Matema
Sat 29th Mar
Quite a noisy last morning…not sure what was going on. I had plenty of time as I wanted some mtori before leaving. I fully packed and went downstairs. The mtori wasn’t ready yet, so I decided to leave.
It was a bit of a wait around the corner for a dala dala, and the one that came along wasn’t going to nane nane bus stand anyway. So I kept walking down the hill to the main bus stand. 15 minutes later we were on our way…starting in the backstreets of Mbeya, so a short journey took nearly an hour.
After the Ujole junction and 15 minutes down the road, the fun started. 09:30 there’s an immigration road stop. He sees my passport with lots of stamps over a period of about 3 years. I’m told to get off; I take my rucksack. The bus leaves, and I’ve already paid my fare to Matema.
Then there’s over 30 minutes of questions/interrogation. He was pleasant enough but always a threat that could send me back… to where, I don’t know. Was I undercover police ? He went through my Tz phone contacts, through my Tz messages and my Messenger messages.
He started getting bored and subtlely hinted that the ‘guys’ needed some refreshment. In the meantime a number of Matema dalas had passed. I handed over 10,000 ( just over 3Gbp). Then my luck kicked in.
A Malawian in a private vehicle returning to Malawi, had his suspect passenger kicked and was told to take me to the Kyela junction not far from the border at Kisumulu. That was an hour and a half free ride with Grant before he dropped me off.
Then amazingly, after only waiting for 5 minutes, the first bus to come along was the one that had left me with immigration over 2 hours earlier. I thought I recognised the conductor and when I saw the driver I knew it was definitely the same bus. So, I’d already paid my fare, and when I switched buses to go from Kyela to Matema, the conductor handed over the 3,000 for that leg of the journey. What amazing luck and an amazing twist of fate.
We were slow getting going and it took an hour to get to Matema. Down at the roundabout, signs to the hotels all pointed to the right. First was the Lutheran centre with a very nice room on the beach, and although the price dropped from 70-50000, I couldn’t get it any lower.
Next was Matema Lake resort where nobody was on reception but I had a good look at the beach. I went on to Landmark where prices were silly at 120 – 150,000. Of course there was scope for a reduction which wouldn’t be nearly enough.
Back to Matema Lake who offered 70,000. By this time I realised those places were too far from the town centre and I had done a lot of walking in the heat. Back to Lutheran who offered 40,000 but without breakfast
I decided to go back into town and research guesthouses. I was pointed in the direction of one, 5 minutes away, room on the edge of the beach , and only costing 15,000 (less than 5Gbp). It was a little while before I met the owner and he showed me the room; in the meantime I chatted with a brother and sister at the beach.
So, very basic…peeling plaster in the bathroom; the toilet flush is complicated; no hot water; no running water…a jug and bucket approach for bathing.!! But I don’t spend much time in my room during the day…I don’t need anything fancy.
I got to know the town a little bit. Found somewhere to have maharage na wali. I bought a Hanson’s Choice for later in my room. Otherwise, I had a couple of beers at the bar a few metres from my room. Then I retired to some very loud music from the bar; I managed to get to sleep, and the music went off at midnight.
Sun 30th Mar
At least I had a net and the bed was comfortable. I still had to have a cold wash in the morning. I went walkabout looking for some tea. I had to settle on black tea, but I had a mandazi with it. The unusual thing was that the hoteli was swarming with bees, which was a bit off-putting. But I was assured they were harmless and didn’t sting..!!!
I decided to go to the port just to see where the ferry docked. It was further than I expected, but not too far. About half way there was a stream crossing the road and I really didn’t fancy getting my shoes wet. A young guy saw my predicament and gave me a piggy back for those half a dozen metres.
The port was busier than I expected. I took a few pics, including on the walk back along the beach. I had the same problem crossing the road, but the same young guy was there and he gave me a piggy back again. This time I gave him 500bob as a thank you.
I went down to the beach before my accommodation and walked along, passed the hospital, and up passed the Lutheran place. I took pics of the smart room on the beach that I could’ve had for 40,000. But I was saving 25,000..!!
