http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Africa , Tanzania , West en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:52:37 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:52:37 BST We set off for Kigoma and Gombe Stream National Park on Sunday the 13th. I had a tough time deciding what was important to pack and what wasnrsquot since I could only bring my small shoulder bagmdashI ended up with two rolls of toilet paper one change of clothes and some toiletries as well as some entertainment for the car like my iPods and Beloved my current book. Papa our driver arri http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-301512.html We had a few hours to kill in Kigoma because it was too early for dinner and few people wanted to go to Ujiji to see where Stanley met Livingstone. We therefore went to the central market. I was expecting something similar to Mwanza. After all Kigoma's 30000 people are as strategically placfed as Mwanza's 500000. Just joking but I thought Kigoma would have a smaller version of Mwanza's market. http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-300681.html Monday was a blast We woke up early ate a quick breakfast then drove down to the place from which we would get the boat to Gombe Stream National Park. We got there rather early but had to wait for some men to fix the boat and buy petrol. We therefore returned to town to purchase a few provisions that we still needed.Our boat was just big enough for all 8 of us. The ride took just under two ho http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Gombe-Stream-National-Park/blog-300648.html I've never been car sick before but the 12 hour journey 13.5 if you count the hour and a half waiting for the ferry to Kigoma certainly brought me close. I woke up at 5 in the morning that was 10 in the evening on the East Coast so that I could get some breakfast and finish the lastminute packing. All went fairly smoothly especially given the fact that there was no running waterWe intended http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-300643.html Sorry that it has been so long since we have put anything on the blog. Things continue to go well here in Africa. We have just started our annual preacherrsquos seminar today which will last three days. We have an excellent turnout this year with about 50 preachers in attendance. I had the opening lesson this morning which dealt with sermon preparation. I believe the lesson went well although http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-288760.html Malawi was fun though very hilly but then I didn't realise how hilly the Poloto mountains in Tanzania would be. There was an interesting 8km climb which took a long time. Reaching the top all the school kids pilled out of class and whistling and shouting dongle or dongler they ran with me up the hill laughing and joking. It really was an occasion to make me smile. Those little kids can rea http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-274714.html In honor of God Jen and I headed off to Mass in town with Sr. Esther who works at SAUT. Later in the afternoon we decided to kill some time by going for a walk out behind SAUTrsquos campus. Heading down a dirt road for a while we eventually came down to eye level with Lake Victoria. It was definitely worth the walk. We stopped for a while to admire the view and joked about the odds of tw http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/blog-267637.html We set out in the morning determined to do Mwanza in a day a giantsized task which would demand the precision planning of a rocket scientist and the stamina of a Kenyan distance runner. Fortunately this turned out to be more of a leprechaunsized task because I have neither of those traits. First on the short list of Mwanzarsquos tourist stops was Bismarck Rock which got its name because http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/blog-267609.html Chimala Mission Hospital and Schools5371 New York Avenue Arlington Texas 76018817 4197909.Fax 817 4651416Chimala Newsletter Jason and Madesha Stapleton March 2008I hope this letter finds you doing well. I want to take a few minutes to update you as to how the work is going. Over the past few weeks we have busy working with the Simike congregation in the city of Mbeya about an hours http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-261951.html At this stage I have to explain what brought me to be meeting Jen in Mwanza. Follow me along this side road for a moment. It began with frigid days on Summers when Jen her sister Katie and I would wait for the bus wishing for a heated bus shelter. Jen a few years older than me may have