A second submission to this week’s photo challenge: Anticipation
Two years ago we were lucky enough to visit Zanzibar just before Christmas – an island of the coast of Tanzania which is a dream destination for many but right on our doorstop it’s an affordable destination.
This Christmas we are spending the holiday period back on Zanzibar and very much anticipating our return to this Island Paradise.
Posted in Holiday, postaday, travel, Vacation, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged Anticipation, Zanzibar
Our departure from Istanbul gave us from great sunset views of the city below and the Bosphorus.
We travelled back from the UK via Istanbul in Turkey. We flew using Turkish Air with a 15 hour delay between flights. We wanted to take the opportunity to visit the city, though this was planned long before recent events, we felt reassured it was going to be safe to visit.
What we didn’t realise was that as part of the flight we had the option of a free walking tour of Istanbul with breakfast and lunch. This took in two of the most famous sites in Istanbul, the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia, a former church turned mosque, turned museum.
Here are some pictures of the day.
Yesterday we paid a visit to the seaside – part of a longer trip to the place where we hope (results depending) our eldest will be living over the next few years whilst at University.
Then it was down to the beach for a afternoon at the British Seaside (West Witterham). It was a lovely afternoon and though it was never going to match the temperatures of Zanzibar or Tanga- the sea was pleasantly warm as indeed was the breeze – a fabulous way to enjoy a sunny afternoon. We even took a paddle in the English Channel (part of the Atlantic Ocean).
Then a short drive along the coast to Bognor Regis for “fish and chips” – (though as a non-fish eater it was Saveloy) on the shingle beach in the evening sun. All very British!
Today we arrived back in MK my home for 26 years prior to moving out to Mwanza. We are staying on a campsite to the north of the city. A picturesque landscape of woodland and lakes near Olney.
It’s the first time back in MK and a great opportunity to catch up with old friends.
We’ve actually been back in the UK a week now. Surprisingly it has not been the culture shock we anticipated – for me I have slipped back into the UK environment with no real surprises, though it has felt a bit cold. Maybe the 40+ years of UK living have made the experience much more ‘normal’ than I expected after two years on the equator.
Having initially stayed with family near Abingdon it gave an opportunity to visit ex-colleagues in Thame and it was good to catch up and see them. Life has changed little, it seems, though perhaps I detect a slightly greater pressure on all as they embrace the challenges of the British Education Reforms – something I am glad to have escaped.
This week a chance for the kids to catch up with school friends and us all to meet church friends and wider MK friends as well as family. It also gives us a chance to sort out things for our son’s impending entry into University. MK’s reassuring familiarity is a real bonus.
I sit here in the lounge of my parents-in law watching Wimbledon – the Ladies Semi-Finals (Kerber vs Williams). It’s almost like we’ve never been away.
It’s our first day back in England (Blighty is an old-fashioned term for Britain / England). It was a long and somewhat stressful trip back with Turkish Air / Fast Jet.
It all started back in Mwanza with a lengthy conversation with a ‘jobsworth’ Fast Jet official who insisted that although on weight – we were only allowed one bag each on the plane – this was neither on the ticket or clearly described in the small print – we almost missed our flight!
In Dar Es Salaam – we discovered our 3 am flight was delayed by six hours – resulting in a sleepless night in the Airport. The reason for the delay was never fully explained though attributed to technical difficulties. The result of all this delay was that we would miss our connecting flight from Istanbul to London. Thankfully but after a hour long, 1 – 2am wait in the airport we were re-scheduled for a later flight.
The delay was almost 7 hours in the end and got us into Istanbul with a little over an hour to spare before check-in. So a quick taste of European culture (Café Nero) before boarding our Heathrow flight. Arriving back in the UK about 9pm we realised that of our 7 bags, 3 were still in Istanbul. One of the three belonged to Anita who had no clothes, one to me who had no other shoes but sandals, the other to my daughter.
These were subsequently put on another flight – but one bag only has arrived thus far – the others having taken an even later flight back and expected late this evening. Although all these will be couriered across – things are still very frustrating.
