From Lushoto to Arusha... and then quickly on to Moshi!

I took an instant dislike to Arusha, and after spending three nights there I still can't say my feelings have changed. I was feeling all dreamy and relaxed after Mambo Viewpoint and Arusha brought me back down to Earth with a jolt. I got on the bus in beautiful, leafy, green Lushoto and (eight bumpy hours later), got off in noisy, dirty, congested Arusha. Perhaps if I'd gone there straight from Dar, it would have been less of a shock to the system! 

One of my fellow passengers on the bus

As we pulled into the bus station a tout actually got onto the bus and practically blocked my exit as he started reeling off the hotels/ cultural tours/ safaris that he could sell to me. More were waiting below as I tried to collect my rucksack. Unlike the easy-going guys in Lushoto, these ones were really pushy and rude. When I finally convinced them that I already had a hotel they tried to convince me that it was very far away and required a taxi (fortunately I knew it was only a couple of blocks from the bus station). On reaching the hotel I found the walls were so thin that all of the din from outside was equally as loud in my room (including the call to prayer blaring out from loudspeakers on top of the nearby mosque). Venturing back out for dinner later I found the streets were quite sketchy with lots of beggars and other shady characters. 

I was in Arusha as it's the jumping-off point for safaris into the Serengeti. I'd contacted a few companies by email but had decided it might be easier to wait and speak to them in person. I was envisioning a touristy main street lined with travel agencies with enticing window displays and glossy brochures to flick through. I guess I hadn't realised just how under-developed it is here. The agencies mostly consisted of one man sitting behind a desk in a dingy room hidden down a back alley. After visiting three in quick succession, accompanied by more pushy touts, I finally accepted that Arusha and I were just not compatible, and for the sake of my sanity I should just book with the agency I'd been liaising with over email, and get out of town as quickly as possible. 

Decision made, I hopped onto a daladala (shared minibus) to the town of Moshi, a smaller, slightly-less-manic town, two hours away at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. There I stayed in a small Bed & Breakfast in the leafy suburbs and once again felt like I could breathe!

The next day I took a day trip to the small village of Marangu, on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. My guide was Praise, a 26-year-old who had set up his own business offering cultural excursions to his home village. 

It was actually more modern and developed than Lushoto but still nice to be out in the countryside again. We started with a walk through the farmland near the village, where they mainly grow coffee and bananas. 

Banana trees along the path

Our first stop was at some underground tunnels which were used by the Chagga tribal people to hide from their enemies, the Masai. We then hiked to a local waterfall was which beautiful and completely deserted apart from us. 

Ndoro waterfalls, Marangu

So good to be here and not in Arusha!

Then we stopped at Praise's mum's house for a delicious lunch. It was so nice to feel like I was doing something so normal and non-touristy!

Lunch in Praise's mum's garden!

Finally Praise showed me around his family's small coffee farm and we drank coffee freshly-made from beans he de-shelled, roasted and ground in front of me. It was a really nice day. 

Praise with the freshly roasted coffee beans, ready for grinding!

Unfortunately the next day I had to head back to Arusha ready for my safari. I also had to buy a few more bits of warm clothing in the local markets, which resulted in a lot more hassling, but I booked into a nicer hotel where I could escape and unwind afterwards!