Thursday, 7 June 2007

Towards the roof of Africa - Mt Kilimanjaro

We think it's only fair to also try out the "fast" version of Zanzibar ferries, and unfortunately choose a slightly choppy sea on which to do so...I'm not very happy by the time we get back to Dar. Then we have to soldier our way through all the taxi drivers and various other hangers on at the port, and walk the 500m or so up to Jambo Inn, which is full!! What is going on?? We go round the corner to the very similar Safari Hotel and luckily get a room - it could have become nasty otherwise!
We have heard that Scandinavia Buses (reputedly the safest in East Africa, this from other travellers who have relayed numerous horror stories to me about speeding buses, overtaking on blind corners with drivers constantly chewing qat to stay awake through the night) have two departures to Moshi in northern Tanzania, the deluxe version leaving at 8.30 and the economy bus going at 9.30. We front up to their depot at 8, fully expecting to be on the cheaper edition, only to be told that there's only one, it's deluxe and it leaves in 30 minutes. Hmmm, not really much of a choice there. The bus trip though is very pleasant; we are given drinks, snacks, napkins etc, and arrive at a sunny Moshi mid-afternoon. Mt Kilimanjaro is peeking out from between fluffy clouds and before long we are having our sundowner at the Kindoroko Hotel's rooftop bar (which we have spied from our much more modest Buffalo Hotel window). It's a good thing we get some photos and have a good look, as the next morning it's grey and drizzly.
Mt Kilamanjaro, as seen from the rooftop terrace of the Kindoroko Hotel.

Swahili is a lovely language, and remarkably familiar - Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Safari for example (also all names of local ales), and Daktari, which we see plastered over all sorts of little businesses, which presumably have something to do with health. This is of interest to us, as Max has broken a tooth, and we have decided to make our way to Nairobi, and a good Daktari, in order to sort it out. We will come back to Tanzania though, we have not finished with this country yet.

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