I’m told this is the perils of long-haul travel – just hoping our journey back to Mwanza will be less of an ordeal.
By the time this is published we will be Out of Africa on route to Europe, back to Britain.
We return with anticipation and expectation and just a little trepidation. For the first time we will be in the UK as visitors.
We are of course looking forward to seeing family and friends back in our former home – but Tanzania feels like home two years on.
How much has Britain changed in these past two years? The events of the past fortnight makes us wonder how much Britain has pulled up the drawbridge and turned it’s back on the world. We are definitely (as most expats here) Internationalists and have been shocked by the Brexit from Europe. There’s no intent to get political here – just a statement of fact.
The weather is somewhat uninviting to us, the rain and lower temperatures are a challenge. We are hoping for a heatwave in the UK!
Then there’s the cost of living which will be significant as we will need to exist on Tz Wages. An example Is such that a good meal out for 2 here is about the same as a couple of Costa Coffees.
The pace of life will be faster than we’ve gotten used to here and two years away from most TV means we’re gonna definitely be out of touch.
We are looking forward to
Cinema – the nearest to here is in Kigali (Rwanda) or possibly Kampala (Uganda).
Cheese – this is expensive here and limited in both variety and quality.
Wholemeal Bread – white is common here and fresh baked bread by our house worker is good – but I miss good brown bread.
Pork / bacon /sausages etc – available in places but very expensive in the main. Good Lincolnshire sausages are definitely on my list. Chorizo sausage is a definite miss – no such thing here.
Coffee / Coffee Shops – although an expense we miss Costa Coffees and their ilk. Good ground coffee is available in Rwanda and Arusha/Moshi but is quite difficult to pick up in Mwanza.
Good chocolate – though we have now found panacea that sell reasonable chocolate here – it tends to be the Cadbury’s variety. We used to indulge in the occasional trip to Hotel Chocolat back in the UK and enjoy a higher quality of Chocolate.
Italian Food – not easy to get here – Pizzas bought locally are dreadful (lacking cheese and containing carrot it avocado). There are no Italian Restaurants, probably our favorite food type.
Last, but not least family – a chance to catch up properly without the vague ties of Skype and FaceTime
The major change coming our way is in our family as we are leaving Tanzania as four and will return here as three. My eldest awaits examination results, but all things well, will be heading to University in the UK in the Autumn as not returning back.
We have spent some of the last few days visiting some favorite haunts in Mwanza. Yesterday we visited Tunza and spent a morning there having breakfast and then playing Mah Jongg.
Our journey out of Africa has not been smooth – from the FastJet jobsworth in Mwanza who nearly cost us our flight to the six hour delay which meant a 3am flight became a 9am take off.
In Mwanza the issue was that inspire of the fact our bags were the correct combined weight the aforementioned jobsworth insisted that we were allowed only one bag each – this resulted in a lot of discussion before a superior let us through.
In Dar we arrived to see that technical problems caused a 6hr delay and a long, sleepless night in the airport. Just hoping the rest goes more smoothly.
A final submission to this week’s photo challenge: Earth. If possible I like to get some snaps of the earth from the plane whenever I go flying – these were taken at various points on the journey from Qatar to London in 2013 at the end of my trip to Vietnam and Cambodia (the first half of the journey having taken place overnight). Pictures here from Qatar, Iraq, Turkey, Central Europe and UK (London)
These photos taken on Lake Kivu in Rwanda last week are a second submission to this week’s photo challenge: Future.
When we look at anything we are looking into the past as the light from the event, even an event like a lightning strike, takes time to reach our eyes. Yet we could also be observing our future – in this case the oncoming storm which hit just after we landed our boat.
More than any other country I have yet seen in Eastern or Central Africa, Rwanda and in particular Kigali is a city looking to its Future. This is as much as to be drawing a line under its past but the futuristic architecture of the centre of Kigali is a testament to the distance this country has come in 22 years and its vision of a different Rwanda. Here are a selection of photos from our visits last week. Here is my submission to this week’s photo challenge.
Our journey back to Kigali was straight forward enough. Having decided against the Congo / Nile Trail as the roads were quickly becoming impassible (we started along it and quickly gave up – having had some unfortunate recent experiences!), we returned via the route from whence we came.
