Arusha

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Arusha is inland and on the rift valley that continues from the Jordan river down to the South of Africa. Due to its elevation of about 1,400m, it has a pleasant climate all year round, especially compared to the humid coastal regions.

Now that we were in Arusha, it was time to organize a safari. Roy Safaris, was just up the road from the Outpost, and we got great service from them. We'd highly recommend them to anybody who wants custom private safaris. They don't do group safaris, but will point you to other operators who offer cheaper group safaris. The safari broke our budget, but it was well worth it. Wyn was just the perfect age to appreciate everything he saw. He'll have some great memories as a result.

In Arusha, E.. broke her reading glasses, and then her regular glasses and finally her sunglasses. The Reading glasses were easy to replace, for around US$5 or so. She found a set of frames for new regular glasses, but didn't have enough time to get prescription lenses for the regular glasses or the sunglasses. She had her fingers crossed that her contacts would keep her going for the rest of the trip.

W.. finally agreed to get a hair cut in Arusha. Roy Safaris gave us a driver to show us the opticians and barber, because it was easier to do it that way than describe how to walk to those places. Arusha is pretty walkable and quite friendly compared to Nairobi. It just that every corner is filled with safari touts.

The pictures show some of the flowers and foliage around the Outback Hotel. Very tropical and similar to the upcountry in Sri Lanka. Shoe Flowers, Crab Claws, Anthurium, and Palmyra palms. The Hotel has a nice outdoor pool that is way too cold in December. Yup, right on the equator, and the pool is too cold. Now tell me again why global warming is a bad thing?

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