Home » Tanzania » One Year Africa: Living as a Vagabond in South - Tanzania Part I: Mbizi Mountains

Once it was a point on a map, some kind of a dream, an idea. Now it no longer is. I have realized the fixed idea: I have been in the heart of the Mbizi Mountains.

One Year Africa: Living as a Vagabond in South - Tanzania Part I: Mbizi Mountains

Maarten de Boeck
2006-05-01 18:05:52

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fields. What was left was a big, black open space of parched grassland and heath. Shame on me!
There was no need to start cooking. Soon I began packing my stuff that was thoroughly infiltrated by ashes. Before departure I got frustrated by fixing a loose shoelace. The damn thing had been causing trouble during the entire trip, and this morning again, impatient as I was to flee from the cold. After a few attempts I managed to attach it.
Despite of my empty stomach I was spirited enough to try a challenging route back to Sumbawanga. I wanted to walk around the mountain on which I had slept on Friday, taking a track leading into the bush, hoping it would go around and join a pathway leading to Sumbawanga.
At first it led exactly where I wanted it to lead to. Then suddenly, after a few kilometres, it petered out and came to an end. Probably it would have been possible to force access but that option didn't appeal to me. I turned back. Maybe I would have tried it in other circumstances but I was hungry. I did it to be on the safe side.
There wasn't another choice than to walk all the way back to Wipanga. The deprivation of food caused a kind of lightness in my head. I breathed well and although I suffered from hunger it didn't stop me from functioning. I walked like I would have walked with food. I felt I could make it to Sumbawanga without eating.
I reached Wipanga and plodded through the village. I met the man who had hosted me yesterday. I asked him for 'ndizi', bananas. I gave him 500 Tsh for which I ordered to buy for 300 Tsh (about 25 eurocent). The other 200 Tsh were for him. He ran off and soon he returned with an enormous pile of bananas. Enthusiastically I began eating but I simply couldn't finish them, although I hadn't eaten for about 24 hours. Just too many... I gave them away among the kids...
I finished my supper. Shortly thereafter I moved on to Sumbawanga. At a junction outside the village I met a boy. Together we walked along to Sumba. Initially I felt comfortable having eaten, but soon it appeared the bananas had caused a little indigestion. I had to halt as I felt like vomiting. I sat there a quarter of an hour seeking courage to get along. The town was still eight kilometres away. I realized I had to face the walk anyway, so I plucked up my courage and continued my way.
I had had the illusion it would have been an easy walk to Sumbawanga but it proved to be one of effort and exertion. I had thought it would have been only downwards. That too proved to be a mistake. It turned out to be a tough journey. I became more and more exhausted. I was relieved while approaching the suburbs of Sumbawanga. My GPS guided me to find the guesthouse but as I entered the town it was still 1.7 km away. I yearned, desperate as I was, for a bed to rest in.
I plodded through the streets of Sumbawanga. Finally I reached Lupila guesthouse, to find out there was no room for me, to find out that my excess luggage, which I had left there before my departure to Zimba, was locked and to find out that the person who had the key was not present. I went to New Kisumu guesthouse, took a room that depressed me so much that I decided to treat myself with a more expensive room in Upendo guesthouse.
I am exhausted. I have arrived in Sumbawanga. This is the end of my journey into the Mbizi Mountains.

At night I wrote:
I had hoped for a long sleep but it is not to be. Next door there is a disco going on, driving me nuts. I just have thrown my shoes against the wall out of frustration. Now I am off to the bar to watch trash on Tanzanian television, till the music dies down...

In retrospect I wrote:
Once it was a point on a map, some kind of a dream, an idea. Now it no longer is. I have realized the fixed idea: I have been in the heart of the Mbizi Mountains.