However, and hour or so in and seeing signs to Volcano National Park we decided to turn left. The next hour or so took us up into the mountains skirting the edge of the park and gave us some excellent scenery. The road itself remained good and doubled back to our original route puting us about 10K further back. It was worth the diversion and provided an interesting view of rural Rwanda.
Later we passed and explored a rope suspension bridge.
Stopping in Ruhangeri we found virtually all the shops and businesses closed or closing. We managed to get a lunch order in for Brochette (meat kebab) and chips at a small bistro/bar before it too closed. Here in Rwanda they are observing a National Week of Mourning in commemoration of the 1994 Genocide. In this annual event the Rwandans gather at memorials to remember their loved ones, this daily event closes businesses early in the afternoons with some re-opening in the evenings. We saw many Rwandans walking from these ceremonies as the finished or gathered in specific locations in every village and town.
Approaching our destination we got some excellent views from the top of the ridge as we descended down towards Kigali.
Reaching the Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel our only frustration was the poor parking of other guests who made it impossible to park inside. Seemingly unwilling to move their vehicles we unloaded and headed out to a fabulous Italian Restaurant (Sole Lunar) possible the nearest good Italian Restaurant to Mwanza (another 13 hours journey away).
Tomorrow we head home. We have greatly enjoyed our first family trip to Rwanda and hope to be back soon.
One of the things we wanted to do whilst here in Gisenyi was to take a trip to the Hot Springs. A result geological conditions here in the Rift Valley and the location on the volcano ( Mt Nyiragongo) super heated water emerges from the rocks on the coast of Lake Kivu where it mixes with the lake waters.
Initially we intended to walk to the Springs (a 4 hour round trip) but whilst on the beach we encountered a man with a boat and negotiated a trip by water – much more relaxed. It also gave us a chance to view the coast from out in the lake, including the massive Nyiragongo Volcano across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – see previous post
Our trip took a circuitous route out past the gas drilling platform avoiding it’s pipeline before heading around the coast.
Rounding the peninsular we approached a fishing village, this was also the location of the hot springs where we disembarked. Walking to the Spring we were shown to a bench and placed our feet on rocks in the hot waters of the lake, which had been cordoned off by sanbags. Two ladies then began a massage of arms and legs using the hot water which they rubbed onto the skin. The water in this pool was very warm – the temperature of a hot bath. There were other springs on land which were scaldingly hot as well as some in the lake which bubbled up into the lake water making the waters warm. After the massage we made our way to a second pool where I went for a dip in warm water – I will spare you the close up pictures!
The springs are sited opposite the local brewery which we passed upon our return. The boat sailed back past the peninsular and gas rig and on to the Congolese border before returning to the beach. Our return gave use excellent views of the Volcano plus a front row seat of a thunderstorm.
We’re here for four days in the Discover Rwanda- Gisenyi Beach Hotel. We booked this place on a last minute deal with Expedia and we’re really pleased with our choice.
This old colonial house is part of a group of hotels run by the Discover Rwanda Group which is linked to AEGIS Trust a charity supporting the country following the 1994 Genocide. They also run the Youth Hostel where we stayed in Kigali and the Genocide Memorial in Kigali. From AEGIS’s own blog the following quotation
Through the Museum Cafe, the Museum Gift Shop and the Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel we offer beneficiaries career opportunities in various industries by providing training in high-demand areas such as tourism, customer care and the culinary arts. We are committed to providing top-level training in skills that will create the best career opportunities for our beneficiaries and put 100% of the proceeds back into Aegis’ continued work in Rwanda
This also applies to our location too. We’re in a family room with a great view overlooking the garden towards the beach.
Gisenyi Beach Hotel has a relaxed home from home feel. A place to chill and unwind.
Food is excellent and in the evening as it cools to a chilly 21°C (for us that is cool!) they light the open log fires.
The hotel is a stone’s throw from the beach, just beyond the palms which are alive to the chatters of the hundreds of fruit bats hanging in the branches. The noise is actually quite soothing as you drift into sleep.
