Materuni Waterfalls and Rau Forest

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Happy belated Halloween everyone, I can't believe it's already November! I have been here for just a little over a month, 44 days to be exact and time has been flying by! I knew that it would, which is why I want to make the most of my time by seeing as much of this beautiful country as I can. We had a holiday a couple of weeks ago and decided to take a big group trip to the Materuni waterfalls. We hired a driver to take us on a hour long journey to the start of a 1.5 hour hike to the 150 m waterfall. The water was freezing, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to jump in, especially since there was a small cave that we could climb into that would lead us behind the waterfall. We swam through it and were able to stand at the base and look up as the water came crashing down in front of us, it was breathtaking... mostly because it was freezing but also because it was beautiful. The walk to the waterfall was also enjoyable because our guide pointed out the lemongrass, coffee, eucalyptus, passion fruit, mango and banana trees to us. He also stopped to let us hold a chameleon, who was very friendly might I add! We also saw a lot of smaller waterfalls and waterways along the way that are part of the irrigation system that the local farmers use. After our hike, we went on a mini coffee tour which included a full demonstration of how we get a cup of coffee from a bean that is trapped inside a cherry. A little family welcomed us into their mini coffee farm and showed us how to pick, peel, separate, roast, grind and brew coffee. I'm not a coffee drinker, but let me tell you, this was the best cup of coffee I've ever tasted! We are getting into the rainy season now, which means we might have to hold off on our outings for a while, but we were blessed with a warm semi-sunny day yesterday, and took full advantage by going on a hike through the Rau forest. It's only about 15 minutes away from our house, so hopefully we can go back a couple more times. The whole hike took about 3 hours, and we saw everything from Colobus monkeys, and Iguana's to Mahogany trees and rice paddies. It was nice to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air. There was a small village located at the edge of the forest so we were greeted by the people who were working in the rice fields and bathing/doing their laundry in the catch basins. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming towards us, I will definitely be back!



Swahili word of the day: Mzungu: which means "foreigner"...basically anyone who is not Tanzanian. We hear that word at least 5 times a day, mostly from the little children that we pass on our way to and from work.

Peace&Love

- Lisa

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Photos

Climbing behind the waterfall
I'm the little one on the far left

Coffee beans
These are what coffee beans look like before the cherry is peeled

Colobus Monkey
I can't take the photo credit for this one, but this is what a Colobus looks like...hopefully I'll get a photo of my own before I leave!

Me in front of the Excelsa tree
It is 194 years old!