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Rainy season, the juicy season
  • Michi, der

Rainy season, the juicy season

In search of dead ends in the nature Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 6, 2023
    Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Let's swap tha for a shorter one
    Done3Soon to become a Benz G again1Genuine Bosch

    The same procedure as last year?

    Nov 6–14, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    "The same procedure as every year, Michi"

    I should have known. Initially I had not much work planned on my car and wanted to leave early into the bush. But then I notice some dents in my rear door behind the spare wheel. A vertical object must have kissed the wheel in my absence and the tyre transferred the impact onto the touching steel body. Now, bending work is necessary to get it straightened. Afterwards I also end up repairing 25+ deep scratches all over the vehicle body, welding a new fire extinguisher bracket for my front seat, doing some woodwork on the bed, closing the ventilation inlet with a grid in order to prevent rats from entering my car during my absence (they love to build nests on my ventilation filter), getting my old linen pants patched up, getting new linen pants and a linen shirt tailored, delivering some German donations to an orphanage and talking a lot with Eckhard.

    Finally, once I am fully packed and ready to leave we notice a new squealing sound from the engine bay and I loose two further days 🙈: The bearing of my Toyota's "power heater assembly" is at the end of its lifespan. Funnily, the local models don't have such a heater installed because nobody requires heating a car here. This means that getting spare parts is difficult and expensive. Our pragmatic solution is to install a shorter V-belt which simply bypasses the heater. Silence!    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Little Bee-eater with immature on lookout for insectsZansibar Red Bishop collecting seedsBrown-hooded KingfisherRains flooding Dar

    Meanwhile

    November 10, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Whenever I have to wait for people or spare parts, I stroll around Eckhard's wild garden which he should transfer into a nature reserve as it spills over with frogs and colorful birds! Even a White-browed Robin-chat was chanting for me in the evening!Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der

    Cosy traffic jam in the rain

    November 15, 2023 in Tanzania

    3 fuckin' hours the road is blocked because of an overturned truck. Love my bed for unplanned afternoon naps!

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Quartz sandstone harvesting1You lead the way!View south over Mngazi River, flowing later into Ruvu

    Strange side of the mountains

    Nov 16–17, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ 🌧 26 °C

    From rainy Morogoro I take the road east into Uluguru Mountains which turns out to be hell on earth with all the holes and bumps. A car killer.

    At higher altitude the atmosphere gets uncomfortable, not only due to clouds, rain and mud but also because the people make a rather ignorant and distanced, sceptic impression on me. Strange and unexpected. I stop once and buy tomatoes in order to show them that I am neither a monster nor Jesus.

    The second half of the road leads out of the hills and down into the vast plains of Nyerere National Park. From one moment to the other the world feels like being cut with a knife. Clouds open, the sun burns and the people down here smile at me again. And everybody is riding bicycles! In the first village I see many shops with refurbished wire donkeys (Drahtesels) and spare parts. Looks like being the main economy driver here!

    Just in time for dusk I drive some 100 m up the steep hillside ridge to get a beautiful evening view and camp next to road between stumps of cut trees. Nearby, Masai are bringing their cattle back home for the night.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Saitoti with his book
    My planned route in yellowTaZaRaLemara Camp

    Who are the Masai?

    Nov 17–18, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    My plan is to follow the shortcut road from Kisaki to the west through southern Mikumi National Park. But I have to ask around if it is usable after all the rains. For that I drive to the Matambwe gate of Nyerere Park where I find ranger John who serves me coffee and tells me "No, your planned route has not been used for several years." A safari car driver comes over and adds "Even in dry season it is not doable because a river bridge is missing. Only the railway bridge is left." John also calls his local Masai friend Saitoti who tells me the same. Damn.

    Saitoti wants to meet with me. "When you head back to Kisaki, I'll be waiting for you at the third railway crossing." he says on the phone. Half an hour later I cross the tracks a third time and ... behind a curve Saitoti jumps into my car. "Let's grab some lunch in Kisaki!" and off we go. Saitoti turns out to be a really nice guy and I learn a lot about the surroundings. He worked as tour guide in different national parks for 10 years until Corona cut down everything. This is when he returned here, back home. I ask him about his tribe and its distinction from the Masai tribes I met in northern Tanzania. "How great that you ask! I just finished writing a book about Masai and am publishing it through a Chinese publisher. (The European are too expensive.) Read it and all your questions will be answered 😁!" Later, he gifts me his very first personal book copy.

