July 28: Nap Time at High Tide

WE HAVE A LIMITED WIFI CONNECTION. PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED LATER.

The morning came early at 5:00 am. When I learned how early the bus was, I suggested that we just stay at a hotel to get out the door early. Fortunately, Erik, one of our hosts, is an early riser and welcomed us to stay at their house. We were the first ones on the bus, and fortunately in a good place on the bus—not in the front and not in the back. We had a brief greeting and conversation with a young woman from Spain while she was waiting in the aisle to get back to her seat.

The bus left the bus stand about two-thirds full of customers with reserved seats. For the next 20 minutes, we picked up additional passengers alongside of the road. We eventually had three passengers sitting in the aisle on pillows. About a dozen of these folks got off after about an hour in Moshi.

We passed Mount Kilimanjaro, but only saw the base as it was shrouded in clouds. In Moshi, the Spanish woman asked if I knew if this was a break. I said I didn’t think so yet, just a change of passengers. She wanted to get some food, but didn’t want the bus to leave. I had an extra granola bar in my seat pocket, so I gave it to her, and she was grateful. We have been blessed so much by the kindness of others. It is good to be able to share with others, even relative strangers on the bus.

With ear plugs in, Anya and I tried to sleep a bit. The PA system was playing Kiswahili news with enough static to notice. As we drove along, the station’s signal would drop and then there would be a minute perhaps of white noise static, until they found a new station. After about an hour, Christian Kiswahili music videos were played. After that, the bloody Mel Gibson directed movie, Apocolypse, was shown. What a gruesome movie! Anya was squirming at the beginning, and stopped watching it. It was definitely not a family-friendly movie.

We were served two cookies and our choice of soda or water. We didn’t want to be too hydrated to avoid being uncomfortable before the lunch and toilet stop.

At the lunch stop, we addressed some biological urges. It was a better public toilet than I remember from my last stop 11 years ago. I did provide our own TP, but that is just expected in Tz. I always have a travel tissue pack in a pocket.

I was eager to get nyama choma, roasted meat. Anya wanted some chipsi, French fries. So, for the equivalent of $2.50 we had a take away box. Another $.25 bought Anya a chapati (like a thick tortilla fried in oil). We ate these while we talked to the Spanish woman. She had just spent a month west of Monduli at a Maasai primary school. She was going to have a day at the beach in Dar es Salaam before flying back to Spain. She was impressed with Anya’s Spanish, commenting that she had a Mexican pronunciation. But she very engaging, and her blue eyes sparkled. We wished her well as we relayed that we’d be getting off before Dar.

The stewardess knew we needed to get off at Segera, and I wouldn’t know the stop, so I would need some help. As it turned out, we were the only ones who got off, literally dropped at the side of the road in a quintessential small African village. We were the only wazungu, white people, and some of the very few women, with African men all around. We brought our bags into the shade, and I called our contact, Mohamed, to let him know we had arrived. He said a green car would be there in 5 minutes. Some of the young men tried to greet me in English. I responded in Kiswahili. This seems to give some respect, as they know that I’m not just the typical tourist. They know that I know a bit of the culture and what is appropriate. We were then left alone, as we watched a young man make chips maiyai (fried egg on French fries) in an old tire rim for a deep fryer.

Abu and Daudi came at about 11:45 am and helped us with the bags. We did the greetings and introductions and drove off. The beautiful scenery and rhythm of passing small African villages brought us to the Pangani River. We cross on the ferry, as I greeted a Muslim woman in the hijab. The Swahili coast is mostly Muslim. Our travels continued until 1:45 pm, when we arrived at Emanyani Beach Lodge. We were greeting with sweet fruit juice, and after registration, we settled into our banda facing the Indian Ocean.

The banda has banana leaf outer walls and roof. There is a basic cement block wall inside, with a woven reed mat over the white sand. The hard wood furniture is solid and substantial. For a bit of security, I brought a Pack-Safe woven steel reinforced bag that I put our laptops and camera in while we are out, locking it with a stainless steel cable to the heavy furnishings. Passports and money are in the safe, but it isn’t big enough for all the tech gear.

After a bit of unpacking, we checked out the club house, and ordered cokes and an order of nice vegetable samosas (Indian snacks like a spring roll, but in triangle shape). I took a short nap at high tide, while Anya explored the beach.

Later, I explored the beach while Anya did her nails and put on some new polish on the porch of the banda. As some of you can imagine, the beach is a bit cleaner now. I walked back and forth in front of our banda picking up trash that had floated ashore. Anya thinks I’m crazy to do this on vacation, but I’m happier having made the world a little more beautiful.

I’m sitting now in the clubhouse, with an idyllic view of the ocean, as palm trees wave gently in the breeze. There is complimentary coffee, tea, and drinking chocolate throughout the day. We both partook of the latter. It is warm, but not unbearable, as the breeze keeps it nice as well as keeping the bugs away.

Anya remembered a corner of the clubhouse, where I read to her a Frog and Toad book and a puzzel. Wow! She was 4 years and 4 months old! She doesn’t remember the banda or the beach, but does remember the reading corner!

I was able to talk with the woman who coordinates the water activities. We will join another family going snorkeling tomorrow morning at 8:00 am, after slathering on the sun screen!

Dinner is at 7:30 pm, followed by an attempt to update this blog as there was no wifi possible earlier when the power was out. I’m tired. Off to sleep!