The treasures of Moshi
Trip Start
Mar 20, 2012
1
4
30
Trip End
Oct 16, 2013
Moshi, Tanzania
Monday, April 2, 2012
Back to the car where Bob had to try to reverse out; eventually he found a spot he could turn around in. We stopped once more where we walked through another part of the forrest. Though we hadn't seemed to have gone far it seemed different to where we had just been; not as tall. We came across a small pool of water which Michael informed us was refered to as the "milk spring" as it had a cloudy, milky appearance. It actually has that look due to the water being filtered through limestone.
Driving once more and Michael directed us to an area where we found a large tree with signage on it. The tree in question is thought to be over 190 years old and is the tallest of its kind. Takes 10 people linking arms around it to reach the whole circumfrince.
Further down the track the forrest opened to fields of rice as far as the eye could see. Ryan was amused by the coconut trees also growing in the rice paddys. A small waterway went down one side of the track where alot of locals were washing dishes and clothes. The track was shared by farmers with their stock; Goats and cows mainly.
Eventually we came upon a tarseal road, which was very pleasant after the trip we had just had, but that wasn't going to last long. After following this road which was accompanied by fields of sugar cane we turned off the beaten track onto another dirt road. It was super bumpy, dusty and hot as we stratigicaly work our way through the pot holes that made up the road. After quite a while of bouncing round in our seats and sweating like the inside of a working mans boot, Michael directed us to an area of trees. We drove into the trees to find the most stunning natural spring. After the long bumpy drive we had had all morning, the crystal clear water was such a nice surprise. We had a refreshing dip then dug into our picnic lunch. Back to the water we went where we were surprised to be a treat for the little nibbly fish. We all had a few tries at the rope swing but found the water too relaxing to leave. After a few hours of swimming we packed our goodies into the car and Michael directed Bob back to the main road. By the time we dropped Michael off and got home we were all quite tired, taking the next day to relax around the house.
Friday morning it was decided to go out again. Cruised down to Union Cafe and got some brunch then drove up toward the snow topped mountain where we saw an amazing church with stain glass windows. We met up with two local men who showed us where to go then accompanied us on a hike to a waterfall. None of us realised there would be a hike involved so Ryan and I wore sandles, while Bob and Jann wore sneakers. The track was really steap and were quite a few parts where one of us took a slide. After a couple of hours of heading down hill and nearly loosing Bob down a bank we came to the waterfall which was spectacular. Must have been about 30 meters high with such cold water that would have come from melted snow many meters above us. Due to the water being so cold Bob was the only one brave enough to take the plunge while we just dunked our feet and took photos. The walk back was a bit harder being all uphill; Ryan worked out on our camera we climbed from about 1260 metres above see level to 1420metres above see level, approximately 160 meters. To our glee we found a small store near the car to buy refreshings drinks. As we sipped aways we realised the front tire was flat. The locals who joined us and Ryan set about changing the tire. We dropped the locals back and set off home where Jann and Ryan went for a swim in the pool and Bob and I relaxed before dinner. Indian filled our tummies at a place called 'Elrancho', not very indian sounding, but the taste is delish.
Saturday become another day of rest due to exhausted bodies. Mid morning we made our way into town to get the tire fixed and grab a spot of lunch. We headed to a bbq that we had been invited to later on. Meat and salad was consumed as we chatted with new and old faces. Good times so far in Moshi.