    I end the day at Masai-owned Lemara Eco Camp where I listen to bush babies, hyenas and the night train.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    1Posing with Allan
    With the photographerThis very bridge 2 days earlier

    Ancient German Ruvu river bridge

    November 18, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    There is no alternative but to drive all the way back to Morogoro through Uluguru Mountains. This time I stop at Ruvu river bridge in between the last remaining patches of pristine forest. Some guys are flying a drone for nature film production and I get to know Allan with his photo and film crew from "Godlen Adventure". We exchange numbers and a few hours later Allan sends me some pics which the boys had made of us on the bridge! Thanks for that!!Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der

    Ugali man

    November 20, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    So nice he is! Even though we both struggle with our languages he keeps asking, telling and explaining. (The mamas are a bit afraid of me and rather prefer hiding.) After my rice lunch I catch him stirring Ugali, the typical Tanzanian maize porridge. Actually, it must be my first time seeing a guy in action as street food chef 🧑‍🍳. This domain is usually occupied by ... mamas.Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Fallen tree left and small Macadamia bush in foreground

    Dead end

    November 20, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    I want to follow a tiny side road along the border of Nyerere National Park (former Selous) which is supposed to exist according to my paper map. The beginning looks promising but then a huge fallen tree blocks my plans. Some locals accumulated and are waiting for the chainsaw man. They tell me that the newly planted trees around here are Macadamia nut trees!Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Quarry for the night
    3Ascending Mahenge mountain rangeThese black rocks are white inside (quartzite?)

    No signal

    Nov 20–21, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Around Mahenge a yet unknown mountain range opens to me. South of it, the landscape begins to get wilder, is less populated and very scenic. It is also dryer here and I am not going to get problems with muddy tracks.

    For the following 24 hours I will not meet a single other car! Just scarce mopeds and a handful of small trucks. Also, you won't find any touristic infrastructure. Nothing!

    Just like in the eastern Uluguru Mountains a few days ago I again see many rock formations made of black-white quartz sandstone which is "harvested" by the locals for further trade.

    And where there are mountains, there is a quarry. Always. And this particular one allows hiding so well from the road that I would be doomed if I didn't camp here for the night, being surrounded by pure nature sound and without having mobile network signal for the following day.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    🧐2Sali mission

    Sali

    November 21, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    How far will I continue here? Again I will have to return along the same route because all roads are ending (!) south of Mahenge mountains and the only option for a small round trip is blocked by yesterday's fallen tree and, presumably, by a missing bridge.

    On my paper map I read "Old Capuchin Mission" in Sali. Glancing at the topography it looks like an interesting ascent into the mountains. That is what I came for!

    Oh and what a wonderful ride this is! The remote villages are calm with only a few people working on their fields. With my car squeezing through the narrow paths I feel like an intruding alien, maneuvering a spaceship on the surface of a far and distant planet. Somewhat surreal. Do I have the permission to be here at all? How do the locals perceive me?

    Suddenly, where the slope starts to get increasingly steep: traffic signs. Haven't seen any for hours! And the "road" (2 m wide) changes from dirt to tarmac. What? Here? A fantastic scenery follows while I meander up the mountain.

    The road ends in Sali and indeed there is an old Roman mission with a primary and secondary school and many curious kids of all ages who are eager to train their English with me. Super strange to find such a noble establishment up here. Teacher Simon tells me that the compound must have been founded around 1911.

    I enjoy the fresh mountain breeze and walk around, catching locals with my camera. They are shy at first but then proudly pose for me!

    Later I will regret not having stayed here over night because the area would have also been perfect for a day's hike into the nearby pristine forest of which not much is left.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Farmer leading my wayManaged to cut throughFinal destinationLiking my sheep's milk ginger soapMy custom campsite3The official campsiteWay back

    Just 400 m are missing

    Nov 21–22, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    There are rumors of a rarely used campsite 7 km off the main road, just at the boundary of Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Very alluring! The access route was not mapped (now it is) and I have to ask a farmer on the field if I am supposed to be driving through maize and other crops in order to reach the camp? He confirms, shrugs and starts to lead the way what is just a single track for pedestrians and cyclists. He damn knows what he is doing and makes me aware of many hidden holes which would have swallowed my wheels entirely. Again I prove that communication is possible without a common language. Our paths part where the track gets wider and shows previous vehicle usage.

