A route with a surprise!
What a night! This time we really did rest, and in one of the best places to do it. In the middle of the Tanzanian savannah, very close to Kenya, in a comfortable hut made of mud and branches. And I stress comfortable, because it really was.
Absolute silence, a bed made of branches but very comfortable, and a small skylight in the wall to watch the sunrise through. In short, I can’t think of a better place to rest.
Once again, a good breakfast to start the day, and we set off towards Kikuletwa. After yesterday’s hellish stretch of roadworks, where we had to battle with a whole lot of lorries, today we fancied a bit more peace and quiet. The first part of the route is easy: we retrace our steps from the way into Olpopongi and come out onto a track that takes us towards the road that circles Kilimanjaro.
And suddenly, the surprise of the day. As a cyclist, you get used to animals crossing your path. In some areas it’s not unusual to come across roe deer or wild boar running away, or even strolling across in front of you without a care for who’s coming. And they always make you smile. But there are no roe deer or wild boar in Tanzania. This time it was a giraffe that crossed our path.
I have to confess the photo doesn’t do justice to what we felt. It was the first time we’d seen a giraffe in the wild, and we were amazed. My hands were shaking and I couldn’t get my camera out. Not out of fear (though it does command a bit of respect, it’s very big…) but from the excitement of seeing such a wonderful animal staring straight at us, perhaps thinking we were some kind of Martians, with our white skin and our tight, garishly coloured clothes.
We look to our left and see a group of giraffes, staring down at us from on high. They looked like divers, their heads bobbing comically above the horizon. Their ears and little horns make us smile. We don’t know how many there are, but no fewer than thirty.
We also see a group of zebras. But our attention stays on the giraffes. We edge closer, and at the same pace our friend moves away. In the distance some children startle it, and we watch it run off. Its movements seem to be in slow motion, but it disappears from view in no time.
This experience alone is worth the trip. We’re full of energy to carry on.
We continue along the track and, a little further on, come out onto a tarmac road, which our battered backsides welcome. We make good speed, passing through village after village. We stop now and then for a drink (pineapple Fanta is really good, by the way).
A little further on we cross the busy road between Arusha and Moshi and turn off again onto a pretty broken track. So much for comfort.
We’re sore. There’s no doubt this track is taking its toll. Luckily we don’t have far to go, and although the track isn’t very pretty, it treats us to the odd lovely sight. Like this baobab, an unmistakable image of Africa.
A few days later we’d get the chance to taste its fruit. Be warned, it’s pretty awful!
Finally we reach Rundugai. We’d arranged to meet Ndoss, who runs Rundugai Cultural Tourism. Apparently the Tanzanian government is trying to promote tourism beyond the big safari agencies, to give visibility and job opportunities to local people. And in Rundugai they’re doing it pretty well.
Ndoss explains the local tourism programme in Rundugai, which ranges from guided tours to accommodation and meals with local people. But we’ve come with another idea: spending a night camping at Kikuletwa Hot Springs. So Ndoss calls a boda boda and we head for Kikuletwa. And yes, we nearly forgot: at last the sky cleared and we saw Kilimanjaro!
Kikuletwa Hot Springs is a small pool of thermal water that springs up like an oasis in the middle of a very arid area. We find ourselves in almost jungle-like vegetation in the middle of a vast stretch of parched land. The place is beautiful, and we’ll get the chance to spend the night here.
But let’s not kid ourselves. Today, 10 September 2017, is a Sunday. And on Sundays, wherever you are, there are crowds. Kikuletwa is packed, mostly with tourists, and the place is far from the calm, peaceful spot we’d hoped for. We’ll have to wait until seven, when they close the gates, to get some peace.
And so it was. After a relaxing swim, we pitch our tent and are left alone with the guard who looks after the area. We make ourselves some dinner, which we enjoy around an improvised campfire. Tomorrow, back to Arusha.