been my babysitter along the way but thatrsquos a rather embarrassing detail which I choose to omit f http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/blog-260869.html Etwas unterhalb von Kigoma liegt das Doerfchen Ujiji. Vor 150 Jahren war dies ein arabisch gepraegter Handelsort bedeutend fuer den handel rund um den Tanganyika See. Geblieben ist davon gar nichts. Heute leben dort Ziegen und Moslems. Wahrscheinlich waere der Ort in Vergessenheit geraten wenn nicht ausgerechnet hier der Journalist Stanley auf den Forscher und Missionar Dr. Livingstone getroffe http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-260849.html An dieser Stelle moechten wir ausdruecklich der Fa Korsing SchweisstechnikCoellnpark danken fuer den freundlichen Support von Kinderspielzeug. Ueber Jahre wurden von hier Kleinigkeiten zusammengetragen die Tobi an Kinder in Tansania verteilen solltekonntedurfte. Dies oeffnete uns in sekundenschnelle tausend Kinderherzen. Zumeist handelte es sich dabei um Ueberraschungseifiguerchen Plastikdoes http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-260846.html Das BismarckHaus ist eigentlich gar nicht das BismarckHaus sondern wurde ebenfalls dem Kaiser Wilhelm als Residenz zugedacht. Da haette er sich sicherlich gefreut da es wirklich schoen anzusehen ist. ...von aussen rein kommt man nicht. wens interessiert schaut unter google kaiser wilhelm Kigoma bilder.da das Internet so langsam ist koennen wir euch leider keine Bilder hochladen.Um der B http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-260843.html ein im Reisefuehrer als schoenster Campingplatz Tansanias beschriebener Ort entpuppt sich als traumhafter strandbucht mit glasklarem Wasser Jakobson Beach. Obwohl das zugehoerige Gaestehaus nicht unserer Preiskategorie entspricht sie verlangen 10 Euro pro PersonNacht leisteten wir unsParadies fuer einen tag. Das lag auch an der Situation unseres 2. Tages hier in Kogoma wo einem der Schweiss http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-260219.html Fuer alle die unsere Ideen im Vorfeld zur Route kannten und die sich nun fragen wann wir denn die Nachbarlaender besuchen folgende SaetzeLeider besonders an dich liebe Catrin schaffen wir es nicht mehr nach Sambia zu kommen. Hier liegt ein Schiff an welches in 3 tagen ueber den Lake Tanganyka Sambia erreichen wuerde. Aus irgendwelchen Gruenden setzt es sich derzeit jedoch nicht in bewegung http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-260213.html Falls am Sonntag ein Paar im Gottesdienst in Koeln auftaucht dass sich als uns ausgibt glaubt ihnen nicht. Lasst den Mann nicht predigen und passt auf eure Wertsachen auf Martin und Anna Stellt klar wer ihr seid. Geht nach vorn und bekennt euer falsches Spiel gebt eure wahre Identitaet preis Haltet die Wohnung sauber und lasst alles ganz. Und Schoen dass ihr da seid wir hoffen nur ihr http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-259912.html Derzeit verweilen wir ca 1 Woche in Kigoma. Die Stadt liegt im Westen am Lake Tanganyka unterhalb von Burundi und gegenueber des Kongo.das schoene an diesem relativ ruhigem Ort ist dass der der Lake Tanganyka bilharziosefrei ist und dazu glasklar was ungehindertes Baden zulaesst sovern man denn eine begehbare Stelle findet. Viele Uferbereiche sind in Privatbesitz besonders von Hilfsorganisat http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-259906.html heute moechten wir euch berichten wie man Dalla Dalla faehrt.Dalla Dalas sind Toyotakleinbusse die als Sammeltaxis bestimmte Strecken abfahren und so viele Leute aufnehmen wie geht. einzige Bedingung ist dass die Schiebetuer geschlossen werden kann. Voll ausgebucht gibt es 14 sehr enge Sitzplaetze sowie mind. 10 weitere Stehplaetze plus Gepaeck Kinder und Huehner. Wer mit einem Dalla Dalla f http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-259897.html die str. von Geita nach Bukoba ist fast durchgehend geteert in bereits neun Std waren wir da. die Entfernung sind einfach gigantisch. ab und zu haellt der Busund man wir von draussen mit Lebensmitteln bestuermt die man durchs Fenster kaufen kann. Bananan gekochte Eier Gebaeck Fleichspiesschen die dann in ein Tuetchen geschuettet und reingereicht werden ganze Fische gegrillter Mais und was http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-258584.html grade haben wir die vielen aesserst netten nachrichten der letzten Wochen gelesen und uns sehr gefreut. vielen Dank euch allen. weil das Internet so lahm ist koennen wir leider nicht persoenlich antworten und teilen dies nur auf diesem Wege mit. Aber schreibt und gerne weiter Messages oder auch mal einen Komment. es ist uns doch immer eine