    After a bumpy drive, the forest closes around me and out of nothing a ranger station appears. The only person around confirms the existence of a camp as well and – being totally uninterested – waves me into the direction behind the buildings and around the hill: "You will see." But what I encounter is grass up to my bonnet and thick bush in front of me. Aha? Not more than 50 metres away from the ranger, thick branches block my passage. He could have told me! I manage to cut them down with my hand saw and continue, just when I notice some Tsetse flies in the car. Huge ones! A few moments later I realise that it must rather be a trillion of them because once I switch on my headlights, all of them accumulate at my windscreen in a thick buzzing layer, blocking my sight. Hard work to get them out again!

    With the daylight fading I am again stopped by a fallen tree and quickly realise that this is meant to be today's final destination. Neither axe nor saw will cut this thick thing in a reasonable amount of time. (Wurstdaniel would have managed though 😉.) According to the GPS coordinates, the official campsite must be just 400 m ahead.

    Birds tell me to wake up. With coffee in hand I observe a mothish butterfly licking my soap. Only at the second glance I notice a reoccurring pattern: Every few seconds, prior to licking, the colourful beauty pees a drop of liquid onto my soap to dilute the surface. So damn fascinating! I can watch for hours. Which nutrients is it looking for?? My soap consists of just natural ingredients, based on sheep's milk with ginger (from Bremer Seifenwerkstatt). Yet another example for the true beauty of nature often being hidden in overlookable details.

    I also hear some hippos from the nearby river and when I collect all my courage to walk the remaining distance to the camp, I can even smell them. The camp turns out to be a shaded area under high canopy with stone table and benches. Not much of a gain compared to my fallen tree spot 😛.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Fruit fly farmingThe leaderArtificial sprinklers for researchGood bye Yoel and Felix!

    Kihansi Spray Toad

    Nov 22–23, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    I pass a signboard of the Kihansi Wildlife Research Station. It says "Kihansi Spray Toad Breeding Facility". What the heck? Here, in the middle of nowhere? Out of curiosity I turn back and ask for a visit. Granted.

    Felix the station supervisor and his volunteer Yoel are super welcoming and within minutes I dive deeply into the extinction history of this very "spray toad". It was once endemic to the Kihansi river flowing down in several waterfalls from the Udzungwa escarpment behind us. The species was strongly depended on the water spray in vicinity of the falls. When around 1996 a hydropower plant has been built in the upper areas, the water flow declined from 16 m³ to 2 m³ per second which resulted in much less waterfall spray. The following vegetation change among other factors lead to rapid vanishing of the whole toad population which was specialized on the humid environmental conditions, to be found in this very gorge only.

    Now, here we are at the breeding facility which conducts research on how to re-establish a stable population. The tiny yellowish toads are live-bearing and just give birth to 3-5 youngsters each iteration. The eggs are fertilized inside of the mother’s body and need around 3 months to hatch and to be "raised". Already these parameters make the species very fragile. I learn how at this breeding facility the young toads are fed with Collembola (springtails) and the adults with Drosophila (common fruit fly) and crickets, all being farmed just the next door. There is also another captive population in the USA which is going to be partly transferred here soon.

    It is 4 in the afternoon and Yoel spontaneously offers to hike up the steep path into the thick forest to one of the wetland areas, the former toad habitat. After the environmental impact assessment, the power plant operator TANESCO has been made responsible to maintain the gorge infrastructure for the government being able to conduct research around the resettlement of the toads. They have installed artificial sprinklers to imitate the humid environment 😅. The first toad release experiments here have not been successful and some of the following research questions are still open: Which influence does natural food have in contrast to artificial feeding? Which change in vegetation has the biggest impact? How does the immune system of toads raised in captivity deal with diseases such as chytrid fungi (the former population must have been able to withstand)? Is there an inbreeding depression on the population? A nice playground for students! There is still one rather intact wetland area left upstream which is promising for future release experiments.

    The three of us spend our evening at Kihansi Social Club which hosts all the power plant workers and also fills the gap of being the only place to hang out in this region. Felix got a Master’s degrees in natural resource management in Australia and one in aquaculture in Belgium. For his thesis he went to Vietnam. Yoel graduated with a Bachelor in biotechnology and laboratory science.

