Mount Rungwe in all of her glory!

What a delight to have a travel companion join David and me on our adventure as we crossed the border between Malawi and Tanzania! Border crossings are ALWAYS an adventure, and we seem to have a habit of making it to the post, leaving very little time to undergo the necessary processes. Alas, we have managed to display our headless chicken dance sufficiently and have made it through each border to date, possibly this strategy is working in our favour for now😊

Luciana, you are welcome to join us anytime! I love it when you meet new friends who become old friends in an instant!

Our first few days in Tanzania were spent in the Mbeya Region, tasting delicious foods on offer, obviously, and climbing Mount Rungwe. This inactive volcano was a great place to observe how the layers of vegetation change as we reached the summit. A healthy, happy, thriving, abundant, wet Forest at the base of the mountain was the best way to ease us into what took 7 hours to climb. Needless to say, we had an elated botanist on our hands, as the floral gems on this mountain were many and so pleasing to the eye and heart!

We all affectionately refer to our Mount Rungwe visit as the “day of confusion”. As the day progressed, we realized that the 2 mandatory guides had a very different plan for the day compared to what was discussed the day before when we met with them. This resulted in carrying equipment in two backpacks that was not necessary, and needing to come back down the mountain to sleep as opposed to camping at the summit. Remarkable to be in a situation where those involved appeared to be on completely different planets, navigating this with grace and compassion and finding a way forward.Read more