Being Sunday the Lutheran museum was closed. I was feeling peckish and ended up having a fish lunch…just a fish steak for 5,000Tsh ( £1.50 ). Back at my room, I decided to take the plunge…literally, to go for a swim.There was hardly anyone about so I wouldn’t be stared at.
No sooner had I gone in and had a couple of dips, then some huge waves came over me. I was lifted up and thrown down in the shallows. I didn’t get a chance to stand up before another wave hit. Then I was dragged under for a second before being engulfed again and thrown forward again. After this happened 3 or 4 times, I was able to get some purchase on the very loose gravel/sand and drag myself up onto the beach. Well, that was a bit scary.
Back in my room it took a while to rinse off all the tiny stones that were stuck in my body hair and in my underpants. It was a lesson in how a simple situation can turn to a disaster so quickly.
Later in the afternoon I tried somewhere different to have a drink; mainly because I heard that kiti moto was prepared next door. The guy wasn’t there. But apparently a few shops away at mama Ray’s where I had the fish lunch, I could also find kiti moto.
It turned out she owned the restaurant and a bar nearby and her husband cooked kiti moto near the bar. So I took my time over a couple of beers, and the kiti moto when it arrived. The kiti moto was just ‘kavu’…deep fried with not a lot of flavour…but fine for 5,000Tsh.
I went back towards my room and the beach bar nearby. I sat at a table looking out on the lake. I got talking to a couple of girls before rain threatened and we had to move inside the bar. I finished my second beer and retired to my room in the hope of getting some sleep despite the loud music from the bar.
So that was my second failed attempt to catch the ferry down the lake. Last year because of too much rain and muddy roads making access to the port difficult, and the jetty in Mbamba Bay being under water.
This year because I wasn’t told there were only 2 sailings a month, and my timing was all wrong. So again I had to go back to Mbeya and take the road route to Mbamba Bay.
Kyela
Mon 31st Mar
I got sufficient sleep. I woke up after 07:00. By 08:00 I got going and bumped into Edward the owner, so was able to thank him and tell him the key was in the room. I couldn’t find any tea being sold and headed straight for the bus that was obviously waiting to leave.
We left after 15 minutes with only me as the passenger. We went slowly picking up the occasional person along the way. Nearly 45 minutes to the junction to Kyela, where I switched to a dala dala.
Another 20 minutes before reaching the Kyela bus stand. There I found somewhere selling tea…hot milk with tea leaves added separately.
I checked on a couple of guest houses, but I really wanted wifi. King Solomon, where I stayed last time, hadn’t paid a subscription. Opposite..no. But ML Inn next door had paid but just needed connecting to provide me with the password. So, I paid my 30,000 (just under 10Gbp incl breakfast) for a very nice room.
I needed another tea. I went to the New Steak Inn, knowing it was quite a smart place. I thought I’d left my Tz phone at Steak Inn…went back but nothing….then I remembered it was in the flap pocket of my rucksack.
I went back to ML, got my phone and was given the password to the wifi. I immediately started on my FB post regarding my adventure in Mbeya on my way to Matema.
Boniface responded to my message saying I was in Kyela. He came to ML, I finished my post, and we went to Half London bar. It had gone downhill and there weren’t even any drinks on the shelves behind the bar. I took a couple of photos to send to Terry.
We went for a drink at his friend Mary’s place right next door to ML. Then we went walkabout looking for a replacement umbrella for me. We found one for 5,000Tsh..£1.50..was happy with that. Then back to Mary’s for one drink.
I went back to my room, then just down the road to order my kiti moto. It took a while to come, but I was enjoying looking at all the activies on the road.
The kiti moto was quite delicious, perhaps a little too much fat, but a nice,sweet banana plus nice level of chilli sauce, and some katchumbari. I walked up the road, just to check out the neighbourhood…bought some water…stopped at Kiteputepu (apparently means a rope bridge)…cool name. Stopped off at Mary’s to buy a KVant for 4,000 to take back to my room.