    For the night I get a room in the research station’s guest house 😎. With a burning heart I leave the following noon after catching up with some digital homework in this cosy atmosphere.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    3
    Further farms formingGood morning pineapple place!Thanks for this experience!

    Pineapple overflow

    Nov 23–24, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    After a mud bath around Taweta – I was about to surrender if not a local had guided me through the mud – the road leads nicely smooth with sharp corners and steep slopes through bubbly hills. Beautiful landscape, even with a lot of freshly burned woodland, now featuring small farms. The soil looks very fertile indeed! Slowly my altimeter crawls from 300 to 1000 m. No traffic, not even motorcycles. A meditative drive.

    In places the dirt road is freshly graded which is comfortable as long as it stays dry. I get some very little rain which already suffices to turn it into a soapy undertaking. The car drifts constantly from side to side even in first gear and lowest speed. Bad combination with the steep slopes. I decide to continue tomorrow on hopefully drier surface.

    On top of a hill I ask young Octer if I might camp just next to the road at (t)his pineapple farm. Even better, he brings me to a farm house where his parents welcome me warmly! I am allowed to camp here and am invited for dinner.

    The next morning I am shown around by Meshack who runs the farm seasonally. He proudly tells me that these are all organic pineapples, grown without artificial pesticides or fertilizers. For private use they also grow super-tiny and tasty parachichi (avocado), some sugarcane, cassava and lemongrass. In a small valley down the hills he shows me the remaining natural forest where he always likes to go to free his mind. For my further journey I am gifted 3 juicy ananas and in turn I leave all my German chocolate behind 😃. Thanks!    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Fresh harvest drying 18-38 hFermentation in progress

    Tea time

    November 24, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Out of a sudden, when reaching 1500 m altitude, the smooth hills around Lupembe start glowing in a familiar fresh green colour. I didn't expect to find tea here 🥳! On a farm I stop and walk into one of the fields. The friendly farmers are hand-plucking the new harvest right now. They send me to the next village to look out for the factory to inquire more information. I want to buy this tea!

    At the Lupembe Tea Factory in Igombola I cause some irritation when driving onto the compound. Nobody is able to deal with my surprising appearance. After hesitations and phone calls, Baraka the young factory manager approaches me. He calls his lady boss for permission and a few minutes later I get a spontaneous tour through the factory which is active in processing the recent harvests. Perfect timing! And what a wonderful smell enters my nose!

    Baraka answers my many questions and is eager to show me around. Like the pineapple farmer he is proudly emphasising that this is all organic tea. I learn about the fermentation process which leads to black tea. It is much faster than expected: after breaking the leaves into tiny pieces the tea needs around 2 hours where it turns from juicy green to brown. Afterwards the fermentation is stopped with hot air/steam. In a final step, unwanted fibres are separated and the dry tea is sorted into different grades and qualities. When I ask where to buy this tea, the answer is "Dar es Salaam". But then after another phone call I receive a huge package of yesterday’s production 😃. It is classified PF1 (tiny curled pieces, "Pekoe Fannings 1") which – after some research – is theoretically not considered to be top quality but is very popular around Eastern Afrika. This one is sold within Tanzania and yields an intense brew. (All the tea factories I saw in Kenya in 2021 produced a similar grade.) If a customer demands other grades, the machines can be reconfigured accordingly and off they go with a new production. Enlightening and interesting!

    The next day, southwest of Njombe, I will encounter different farms, more industrialized, with tea bushes uniformly cut by machines and no people around. Less sexy.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der

    Ass of God 🍑

    November 24, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Somebody having been utterly over-enthusiastic with abbreviating "assemblies" 🤣.

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Tiny bee harvesting CommelinaDendrobium?

    Preparing for sunset dinner

    Nov 25–26, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Even though I had a nice accommodation in Njombe, I have to flee into the mountains. There had accumulated a wedding party next to my cottage which had been just too loud for my gusto. Now, here on 2265 m, I find back to myself.

