Mbeya

I wanted to hike up the crater rim of Mount Ngozi to get a view on the inner lake already in 2021, but by then the weather didn't allow. This time I don't care. My whole previous week was nearly dry and thus, if now there is rain, fuck the rain.

Arriving in the rainy evening 😅, I plan to quickly drive up to the informal campsite, which is to be situated in a forest clearing from where the trail starts. Surprise! This campsite apparently won the lottery and has been upgraded to a "Geothermal Project" site, meaning, it is becoming a 70 MW power plant soon (by February 2024). What the ... how is this possible? This is a damn natural forest reserve! Officially protected by documents, signatures and stamps! And I am supposed to pay 10 $ for it being "conserved"! My romantic dream of an authentic bush night, surrounded by pristine, juicy, dripping forest, vanishes in an instant. All these colourful machines of steel do not radiate any of the expected sexiness to me. But probably to the government. There is a guard who just shrugs at my comment and I simply drive back a kilometre along the access road to pitch my awning directly next to the road, at least being surrounded by this very forest of desire. This road is a dead end. Nobody will use it at night. Privacy guaranteed.

Not. I prepare dinner, it gets dark, the rain stops, I sip on my red wine from Dodoma region and listen to the forest sounds when suddenly something huge drops from the heavens onto the road just next to my car. Woah 😳! I switch on my headlamp. A fat owl, grabbing something from the road! And up she flies on a branch opposite of me, starring at me. I politely switch off the light. Now is her turn of the night. I already had my fun. This is her forest. I better behave.

Next, a motorbike appears, with three guys and three backpacks. The site supervisor, arriving Sunday evening to start his working shift of the coming week. He and his fellows sleep at the site in a wooden hut. He invites me for a chat in the morning. Next, an unlit random guy comes walking by, carrying a tremendously big bag on his head. Smiling and continuing. Strong guy! Finish. No more interruptions follow.

The morning hike develops as expected. Wonderful forest with Sykes's monkeys, many flowers and many spiders for breakfast, which like to span their webs across the narrow path. No rain! Shortly after 9 I arrive on top of the crater rim. Splendid view down on the lake, aye!! A few minutes after me this yesterday evening's strong guys appears. He comes up jogging, completely wet from sweat, greets me and jumps over the crater rim, down into the steep thicket. Wäh? Is there a path down to the lake 🤔? "Yes" he shouts from already far away. Okay, challenge accepted! I go after him and find myself rather climbing down 200 m, holding on roots of trees and crawling under branches, finally getting nicely dirty 🤓! Shortly before reaching the bottom he passes me jumping upwards again. Down there is less spectacular than expected. A lake, surrounded by a green wall. Time to climb back!

In the worker's camp I talk to the guys, now 4 of them, and share my coffee. During me returning, this sporty machine guy went into the forest for felling some firewood trees which he now comes carrying on his shoulders (our European wood is nothing compared to this dense, heavy tropical timber!). I learn that he performs our crater hike every morning, sometimes twice a day if work allows 💪. He cannot sit still. While we talk, he begins chopping the wood ...Read more