The waters of Lake Kivu are warm and though the sand beneath makes the water brownish the lake is clean.
Genocide is the intent to systematically eliminate a cultural, ethnic, linguistic, national, racial or religious group.
The term did not exist before 1944 when it was used to describe the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany against the Jewish People. Sadly this was not the only occasion in which it has occurred and since 1944 there have been further atrocities.
In my lifetime there have been three major genocide events among others.
In 2013 I spent a short time in Cambodia and visited the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center in Phnom Penh – you can read about this place here. It was a both humbling and awesome experience and one which lives in the memory still.
On our visit to Kigali we visited the Genocide Memorial.
This like Choeung Ek is a place to commemorate the innocent victims of mass slaughter and both explain the causes and warn future generations of the dangers which led to genocide.
The account below is my understanding of the events leading up to 1994 and beyond and any inaccuracies are my own. However I have tried to convey a simplified account based on information gleaned from the exhibit.
In the case of Rwanda the origins of the genocide lie with the colonial powers who ruled this country, Germany and notably Belgium in the post world war 1 era. Belgium strove to impose a view which divided the hitherto uniform Rwandan society into three groups Hutus (85%), Tutsis (14%) and Twa (1%). In particular they allied themselves with minority Tutsis whom they regarded as more intelligent than the majority Hutus. Over time this differential split society into privileged and underprivileged. All Rwandans were allocated identity cards which (in some cases arbitrarily) conferred one of the three ethnic groups. Hutus were discriminated against but as general education levels rose became more vocal. Eventually the Belgians realizing the errors of their ways reversed the situation and Hutus took power. On independence in 1961 Hutu goverments dominated and discriminated in their turn against Hutus. Even so in many communities Hutu and Tutsi lived alongside one another and we’re friends, in some cases their was intermarriage. When in 1973 a hardliners sized power tensions increased still further. A narrative developed referring to Hutus as ‘cockroaches’ and stirring up racial tensions. Many Hutus were driven out of the country and a rebel group RPF was formed made up of mainly Tutsis. The army was solely Hutu and there was also the Hutu militia (Interahamwe) who were being trained up. In spite of attempts at a peace treaty, and following a plane crash (shot down by assailants unknown) which assassinated the Rwandan and Burundian Presidents in 1994 the violence erupted.
On April 7th 1994 the genocide began, Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in a 100 day period. Neighbour turned on neighbour, friend on friend, urged on by the Hutu government and it’s militia.
An estimated 1,000,000 people were killed in this period (20% of the population and 70% of Tutsis). Much of this killing involved machetes, clubs and other blunt objects. Tutsi women and girls were raped (many by men with known HIV), Tutsis were maimed and killed. There was no leniency shown to children or the old all were targeted and often mothers and fathers were murdered in front of their children or vice versa. The West ignored or in France’s case actively supported the Hutus prior to the genocide and in spite of warnings the UN reduced it’s peace keeping forces prior to the genocide. The RPF mobilized and strove to regain the country and after 100 days drove out the Hutus, many fleeing to Congo DR.
Below are images from the memorial.
The time since 1994 has seen a reorganization of the country and attempts at reconciliation, which appears to have been largely successful. The large death toll and HIV infection have nonetheless left an impact, but the country looks to be booming 22 years on. It is only to be hoped that the racial tensions of the past have been reduced. The exhibition ends on a positive note referring to the way survivor victims have moved on.
The gardens beyond the memorial house the mass graves and like Choeung Ek are a place of peace and reflection.
From the grounds of the Memorial Garden you can see the skyline of Kigali rising like a Phoenix from the ashes a symbol of hope for the future of this country.
We departed Mwanza just after 5:30pm on Friday. Destination Rwanda! Our first stop was to be Shinyanga just three hours down the road but enough to shave off our journey to allow a realistic arrival at the border
As we travelled south we saw flashes of lightning indications of the oncoming storm.
As night fell so did the rain but the road to Shinyanga was fine other than the extensive use of speed bumps and the insistence of most Tanzanian drivers to keep their lights on full beam. There were many Kamikaze frogs leaping out in front of us on the roads as we travelled.
