Blogs from Tanzania, Africa

Anything so beautiful comes at a price...and we have the scars to prove our payment. It has taken nearly 6 days to find both internet and a camera card reader in the same place, and i write this from the relative comfort of our hotel lobby in Dar es Salaam, where Mt.Kilimanjaro is just a whisper of a dream I think I once had. Let's start off with the fact that it is the wet season here in Eastern Africa, rainy and cloudy, dank and dingy like a leftover sock stuck to the side of the washing machine for maybe 1-2 days after spin cycle. Mix that with more altitude that you can shake a stick at, and we have a recipe for a week long Steve and Liz mountain adventure. You will see many pictures ... read more

It's becoming clear to me on this trip, that I am basing most of my knowledge about Africa on the Lion King. But hey, a lot of the locals have been referencing it, so why not? One even told me thought he thought the Lion King really was the best representation of the 'circle of life' in the animal kingdom. At the moment I'm back in Stone Town. I spent three days at Jambiani, which was plenty of time to relax and do nothing. I don't intend to do much in Stone Town either, except try to learn my way around more of the old town and find some more good local restaurants (found a great one today, for about $3 I got a drink and huge plate of curry and rice). Can I just say, ... read more

The last couple of weeks feel like a bit of a blur. After Uganda, we stopped for a couple of nights at Lake Nakuru (it was pouring with rain when we arrived, so five of us upgraded to a cottage where we ended up cooking as well, because of the weather). There was a cute little jack russell there called Buster, who was good company when I wasn't feeling too well the next day. The others went off on a game drive, but I stayed in to rest and give my body some time to catch up on the trip. After Nakuru we spent a night at Lake Naivasha. It was much drier and sunnier there, so it was actually fun to stay in/put up the tents. In the morning one of the other girls and ... read more

Because so many people asked me about planning, cost etc. of the trip, I decided to put it all in this page. Planning for a trip to Kilimanjaro takes months. It stats with: Deciding on the time of year you want to go. Which route you want to use for the climb. How many days do you want to spend on the mountain. What, if anything you want to do before / after the climb. I found lot of information about time of year, routes etc. at www.ultimatekilimanjaro.comThese decisions are probably the most difficult parts of planning and you want to take these at least 3 - 4 months in advance, if not more. On an average people start planning 6 months in advance for such trips. The next big thing is deciding on which company ... read more

The Easter weekend was supposed to be three days of rest, relaxation, and the chance to hang with a couple of fellow-volunteers on the island of Mafia. It was going to be the last time the three of us got together before I return to Canada on June 1st. The expectations weren't set high, it was just to be a weekend of snorkeling, lounging on the beach, and drinking beer. That's the problem with the best laid plans... they have a way of turning on you. Marije, Tim, & I met when they first arrived in Tanzania in October, 2011. Marije is a doctor who is working at a public hospital in the southern region of Mtwara. Tim, her partner, is working with the administration staff at the same hospital. The three of us manage to ... read more

After all the road trips were completed, the TV Team had a few weeks to get themselves organized before heading to the city of Morogoro to host the Ruka Juu Boot Camp at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). The University of Agriculture is the only Agricultural University in Tanzania. It is also the second oldest public university here. It total it occupies 3,350 acres of land for training, research and production. It was the perfect setting for the one-week intensive training program for our contestants. Each of our six farmers arrived in Morogoro by bus. They were greeted by a member of our TV Team and whisked away to the university. This would be their home for the week. During their stay, they would attend workshops and seminars on "all things farming". Experts spoke to ... read more

Days 30-37: White sands and snorkelling in Zanzibar, African slave trade history, game driving in the Serengeti and the surreal Ngorongoro Crater Jambo everyone, Apologies again for those who have been waiting for the next post we know it’s been awhile… T.I.A. Rocking up to our accommodation in Zanzibar in our van with little to no expectations we strolled into what you could only describe as paradise. The whiteness and softness of the sand was stunning, not to mention the breathtakingly turquoise colour of the sparkling water in which little local boats floated close to the shore. The sun was shining strongly (Simon keeps questioning whether the sun is really this hot in Australia- the answer that I’m sure his mum Chris would agree with at the moment, is yes). We enjoyed a lovely ... read more