Now, that's Africa!

Mpulungu Bazaar- Lake Tanganyka- Zambia

Now, That’s Africa! May 2011

Well negotiations didn’t go so well with chief engineer Dismas from Burundi and the price had escalated dramatically over the w.e, so that we were contemplating around US$1500 to get us and the car up the lake to Bujumbura and Burundi. This would have holed our budget somewhat so we decided to drive. Given that we were on the west side of Tanzania we elected to stick to that side and follow the route up along Lake Tanganyika. This was probably unwise given that an expat had mentioned ‘bandits’ and our guidebook had talked about some pretty dire roads. However this was the route that Livingstone had taken so long before and it seemed to be a challenge that we had to take.

900km of track through Western Tanzania...eat my dust and shake, shake Rock&Roll!

What followed was the most brutal, jaw rattling, teeth shattering, dust infiltrating 863.4 kilometers we have ever experienced. I can only describe the road as a sort of rough farm track vaguely linking villages and traversed at times by massive road works of the embryonic new Chinese road. By the end of it both we and the car were battered and haggard with fine red dust infiltrating all orifices and the cars suspension floating alarmingly. There was a short section through one village of about 500m of (the only) tarmac where we managed to puncture when a screwdriver pierced and badly lacerated the tyre. The wheel change was witnessed and applauded by about 100 local school kids and went smoothly. I’m sure that the tyre would have been written off back home but in true African style was repaired and seems to be working well so far.

Dusty road through Tanzania

Transport of coals on bike- Tanzania

The border crossing from Zambia into Tanzania was no more than a padlocked gate and we had to arouse some lad from his afternoon siesta to stamp our passports. The Tanzanian side was somewhat grander and the visa price reflected this. No longer did the SADAC privileges apply and we had to buy visas for all of us including the children who had previously been exempt. At least we didn’t have to pay a whole lot of carbon and various other taxes this time but the border fees have been a big drain on our finances. I was alarmed to see the immigration officer putting sheaves of paper into his receipt book to prevent copies of my receipt being recorded, allowing him, of course, to pocket the US$120. I did mention this and he assured me that (in a heavy African accent) “this is a government book!” The road was challenging and we got excited whenever we got over 40km/h! Our first stop was in a delightfully chaotic town called Sumbawanga where we resided in relative luxury in the “country club” and got reacquainted with excellent Tanzanian beer while enjoying a marvelous dinner cooked on a charcoal stove. Charcoal manufacture is huge in Tanzania and doing a fine job at decimating the native forests.

Market in Tanzania

Women and child- Tanzania

The next day we set off unsure as to where we would get to and drove through Katavi National Park, one of the less popular Tanzanian parks. The bush was thick and game sparse but what was most incredible were the Tsetse flies. They would literally hitch a ride on the car and when we stopped for a pee we had to work in pairs with one of us batting flies while the other peed! Vicious beasts indeed. We lunched late in Mpanda and were assured by a local that we would easily make Uvinza by that evening. How wrong he was. The road was extremely isolated and worse than ever, but thankfully dry, and we saw little habitation but passed within a few kilometres of massive refugee camps which remain from the Rwandan genocide era. This made us reluctant to free camp. UNICEF, UNHCR, Red Cross and numerous other Aid vehicles were prolific and drove along this track at incredible speed alternating with the odd massive truck that kept us alert and offered more than one close shave. Night came and we felt edgy driving here in the dark but were rewarded with some amazing night game viewing, lots of owls, a mongoose and, incredibly, a rare African civet. Our GPS Garmin put us in the village but there was no sign of it and we were guided a kilometre or so further to a cluster of huts and basic buildings. We found lodging in what can only be described as a men’s truck stop but at that stage had no choice and the proprietor Ahmed seemed welcoming enough. Ilda and the girls crashed in the little room and I slept in the car as the electric locking wasn’t working thanks to dust buildup I think.

Do you want some dust! We sell it for...free!

The Moslem call to prayer had us all up at about 04.30 and so we were able to make some progress before breakfast. It was quite something to get back onto the torrid road, all filthy and tired, but we picked up a local woman and an amputee and gave them a lift into town which cheered us all up. The amputee directed us to an excellent ‘café’ for breakfast where, for the price of a cappuccino back home, we enjoyed piles of chapattis, samoosas, buns and copious sweet, milky tea. We ambled around the market and being the only white folk in town enjoyed many stares and frequent cries of “wazungu!”

Bazaar near Uvinza- Tanzania


Fish Market- Tanzania

First Puncture- North-West Tanzania

We finally hit the main tar road linking Tanzania and Rwanda and with it the endless procession of stinking, belching trucks and tankers. But we were oblivious. The ecstasy of a smooth road and no dust brought us immense joy and we sped on towards Rwanda, dodging potholes and playing cat and mouse with lorries. Our last night in Tanzania was in relative luxury in a roadside guest house where we enjoyed a warm wash, had the car rinsed and cooked omelets over a charcoal fire.

Children observers

Breakfast with sweet Chai and Chapatis

Rwanda- Rice Paddies

Arriving in Rwanda was like arriving on another planet. The post genocide Rwanda is undergoing a reformation of immense proportions and is the darling baby of every aid agency on the globe. The President is determined to develop an economically self sustaining and developed country. The country is CLEAN. Plastic bags are banned! The roads are immaculate with very few potholes and villages are neat with well laid out shops and sidewalks. Kigali is buzzing with high tech flashy banks, shopping centres and working traffic lights. Construction is evident everywhere. Unfortunately there are prices to match and so accommodation has been steep. We have used the time here to regroup….do all our washing, restock, puncture repair, sort out visas and get the car repaired, I hope. And yesterday we visited the Genocide memorial and museum. I have seldom felt so disgusted and horrified by anything. Nothing is hidden and the imagery is blatant. I was left feeling somewhat ill and not surprisingly didn’t sleep too well that night. The brutality is incomprehensible.

Then today we walked up to one of the hotels on the hill where a lot of the expats hang out. We enjoyed a lovely swim, café lattes and pain-aux-chocolate. We then spent a fantastic day with Mark Priestley and his family, braaing, drinking good red wine and contemplating this perplexing country. Mark is an economist attempting to develop an EU style union between Rwanda and her immediate east African neighbours. What a project. Thanks Mark for a wonderful touch of normal life and a fabulous braai.

Hopefully we will get things sorted in the next day or so and then hope to get to Kibogora Hospital and start some work!

In fact things didn't work out with the Visa Authorities who wanted U$200 for extention of Ilda + kid's Visa so...we will only stay the 14 days in Rwanda, 1 week at Kobogora Hospital. This is flexibility for you!

List of names from victimes of Genocide- Genocide Museum- Kigali

Genocide Museum- Kigali City Centre