We finally pitched up in Shinyanga at 9pm and looked for the recommended hotel- not as easy in the dark. Eventually we found the Diamond Fields Hotel. Initial perceptions were good, the rooms were clean and the food menu was extensive.
For three of us the food promise fulfilled expectations but the fourth meal, a cheeseburger was missing the vital ingredient- the burger. There followed a long discussion in Kiswahili about what actually constitutes a Cheeseburger, our waitresses and chefs adamant that the constituents should resemble a hot cheese roll. After over ten minutes of arguing and resorting to google images we eventually got a burger! At midnight!
We resolved we would leave at 6pm forgoing the breakfast! Although our rooms were comfortable enough sleep was a little disturbed by the sound of the adjacent nightclub, alternating with the cacophony of croaks of the locals frog chorus and finally the local Imam who sounded like we was praying right outside our door for the morning call to prayer!
Our morning journey went well – the roads were good and we made excellent progress.
It was as we were nearing the border that the roads began to crumble. Speed slowed as we needed to negotiate significant pot-holes. The number of lorries (especially Petrol Tankers) did nothing to speed us on our way.
The cars taking vicarious routes along the broken road.
There were vain attempts to repair them with earth being used to infill the pot-holes.
We reached the border late afternoon and waited for the officials to process our visa applications.
The other side of the line there were changes. Rwanda is a much cleaner place, a ban on plastic bags contributing to a lack of litter. The roads are much better too as we climb through the hills to Kigali, passing rice paddies and other farms. 
At 6pm we reached Kigali and our accommodation -Discover Rwanda Youth Hostel.
The village of Kigombe just down the beach at Peponi is reputed to be the oldest in Tanzania. Regardless of that claim there certainly was a large fillet of ships in the bay and each evening just before sunset a number of villagers would make their way down to the beach. Laden end with buckets and other containers carrying lamps or ropes they would wade out into the shallow waters heading for their boats.
They would then spent the night on the waters of the Indian Ocean their lamp lit boats strung like pearls across the horizon. 
The following morning they return fish ready to sell or take home for food.
Ten years ago I visited a different Fishing Village on the other side of Africa in The Gambia
Posted in Africa, Tanzania, Tanzanian living, travel
The Peponi Bandas and Beachside Camping Complex is located along a stretch of coast between Tanga and Pangani on the Indian Ocean Coast of Tanzania.
There are a range of accommodation options ranging from a Banda ($630 pp for a 6 night stay) to a bring your own tent option ($6.50 pppn).
Regardless of the option you have access to the same facilities including a small pool, beach bar and restaurant area and numerous places to relax.
We chose the bring your tent option which has been good value, the tent is pitched under a Banda and provided with a light and an electrical socket. When our air bed sprung a leak the manageress was happy to loan us some bedding from the pre-erected tents (a third option for accommodation).
The menu is tasty and well prepared. At 13000 TZS it is a lot cheaper than many places in Mwanza, where we live in Tanzania.WIFI is provided free of charge but is purposely limited to a small area is of the complex well away from the beach front so that people are not permanently on their phones which has been quite refreshing.
The property leads onto a beach front whilst not the pure white sands of Zanzibar the beach is nonetheless excellent.
The beach teems with crabs which scurry for their holes, numerous wading birds trawl the beach which has a large tidal range as much of this coast does. There are many varieties of birds in the trees along the coastline too.
The site is laid out in a landscape of palms and other trees. Bush babies clamber the trees by night and monkeys by day. A large curiosity of Banded Mongooses roam the grassy areas in the afternoons.
We are really enjoying our stay here and after two solid days of travel it has been good to go no further than a stroll along the beach.
Day two of our travels and after 18 hours on the ‘road’ yesterday a more relaxed morning. We were staying at Rafiki Backpackers where we had stayed one night in the summer on our journey through Moshi on our trip from Lake Victoria to Victoria Falls.
