Moshi – Arusha – Karatu
I woke up early in hopes of catching another glimpse of Kilimanjaro before the clouds (a result of the daily cycle of convection, I suppose) built up. I was in luck, and the mountain seemed to fill the whole sky for about fifteen minutes before it disappeared behind the clouds again. There was time for a quick dip in the pool and we were back on the road. It was a driving day and the scenery was becoming familiar: agricultural lowlands, shifting cultivation on the hillsides and lucky but likely doomed forest remnants on the hilltops.
We stopped in Arusha for lunch, and a hectic stop it was. Hustlers, touts, beggars, swindlers and all manner of papaasi, Swahili for ticks, latched onto us at every opportunity. Iria and I took respite at the UN tribunal on war crimes committed during the genocide in Rwanda. We failed to see a trial, but Iria did manage to wedge herself in the door of the elevator, which cause a bit of ruckus while bloated paper-pushers relearned how to use stairs. We were pressed for time on return; I had time to send my mother an ‘I’m alive’ email and grab a few greasy at-least-day-old spring rolls from a cockroach-infested display case. Oh, uh, Order Blattodea.
After a long drive the edge of the Great Rift Valley came into view ahead, but our attention was directed toward the giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) browsing trees beside a agricultural field. A pause on the escarpment edge gave us a preview of what we would see the next day: a high density and rich diversity of large mammals. The agriculture in this volcanic area appeared much more productive, indications including larger farms and mechanization. I was quite relieved when the cars pulled into our hilltop hotel in Karatu, even though I had been sleeping for several hours in the car. Unfortunately, we all hustled out of the cars too quickly and Jerry lost most of his bargaining power, leaving us paying Zanzibar rates. This was about the time when, oh, say one-third of the course participants fell ill. Not a good development, as the course was moving at a fast clip. We all turned in for the night in anticipation of an early morning, though some slept more than others.
Why so much science? What is this?
We stopped in Arusha for lunch, and a hectic stop it was. Hustlers, touts, beggars, swindlers and all manner of papaasi, Swahili for ticks, latched onto us at every opportunity. Iria and I took respite at the UN tribunal on war crimes committed during the genocide in Rwanda. We failed to see a trial, but Iria did manage to wedge herself in the door of the elevator, which cause a bit of ruckus while bloated paper-pushers relearned how to use stairs. We were pressed for time on return; I had time to send my mother an ‘I’m alive’ email and grab a few greasy at-least-day-old spring rolls from a cockroach-infested display case. Oh, uh, Order Blattodea.
After a long drive the edge of the Great Rift Valley came into view ahead, but our attention was directed toward the giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) browsing trees beside a agricultural field. A pause on the escarpment edge gave us a preview of what we would see the next day: a high density and rich diversity of large mammals. The agriculture in this volcanic area appeared much more productive, indications including larger farms and mechanization. I was quite relieved when the cars pulled into our hilltop hotel in Karatu, even though I had been sleeping for several hours in the car. Unfortunately, we all hustled out of the cars too quickly and Jerry lost most of his bargaining power, leaving us paying Zanzibar rates. This was about the time when, oh, say one-third of the course participants fell ill. Not a good development, as the course was moving at a fast clip. We all turned in for the night in anticipation of an early morning, though some slept more than others.
Why so much science? What is this?
