Maruku

Bukoba, the first big centre on Tanzanian side is my destination. Surprisingly nice, big but calm and very friendly atmosphere! I am charmed and think that it must be the only city in Tanzania where all people I talk to understand English. Wow. I even manage to get my personal, Michi-registered SIM card (finally!!!) which all other Tanzanian places before never accomplished. Also a new 12-month insurance for leaving behind the car in Dar. And a good lunch in the public police canteen. This must also be Tanzania’s capital of efficiency. I never got so many things done within 2 hours in this country. Would have taken 2 days anywhere else.
The lakeside campsites are all washed away due to the increased water level of lake Victoria and I drive to some elevated cliffs not far away which are the perfect spot for the approaching night! Yeehaaw! Around me just grass, the ruins of a never finished hotel, an orthodox church to the south and a seminar and bishop’s seat to the north. I have read many down-turning things about that lake but this western side is very idyllic which does not change while moving further south. Late in the evening the ferry to Mwanza departs and squeezes between thousands of small fisher-boat lights. The bay of Bukoba is partly visible from my spot. I expect to be woken up by an epic sunrise but instead wake up by the thunders and lightnings of a distant storm above the lake, half an hour before sunrise. Equally epic!

After packing my stuff and getting ready I discover a flat rear left tyre. Ha, a thick nail! The first flat one on these BFGoodrich tyres after 27,454 km, finally! I was about to think that they must be a miracle after what I was throwing at them. The front wheels I already swapped with my spare ones after approx. 18,000 km, but the rears haven’t been touched since Germany. They are well-worn already but today’s air must have escaped just now during morning cliff coffee because I have not noticed any tilted car when waking up. Finally I can experiment with my fancy tyre repair kit: remove the nail, widen and clean the hole, insert rubber sealant, done. Luckily the nail is exposed in a way that it is facing me in a perfect angle
and I do not have to move the car much nor to unmount the wheel. Still, as it requires much more force than I have expected to push the sealant in, I get a free morning workout session in the same run. (The guys on the tool promotion videos must all be bulls with double my
body mass and/or they do not demonstrate it on heavy-duty tyres and for them it looks as easy as pushing a knife into butter :p) But I consider my workout a solid mission because for the next 540 km on dirt, tar and a lot of rain no air escapes and the car runs as usual. Brilliant!Read more