TAN: Leaving the Steppe

Another early morning on the Maasai Steppe. This one was to be our last for this trip.

We got a few more shots around the boma before beginning to pack up. The kids had to head off for school, so Sandrine brought out the things she had for them. Them seemed quite appreciative of the pens and pencils. There were some perfume samples and costume jewelry as well. Maiko was given a Fisher Space Pen. Chantal and I wished we warranted one of them. They have pressurized ink cartridges so you can write anywhere with them, up side down, right side up, even in space.

Maiko’s friends hung out with us as we got packed to leave. Nothing like a steel-belted retread to give you good sole.

The young kids in the family were particularly photogenic this morning.

Always start your journey with a glass of milk. How to fit seven kids on two bicycles.

We finally bid goodbye to everyone and headed on our way. We had Maiko with us and stopped to pick up an elder to deliver to the nearest settlement. I couldn’t help but thinking they would have a really long hike back to their bomas.

A little rush-hour traffic near Handeni town.

We stopped in Handeni town to let Adam off and get a bite to eat. Jerome had a record five minute shower and joined up for the tail end of our meal. We were on our way again in about three quarters of an hour.
The road back to the highway seemed to be much longer and far more bumpy than we recalled from our journey out to the Steppe. We were glad at long last to get onto the tarmac and continue our trip back to Dar es Salaam. When we got back into cell phone range, Sandrine telephoned the folks running the Apopo research project in Morogoro. She was just hoping to confirm with them to come out in the next couple of days, but they suggested we come straight away since we were pretty close anyway. We had a quick SMS conversation with Rafael and confirmed that Jerome didn’t have any other pressing engagements and we were on our way to Morogoro.

The Uluguru mountains in the fading light of evening.

We were a little nervous at Rafael’s parting message that Jerome was a new driver and that we should not be out after dark. Jerome did an excellent job, even on the hectic streets of Morogoro. Had some discouragement with the first place we stopped at to find a place to stay for the night. Ended up at the Mt. Uluguru Hotel. It had started off life as a proposed hospital but the permits to operate had not come through and it was turned into a hotel. the rooms were very basic with an open plan bathroom that included a shower that sprayed on everything in the room, toilet, sink, you, your possesions.
We had a simple dinner that took an interminably long time to arrive. Finally got to bed after 11 p.m.