The previous night I was asleep as my head touched the pillow and I woke up refreshed after a solid night’s sleep. A leisurely breakfast and a trip to Nakumat (the lack of a proper supermarket in Mwanza makes this a must if only to pick up some coffee supplies and a Valentine’s present 💝, secretly smuggled out when Anita was unaware!).
Back on the road we headed South East past stunning mountain landscapes (Pare and Usambara Mountains) and on towards Tanga. One day we must return and visit these mountains and see for ourselves this amazing landscape).
A five hour journey to Tanga and a half an hour on a rough unsurfaced road brought us to our final destination of Peponi Beach along a stretch of coast near Pangani, this to be our home for the week.
Pitching the tents in the light for a change and eating a tasty meal complete with a free Valentine’s Day pudding!
Fatigue set in and after two days of travel we needed to sleep. There was a lovely breeze, but even with the fly sheet open we sweated buckets in the hot night time air. The ocean climate being significantly more humid than we are used to in Mwanza. This and the slowly deflating air bed meant a fitful night’s sleep – we’ll need a puncture repair kit!
Never trust Google Maps!
Our journey to Moshi was certainly an eventful one. Up at 4am for the first leg of our drive to Tanga on the Indian Ocean.
We were heading for an overnight stay in Moshi. We made good progress to just north of Shinyanga when we were directed off to our left for our cut across country.
In fact I had missed the turn initially. I would come to regret not continuing this path and instead turning around at my navigator’s behest. After all on the map it looked the most direct.
Our new road was off Tarmac so a slower path than hitherto, but we had a four wheel drive so we coped.
After an hour or so we realised that we must have missed another turn as we were up in the hills heading for the Serengeti. There are no road signs on these roads so it is a bit of guesswork.
Reversing we travelled back half an hour or more until we found an obscure turning to our left – we took it!
Initially the road was fine enough we arrived at a village had some breakfast and continued on seeking directions at a junction. The man was a little dubious ‘bad road’ he said – but we had a four wheel drive and the road did not look bad, we really did not want to back track for an hour plus bearing I mind our 12 hour journey was extending as we travelled. This was a big mistake.
Initially we made good progress but the road became more and more off road.
Our recently learned driving skills paid dividends and we made it through a number of mud pools until we didn’t!
Stuck in the Mud! Just the four of us!
No other vehicles within miles.
No other people.
In our previous experience we had both more and uktimately a Landrover to drag us out.
What were we going to do now? Here in the middle of nowhere and a long journey ahead.
We tried going forward, we tried going back to no avail. So it was for the second time in a fortnight it was time to get muddy.
We pushed and we pushed with limited success, we tried putting leaves under the wheels, and twigs and branches the car barely budged.
We offered up a few arrow prayers – this was getting sticky!
A man wandered along the ‘road’, Tomasi. He agreed to help.
More pushing, more leaves, no luck.
Anita (supreme Kiswahili speaker as she is) and Tomasi set off to the nearest settlement in search of help – we gathered more sticks, leaves and branches and waited.
A cow herder arrived, then two more, cows in tow! Young boys off 13 years. More stick and twigs.
Then Anita returned having secured the help of a farmer who was ploughing his field by hand with a yoke of four oxen. He just need to finish his job and he’d be there. In less than 10 minutes he was and the oxen were chained to the back of the car (we were reversing out).
Within a few minutes we were free. Reversing to a place we could turn and then heading back the way we’d come to what the farmer promised was a better road.
This involved crossing some fields avoiding the spikes acacia bushes as we were directed by the farmer and Tomasi who asked if we could give him a lift to Inguga our immediate destination.
Our route took us to a track which whilst drier was scarcely a road (though Google insisted it was).
After an hour we were finally back on Tarmac and resuming our journey. In 7 hours we’d travelled just 44 miles it’s gonna be a late arrival in Moshi but at least we saw some interesting rural landscapes and some fabulous bird life to boot.
Most importantly we met some kind and generous Tanzanians who got us out of a hole.
Graham has been to: Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Ethiopia, France, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Gambia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kenya,Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Netherlands, Qatar, Rwanda, Slovenia, Slovakia, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Vatican, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Get your own travel map from Matador Network.
Tanza-Longs 
You must be logged in to post a comment.