    The next morning I wake up in ice-cold clouds. At 08:00 the sky breaks open and sun starts to rule my day. I get lazy and fix some things around the car. At 14:00, after 21 h without having met anybody, two guys on a motorbike pass by and return back to see who I am. One of them is totally drunk, behaves like a little baby boy and pisses me off to the extent that I pack things and leave because they don't seem to be wanting to depart voluntarily.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    2Gravel pit camp

    Bats

    Nov 26–27, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    This mountain range is wonderful! From one valley to the other I climb narrow and steep tracks which aren't mapped anywhere. 1300 m, 2100 m and down on 1500 m again. Then repeat. High up on the ridges you could basically camp everywhere. And from each ridge you can make out the faint course of the next track already.

    My day ends in a nice quarry, shielded from the road. There is a small bird singing cheerfully which drives me crazy because it hides so well that I never manage to spot it. Also, wherever I walk, I see other big dark birds with red wing tips fleeing and hiding quickly. No chance to get a clear view!

    At dusk, I suddenly notice strange sounds above my head. Thousands of huge bats are migrating down from higher altitudes into the valleys. They fly very low over my car where they catch thick bugs in a looping and continue. This spectacle last for more than 20 minutes!    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Lunch in Milo
    Yellow-throated Mountain Greenbul?1Descent the following morning

    King of quarries

    November 27, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Today only a short roundtrip where I
    map new roads and discover remote places.

    I encounter friendly villagers during lunch who help me to find kerosene (petroleum) for my stove in a small shop. Until last year it was easily possible to find kerosene at regular petrol stations but something changed and I was unsuccessful to get any during the whole trip! Solar power is advancing and thus nobody uses antique lanterns anymore? All the romance gone? Come on! 🙄

    I get fascinated by the pristine forest up here where I again hear this small bird which's sound no fancy machine-learning-based app is able to identify. Finally I manage to picture it! It might be a Yellow-throated Mountain Greenbul (Arizelocichla chlorigula). Very shy and hiding well from my stares, always in shady canopy patches. And again this big, dark blue one, with a crest and red patches in its wings when flying. It's more of s purple red hue and literally glowing. Also shy and likes to hop between branches in areas away from people. Looks a bit like a Ross's turaco but I never saw coloured parts of the head and am not sure about its natural habitat being here 🤔?

    I decide to end my day in this absorbing environment. Guess where? Yet again in an abandoned quarry, surrounded by this fantastic forest and with super sunset over the last remaining Livingstone mountain ridge which separates me from a view on lake Nyassa. The next morning I do a hike in the forest to find more birds.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    8What might that become later?

    No road to Makonde

    November 28, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    I try my best to get a glimpse on lake Nyassa. From top of the Livingstone mountain ridge the lake opens in front of me. Or, at least the misty sky reaches farther down than expected and blends neatly into the water, forming an infinite horizon. That must be it!

    Unfortunately, my attempt to drive down the incredibly steep slopes is boycotted by roadworks 🤷‍♂️.

    During the last days I noticed that people are different in this area. They are skeptical, don't approach me, don't try to talk to me. In one village after lunch an executive officer appears and asks me for my
    purpose of coming here. "Hmm, tourist? No purpose?" She isn't able to understand that I found myself in this place just out of intrinsic motivation. I should have registered in the district office an hour drive away from here. And I should have brought documents and permissions for moving around here. What the heck?    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    1

    Pass to Liunji

    November 28, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Another beautiful track up the Livingstone ridge with views along a juicy valley down to the lake. Should I camp here already? It's a bit windy and so I decide to descend in direction of the village of Liunji. Maybe I find a calm spot on the way? It turns out to be one of the most beautiful and crazy roads so far! So steep that I can only proceed with low range gears 1-3. In a corner, an older lady with a huge cabbage bag on her head signals to me that she would desperately like to get a lifti (taxi) down to the village. Hmm, I did not plan to go all the way to the village but, okay, I can still return. And this is where Liunji takes me in.Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    1Surrounded by Oscar, Leo and the cabbage lady
    Baby coffeeBamboo juice harvestingHuge avocado tree, pig in wooden fence, coffee depulping machineShady bamboo breakNew "bamboo juice" delivery!It's all about life and death

    In Liunji I begin to understand

    Nov 28–29, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We arrive. She falls onto her knees, kissing my hand and thanking me for the ride 😅. I get introduced to Leo, the young security guy with the only village moped, and decide that staying here in the village could also be a nice option. But nobody speaks English. With hands and feet, the base of my intention is communicated. Still, I have to wait many phone calls until things proceed. I am handed the phone where – for the second time this day – a guy asks me about my purpose and tells me that I should have registered in the district office before coming to Liunji. What is going on here 🤔? I explain to him the idea of being a tourist and that his claim is ridiculous. How should foreigners know to register anywhere in advance? Finally, Leo leads me through fields of coffee bushes to meet the village's chief. A young, calm and fascinating person with authoritarian aura. I am granted permission to camp next to the dispensary.

