Tues 23rd. Went for my 06:00 bus to Dar. We left exactly on time. Slightly scary trip from Lushoto down to Mombo…partly in the dark and rain….with a steep drop on one side. In fact we had to break hard on one bend to avoid hitting a dala dala on its way up the mountain. And to think I did the Mombo/Soni section 12 times per year for 6 years. All tarmac now but very scary in those days.
25 mins Lushoto to Soni..06:22-06:47. Also 25 mins Soni to Mombo..6:50-7:15. Arr Korogwe 08:00. Reached Segera junction at 8:25.
A good trip ( had almost a front seat). Some miscommunication and I got off the bus too early in Dar. Got a boda to Nyuki stage and then a dala dala to Kariakoo. Apart from a 15 minute wait at a notoriously tedious set of traffic lights, it was probably the best option…by accident. I had to walk about 15 minutes to Riki Hill htl, arriving early afternoon. I couldn’t get the 5,000 discount that was supposedly promised me a month earlier. After checking in I went to the ‘Congolese ‘ bar, then found the Chowpatty restaurant as recommended by Mark, for a thali dinner. It was delicious and made a nice change, but I wouldn’t revisit as it had a ‘fast food’ feel about the place. After that, a drink or two at 24/7 opposite the hotel and slept just the one night at Riki Hill.
Wed 24th. Had a leisurely breakfast. Walked to the DTB to draw out some cash. Had a tea. I checked out a bit later (about 11:00) from Riki Hill and walked the 5 minutes to Mnazi Mmoja to catch the dala dala to Segerea. I got a front seat but it took a little while to leave. The trip was over an hour, but fun looking out for changes/developments in the last few years. I stopped at Kingdom bar for a tea before going on to find the lodging that Amy had found for me. Had some difficulty finding it in the backstreets. The people didn’t seem that interested. The one room available had a broken door, so I decided to look elsewhere. I found the Akeri Guest house. I didn’t go for the 10,000 room (£3) with shared bathroom, but went for the 15,000tsh (£5) self contained. Basic but with a mosquito net and fan and comfortable bed. I went walkabout to reacquaint myself with Segerea. Had a couple of tasty samosas and a tea opposite the Stage.
By then it was late afternoon. I showered and went to Pork Point for kiti moto. It was a place I used to frequent with Emil, but has since changed its name and got a bit smarter and more popular. Afterwards I went back to Kingdom for a couple of beers. I didn’t leave it too late to go back to lodging.
Thurs 25th. My last day in Tz. I had a mandazi breakfast…same place facing the dala dala stage. I went over to the Emil family plot. I had a great 3 hour chat with Amy and her mother. I then eventually found a tailor to get my shirt pocket stiched up. I arranged to meet Amy for a bar b q pork dinner at Pork Point. After showering and packing, I went to Kingdom for a couple of hours to pass the time. Booked my taxi to the airport, and left at 12:30…After midnight..!
Fri 26th. I hung around the airport until my flight at 03:40. Reached Nairobi a couple of hours later. At least having Internet these days helps to pass the time. I had some KSH on me so bought myself a nice coffee. There was a 45 minute delay leaving Nairobi whilst someone argued over the lack of an empty seat next to him despite paying $40 for one. Good flight. A later arrival at Heathrow. Waited longer than usual for my rucksack. Got off the tube at Barons Court but nothing said about the District Line not stopping there….More time wasted. Bought a Senior railcard at Victoria Station so at least got 30% off my ticket to E Grinstead. Tried to negotiate with the taxi driver over the fare to Forest Row….I somehow got a £1 reduction!! So, I got to Forest Row after 10pm. The end of 6 months in E Africa. An amazing adventure as usual, but the first time visits to Zanzibar and Pemba were the highlights.