Lots of tarmac... at last!
We wake up very early after a quiet night with the sounds of animals for company, monkeys above all, scampering over the tent. Priceless moments that we’re lucky to enjoy.
We set off early towards Arusha. It’s going to be an easy day: we have a short section of tracks and then we’ll join the road between Moshi and Arusha. It’s a very busy road, let’s hope we don’t run into too much trouble!
We set off at a gentle pace. The days and the kilometres are starting to tell, the ground is very, very broken, and our bodies are crying out for rest. We retrace the previous day’s route, back to the road, where we head for Arusha. The road is a constant up and down, with more traffic than we’d like. But at least the surface is very good.
Halfway there we make a short stop at a roadside bar for a drink and a bite to eat. There we chat with a lad who speaks pretty good English. He has a foot in plaster: he got injured playing football. He tells us how keen he is to play again, how he dreams of playing in Europe and making a future for himself as a footballer. He talks with great enthusiasm, and the truth is that this future, however unlikely, is practically the only promising future he can have. Otherwise his future will be happy, I’m sure, but he won’t be able to live out the dreams he’s told us about.
After a lot of traffic and a lot of heat we reach Arusha, the same hotel we’d set out from. And where they’ve looked after us wonderfully. Elisante has taken good care of us, and when we got back our suitcases were already in the room. We really appreciate it: after all, it’s been 71 kilometres, mostly uphill, on our last day. We’ve earned our shower.
I don’t know how to wrap up this story. The trip has been amazing. The landscape, spectacular. And the people, as in any country (this is nothing new), welcoming and always well-meaning.
We have a few days of safari left, as regular tourists now, to fill our eyes (and our camera) with pictures. But if the bike ends here, the story ends here. Until next time!