Tanzania: Work and the journey home April 3rd-7th

Work was a series of seminars and helping with the drafgting of soem documents. The location was a  brand new headquarters on the outskirts of Arusha in a  rcently released sub-diviion. This meant that there were few neighbours  but the road has not yet been completed and so it was a rather tough track still. This is the wet season so earth roads are easily damaged. The workplace was less than 10km from the hotel and the journey through the rural areas and the urban fringe was always interesting - and at the end of the trip the new building................

We worked every day but on Wednesday there was a power failure and so we stopped early and I was taken to see  the Arusha National Park which was fortunately on the way to the airport where I had a evening flight to catch - so that all fitted in nicely, apart from the power cut.  On the way to the PArk whihc lies near the foot of Mount Meru, we pased through extensive coffee plantations; many with electric fences and permanent guards.

 The entry to the park is small and quite attractive...

 Once inside I paid my US$35 fee and off we went.
Immediately we saw  some interesting birds outside the office as we walked back to the car........

..............then almost as soonas we drove off a giraffe appeared, the only one we saw as it happened.

There was also a zebra walking along with the giraffe but it did not show up through the bush in this picture.
Soon we found an open swampy area with  hreds of Zebra and buffalo and a few warthogs................

 Then we came across a troop of baboons walking along the road...............

........then more buffalo, this time a bit closer and with tick birds clearly working on their backs...

..........and water buck.................

.............other antelopes and baboons again..................

We drove on to see the collection of three lakes; two are salty, alkaline lakes but one is  fresh and contains hippos. I saw them in the distance but even with the long lens and the digital enhancement you need good imagination to believe that tale............................

...see  what I mean?

Then it was on to the other Momella lakes which are alkaline. There are no hippos ..........but what a lot of flamingos!

A really splendid sight. We drove on and saw many of the flamingos at other parts of the lakes and then  some ducks............

and then we passed by the small museum which is out in the park

 on our way to the rim of an old volcano. Quite a climb in the car and then again on foot but the view at the top was great - even if I was rather out of breath

............a sort of miniature Ngorogoro.
Anyway time was  moving on and we had to turn round and head off to the Kilimanjiro Airport for me to catch the KLM flight home. The plane was on time but it seemed to be arather old B747-400 with poor quality seating in Business Class, very average food and some quite indifferent service at times. But Asterdam airport was OK and the last flight to Vienna was  also KLM and went off OK. So another mission was over.

April 2nd: Zambia to Tanzania

Saturday morning and it was time to head off to the airport for the trip to Tanzania.  It started with the short drive to Ndola Airport and  the flight with Kenya Airways to Niarobi via Kigali in the DR Congo. he airport at Ndola is pretty small  and  very basic but it all works reasonably well, apart from the barmaid in the departure lounge deciding to walk away everytome somebody wanted to buy a drink. She came back in the end   - just as the Kenya Airways flight landed.
The flight to Kigali was quite short, only about 40 minutes. It was  interesting as we went over a number of  mine sites in both countries.

I was last in Kigali in 2004 as part of a mission looking at a mine collapse at the former Shinkolobwe uranium mine. We flew in a small jet an HS 125, but my memory was of many old aircraft lying around the place at Kigali.  We landed and it was just the same still with many old planes lying about.

 I saw at least 3 DC-3 and  some russian helicoters with no rotorblades and a Yak-40 and some other aircraft that were probably russian  and a big old biplane.  We stayed on the aircraft and then after 45 minutes were off again flyinh back over Zambia to Nairobi in Kenya.
 Lots of interesting views of clouds and lakes and the Rift valley. Even the odd volcanic cone to look at.

The arrival at Nairobi airport was interesting as the walk from the plane was up a long ramp that had steps in it - neither one thing nor the other for wheelchairs. I sat around for about 90 minutes and then we boarded the flight to Kilamanjaro. The flight was with Precision Air in an ATR 72 twin turboprop and although it was late in the afternoon and clouds were forming up we did get a glimpse of the snow-covered slopes of Kilamanjaro to our left and Mount Meru on the other side as we came into the airport.

The formalities  were pretty fast at the airport and so, asI had only carry-on baggage, I was soon meeting up with the driver sent to take me to Arusha about 45 minutes away. The drive was in the dark so I saw little of the country side.  The Impala Hotel was  finally reached at about 7 pm and I checked in to find that the hotel wi-fi cost extra and then would not reach to my room on the 8th floor.  The good news was that the hotel has an excellent Indian Restaurant so I was happy to be having curries every night for dinner . The local beers were of course Kilimanjaro and Serengeti - there  was also Safari, and Tusker from Kenya.

Sunday  morning I was awake earlyand the reward was a great view of Mount Meru before breakfast.

The counterpart came for a meeting to sort out the work programme at 1100 and then we  off for drive around the city and a visit to a snake park where I saw a lot of creatures very similar to Australian wildlife and then had to hold a snake - but no pictures. The countryside was  pretty flat  with a few Masai villages and cattle herds to look at as we drive around.

In Arusha the city clock is famous as the halfway point on the drive fromn Cape Town to Cairo!

The object of our journey was a snake farm where I was  allowed to pay $10 US  to be shown around a reasonable collection of snakes and other reptiles including monitor lizards, two sorts of crocodile, tortoises and  a sort of bird sanctuaey/hospital with a number of injured animals being looked after. The guide was pretty god and knewhis stuff andf discussed  about Australian fauna quite well. WE did not do the camel ride and then it was time for lunch. SO we gathered up the driver and  off we went to the Elephant Club just down the road.

The club was set back off the road in a garden with plenty of planted trees to provide shade

 including one thorn tree that has been supported on a frame to make it even shadier....

 Lunch was fried bananas and goat meat chunks washed down with yet another local beer. or actually two..........

Then a drive back to Arusha with  the traffic gettting hevaier as people finished their Sunday outings and headed home.
Back to the imposing lobby of the Impala Hotel with its interesting collection of carvings

and then the Indian Restaurant again for dinner and to prepare for work.

.

March 29-April 2: Zambia

The Savoy hotel in Ndola has seen better days and  looks a little bit run down but it is the best hotel in the copper belt I was assured.  I was out in a rather expensive room but it did have working air-conditioning, a good TV, hot water and  it was away from the noise of the street.  My host went on to Kitwe which was to be the venue for the seminar.  Kitwe  is the  main mining town about 60 km further west from  Ndola; the mines are  gradually following the ore bodies  towards  Congo .

The local beer is called Mosi and was OK to drink  but  a bit pricey in the hotel.  Anyway  the cash card from Lloyds worked in the ATM across the road so I could buy a beer. The hotel coffee shop provided  a selection of basic grilled dishes and  was perfectly adequate . The view over town was pretty average however.

Every morning it was a drive to Kitwe - 60 km  to the east  along a dual  carriageway road  with fairly low  traffic density and  a number of interesting side stalls selling  charcoal,  furniture, local handicrafts etc,

The entry to Kitwe is dominated by the slag heap from a smelter that is no longer working,

 The seminars went pretty well over the three days and we had some good discussions. But as always  all too soon the time was up and it was Saturday mornning and I was off to the next destination.  Zambia had been quiet and interesting but I can't say I saw too much of the countryside.