Freudenun zu Geita der Stadt in der Tobi 1995 fue http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-258580.html mittlerweile sind wir in Kigoma. wir haben schon ewig nicht mehr geschrieben weil der Strohm oft ausviel es kein Internet gab oder wir den ganzen Tag mit dem Bus unterwegs waren. aber jetztvon Mwanza sind wir mit Annette nach Geita gefahren und verbrachten dort 5 Tage mit ihr. anschliessend sind wir per Bus ueber eine gute Asphaltstr. nach Bukoba in den Norden gefahren und von dort aus in ei http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-258571.html The Wall Came Tumbling Down This past week has been a very interesting week. It all started with water problems the rains have prematurely stopped and you might have guessed we didnrsquot get the intake fixed. So this last Monday we lost all water whic http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-254302.html I wrote this a few weeks back but our internet service wasnrsquot working so well so I never got a chance to publish it. Another week has come and gone and all is well. At times itrsquos hard to believe we are actually in Africa and regardless of how many times we tell ourselves we are here sometimes we just forget. Like yesterday I went to Mbeya our nearest city to buy 3 refrigerators for t http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-250265.html We boarded the plane January 18th and arrived here in Tanzania on the 20th. By far it was the most eventful tiresome trip we have ever made. It started out with the cancellation of our first flight which was to leave at 130 from DFW to Chicago O'Hare. Everyone who was going out on that flight began searching for another flight there in the terminal. After seeing the huge line I decided to leave http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-244667.html The road was long and beautiful. It winded over gently undulating semisavannah across the Fipaplateau past small friendly villages and through deep and damp forest. Wouldnrsquot it have been for a twist of fate we would never have discovered that exceptional stretch of bad gravel and instead we would have been chugging up Lake Tanganyika on the legendary steamer MV Liemba. The steamboat had http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-238353.html Well it finally happened I had to pay my first bribe. I had to bribe my way out of Zambia. I had arrived at Mpulungu Zambia on the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika. My plan was to board the passenger ferry MV Liemba and sail with it up to Kigoma Tanzania. Nice simple plan no problems. I was actually lucky the Liemba was going north this week. Last week it had stayed in Zambia and had shuttled C http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-179539.html Got to the train station and were directed to the first class lounge. Hot dog One thing I'm loving about Africa is how so many things have not changed since the 1960's Jen doesn't get it though. The lounge was filled with worn out black leather couches with chrome legs table painted lime green with that fake brown wood as highlights fake wood everywhere actually wallboard etc. an old cloc http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-159668.html oh where to start..so it seems most of you heard bout my smooth sailing to the airport After nursing my hang over back to health on the 10 and 8 hour flights I finally arrived in Malawi last friday and it feels like i've taken a step back in time. I travelled to where i am located at Mwaya Beach by minibus which crams about 40 people into a twelve seater bus.. cargo and all. I enjoyed a 8 hour j http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Mbeya/blog-138855.html We've been here in Kigoma for nearly a month and we love it. The breeze off of Lake Tanganyika spares us in a way that the soupy heat in Dar es Salaam does not. DSM in December is infamous for the thickness and the unforgiving heat. Also the rampant destruction of the trees and the wildlife in all parts of that city leaves all your walking and moving around the area exposed to the strong heat http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-121846.html It was past noon and sitting on the benches in the shade of steelroofed gazebo was a small crowd of Africans and more white people than I was expecting. After the usual two or three hour wait boarding was announced and we joined the queue that bottlenecked through the gate. Once onboard the MV Liemba we were assigned our berths and given our keys.The MV Liemba is a wonderful old iron ship and p http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Tanzania/West/Kigoma/blog-121208.html