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Bus window hawkers in Tanzania are very strong and very cheeky people. I will be sitting, reading my book when all of a sudden the next thing I know, one has pried open the window and stuffed a BBQd corn on the cob into my face, on the end of a long wooden stick. I turn to look at him, which is immediately taken as a sign that I’m interested, so out of no where, another five corn sellers shove their burnt corn in my face too, hoping I might choose one of theirs instead. So now, I have six bits of burnt yellow lumps wiggling in my face without me even uttering so much as a single word, and I thus try to pretend to read my book once more or say "Hapana ashante" (no thank you), hoping they will get the idea and hurriedly move on to the next window, trying to get a sale before the bus moves off.

Tanzania - Of bus hawkers and mountain life

Simon Wadsworth
2007-08-28 19:27:35

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safari capital of Arusha to Moshi, before heading into the beautiful Usambara Mountains.

I only stayed in Arusha one day, which was enough. Most people go there to organize a safari, but when such a safari to the Serengeti or Ngorongoro Crater now costs upwards of $500, and climbing Kilimanjaro has a daily fee of $120, not including guides, porters, food or accommodation, I think I'll pass. There's little to do in Arusha itself, except stumble through the crazed markets, stare up at the mighty 4,565m Mt Meru, and play a game to see how many street-touts I can attract, such as those that can amazingly read the future - "hey, I remember you from Moshi, yes?" "No. Bye."

So, getting away from Arusha, I go to Moshi at the base of the might Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and at 5,895m, the highest free-standing mountain in the world. That's some volcano - although it wasn't until 1861, 13 years after it was first discovered by the West, that its existence was accepted, most refusing to believe there could be snow so near the Equator. However, Moshi as a town, had the impression of Arusha's brother, and there was likewise little to do, besides stare up at Kilimanjaro (which was sadly in cloud the entire time I was there), have $108 stolen in a restaurant and thrash out my resultant anger swimming a mile in the YMCA pool. I was going to hire a guide for the day, but after my little troubles I didn't feel up for a guide, so went exploring the tranquil country lanes on my own, coming across a rushing river near a farm run by jail inmates all dressed in orange. It was here (the river, not the farm), where I stayed trying to forget my woes reading a book all afternoon.

Tanzania seems to be quite lucky physically, as most of the country is a vast, dry plateau, yet it still boasts Mt Meru and Kili, has territory on Africa's three largest lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika and Malawi), a superb archipelago coastline and even half ...