Tanzania – A blur to say the least.
The “Northern Circuit” as they a call it, is a series of National Parks in the northern section of Tanzania. It’s the same ecosystem as Southern Kenya and in some instances connected with the Kenyan parks, as well as the same migratory animals. Having just come off several days of safari in Kenya, I couldn’t bring myself to park the bike again after the short four-hour ride that put me in Arusha, Tanzania. So…I’m “skipping” Tanzania.
I left Arusha at 7am and drove through the brutal heat of the central Tanzania plains to arrive in Mbeya at 7:00 that evening. I did 1100 km on the bike with very little food and certainly no rest stops. It was pit stop style, rally driving at speeds I shouldn’t have been reaching. My highlight of the day was the 100+ km of off road detours around construction zones, along with a couple of windy roads up mountain passes. It really was some fun driving for the day – I’ve missed the long days on the bike.
I arrived at the hotel to find out they were fully booked, but they generously put me up in their employee quarters. If I would’ve known about the infestation of cockroaches, I would’ve opted for my tent. The roaches kept getting inside of the mosquito net, crawling to the top, then dropping on me in the night. It made for a restless night of sleep. Still, maybe better than sleeping outside with the rat and snake problem they are currently having.
At least the shower was warm.
Chad Rothacher 