursday and Friday were not my blogging days (every third day for each of us).

Thanks David. Thanks Tanzania.