After a long week of dalla-dalla rides and research interviews culminating in an evening sorting through jargon and genuinely helpful information, the crew headed to Lushoto for the weekend. Lushoto is a small town nestled in the Usambara mountains in the northeast. It's about a 6-7 hour ride from Dar es Salaam. We rented a small dalla-dalla and off we went. In total, there were 8 of us--me, 6 friends, and a friend's mother and aunt.
I am always amazed by this country's diversity. In Dar, you find yourself in extreme heat and a truly coastal lifestyle, then go to Moshi and you can see the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro from your doorstep, a 2-hour ferry trip to Zanzibar reveals the world's most beautiful beaches, head out to any of the multiple national parks and enjoy a lovely sunset while a lion cub playfully chases his brother under a shaded tree... And, finally, head out to Lushoto for the weekend and you would be forgiven for thinking you were in East Tennessee at a bed and breakfast near Gatlinburg! It truly has EVERYTHING!
So, we headed out to Lushoto. Upon arrival, it was dark out so I couldn't see the views that I witnessed the following morning. From our porch, we could see a beautiful waterfall. On Saturday, we all went for a hike up to the waterfall. I think there's something magical about a waterfall. It seems to transport everyone--no matter how old--back to his or her childhood. Immediately, everyone's shoes were scattered about haphazardly and we were all playing in the freezing cold water.
Then, we went to a viewpoint. Perched hundreds of feet in the air, it seemed that you could see Tanzania in its entirety! I went a little camera-happy. Then, we hiked down from the viewpoint, got some lunch, and headed back to the house. Everyone rested a bit, and then we all cooked a feast! Yes, even I chopped some tomatoes and barbequed some chiken... We played cards late into the night and then everyone fell asleep to the sounds of the waterfall. Back to Dar on Sunday...