    In the dark, during my dinner preparation, Oscar arrives on a motorbike. A talkative boy who – in a loose conversation – manages to interrogate me thoroughly, asking about every item around my car and … about my purpose of coming here 🙄. "I just looked on my map and thought that it might be beautiful here! I am innocent of whatever you accuse me!" Only now he tells me that he is the village's executive officer. With a mischievous grin he asks "And you are sure you didn't come here for the minerals?" 🤦‍♂️. So, that’s the reason for all this creepy suspiciousness in this mountain region!

    The following morning, we have an official gathering where I am supposed to be introduced to some other persons in charge. But nobody apart from Oscar and the ladies from around the small market square appear. I share my favourite Tanzanian coffee brew with them. In turn, I am asked if I wanted to try their "bamboo juice". For sure! A cloudy, watery drink, sour, sweet, slightly sparkling. The girls start to giggle. It contains alcohol! After a regular-sized mug I already feel dizzy and this is where I notice that the ladies are sharing a two- or three-litre plastic bucket of the same "juice" (Ulanzi). Alright, let's get drunk at 07:30 in the morning! This also explains why all the ladies in the previous villages where laughing and going wild when I jumped out of the car in search of lunch. By noon, they must have been thoroughly drunk already!

    Oscar turns out to be a splendid lad and spends half the day hiking with me around the hills and introducing me to the secrets of his village. I see the coffee tree nursery and get shown how they extract their bamboo juice. The first time in my life I see yams plants, we visit avocado, cassava, maize and beans farmers and I learn that they keep their cattle mainly for natural manure production. "It's much better than all artificial fertilizers" Oscar proudly states, pointing me to a pit where all sheep and goat poo is collected for later use on the fields. They also keep happily grunting pigs in wooden cages. After harvest, the coffee pulp is reused as fertilizer as well. Aye, what a beautiful place this is! Descending down to the lake is not an option anymore because a round-trip would take a whole day and massive cumulus nimbi are accumulating above us. My new family demands taking a picture in front of my mobile home and with a half-broken heart I continue my journey into the unknown void.    Read more

  • Michi, derRainy season, the juicy seasonMichi, der
    Tandala Udiakonia Guest House

    Civilization

    Nov 30–Dec 2, 2023 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    No, I don't mean the computer game. I ... ehm ... stop! I *do* mean the computer game. "Civilization VI" to be precise, which features one type of game victory – "through religion" – where you send out missionaries and priests to convince other civilizations in the game's artificial world to believe in your word of truth.

    So, here I am, in a diaconical guesthouse, being successfully converted by two young German social volunteering ladies to be theirs now. I did not introduce myself as Jesus, by the way.

    In the afternoon, a local friend of them teaches us how to bake traditional wheat bread which withstands long journeys without moulding. He presents to us fancy whole-grain flour for which he first had to buy grains and then go to a mill. You cannot easily find it in shops. When mixed with water, it sticks surprisingly quickly (I am to some extent an amateur bread baking evangelist). We then bake it in a pot, wrapped in a freshly cut banana leaf and heated from both sides by charcoal. Great scent emerges! I get a full half of it, but the girls can keep the flour (they should breed a highly potential sour dough with it 🤤!).

    Previous to that, I already felt my stomach rebelling slightly. Something must have been wrong with my lunch in town. Now, after baking: lack of appetite, followed by extensive surveying of my accommodation's bathroom. Oh my holy mightiness, why do I deserve a *squat* toilet now? But, finally, all the training of my past bush days pays off. My thighs are steel and will probably not fit into my freshly tailored linen pants tomorrow.

    And here is where the yet untouched bread joins my game. With small sips of masala chai and chunks of this crunchy tastiness, I manage to cure my body back from shaking chills to the energy overdose required to compose these introductory lines of the Third Testament. And off I slide into the night.

    Victory? No. At midnight, some greater force (in my stomach) decides that the game of lunch digestion is not yet to be finished 🤢. But the following morning I rise again like a reborn!    Read more

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