A breath of fresh air

Hello All!  I just got back from yet another crazy busy adventure in Marangu.  The weekend was jam packed with some high’s and low’s on the excitement level but it was really great to get out of the city for some fresh air!

Saturday morning we left for the city called Marangu where Mount Kilimanjaro is located with the much anticipation of climbing to the first base camp on the mountain.  After our 4ish hour venture toward the city, picking up our guides along the way, we made it to the start of the climb.  Our guides were so knowledgeable!  It was seriously one of those history tours, where they would tell you everything you needed to know and everything you really didn't really wanted to know about the mountain itself and the people who have climbed it.  (Papa Lou would have been in heaven this entire weekend :) )We made our way to the actual gate and were COMPLETELY LET DOWN when they told us that we were not hiking the mountain.  We had our hopes up super high for this adventure and have been preparing for it all week!!!!  We found out that it would cost an additional $60 to do the three hour climb to the first base camp and a 2.5 hour trip down...however it was too late in the day to start the adventure :(  This really put a damper on things but wait, our day gets even more less eventful. 

So our next adventure that they wanted us to see was to see coffee bean plants and drink some fresh coffee.  Thinking we were going to a coffee plantation where we will see the entire process of how they make coffee, we drive up to the first Catholic Church started by missionaries in Marangu (which was beautiful!).  After we learned about the history of the church, our guides take us down a hill from the church and point out four bushes of coffee bean plants.  Four. Bushes. . . . It was pretty comical haha  Not to mention that there was a african wedding going in the catholic church.  Which was really neat to see but was totally uncomfortable to watch because it felt like we, Mozungos, were infringing on such a happy day haha  We didnt want to steal the brides thunder!  There were three brides getting married that day.  If Reid were here we may have gotten in on the African Wedding :)  There were lots of shouts and singing by the audience as they lead the brides to another hut where they signed the marriage licenses.  It was so joyful!!  (Getting very excited about our wedding!)  

After we witnessed the African wedding, we went into another common room on the church grounds where we had some fresh brewed coffee.  Thats right, I had a whole cup of coffee and loved it!  Granted, I put three spoonfuls of some awesome sugar, but still.  I am a Tanzanian Coffee fan :)  However, I had to go to the bathroom all night long!!!! Haha

We also did a mini hike around the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro where we saw a Chagga family. Our walk up the hills consisted of walking over a super sketch bridge where you could only walk in the middle of the bridge and the bridge was crooked at probably a 30 degree angle.  It was nuts!  Walking through the forest was very beautiful and tropical!  It was crazy to climb and find a family from the Chagga tribe right in the middle of nowhere.  The Chagga tribe was the main tribe in the Kilimanjaro area.  The way of leaving is very interesting.  The huts that they live in was made out of dried palms where when made into a hut, the palms keep the home cool and also protects it from the rain.  The grandness of the home is only as big in diameter as the man (hut owner) when he lays on the ground and stretches his arms up.  This hut is extremely small!  A cow, calf, 5 kids, husband and wife spend their nights in this hut.  It was crazy to see how in todays day of age, people still live like this.  One of the kids had a super snotty nose, so Devin gave her a tissue and the child didn’t even know how to use one.  It was like she had never seen one before.  Devin had to teach her how to blow her nose.  It was crazy!

After the visit with the Chagga family we went to our hotel for the evening.  We have been spoiled on our lodge stays that I rate this hotel a 2.9 ;)  It was a adobe looking lodge that was kind of weird to see in africa but we spent the evening around a bonfire that they made for us!  It felt like we were in Michigan again :)  A Bob Marley looking Tanzanian, Steve who worked at the lodge, came out to chat with us and gave us some free entertainment.  He pulled out a guitar that was missing one string and played us one of his original songs.  His song was called paradise and it was so good!  Any producers or entertainment guroos out there, there is so much raw talent in Africa!!!!  So, we spent our evening singing tunes, bonding and relaxing with one another which was much needed!

Sunday morning we woke up early to start off our day with a hike for a picturesque view of Mount Kilimanjaro.  It was soooooo clear out that we were able to see the top of the mountain which was pretty cool to see!  We hiked back down from our view and passed through a grave where the first Chagga man who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with Hans (the first german that climbed mount kilimanjaro).  It was kind of wierd that they took us there, especially because it was right in somebody's yard, but hey, we saw the Chagga mans grave and his two wives grave. Woop woop ;)

However, we then went to see a waterfall (cant remember the name).  It was awesome!!  The stream comes from the top of Kili so it is crystal clear but super cold!  After a long hot morning of hiking, we needed to cool off!  So, I experienced my first swim in a waterfall.  It was pretty awesome :) 

After this we went to a blacksmith where we were able to help do blacksmith stuff with the Chagga tribe.  It was very interesting, and they have super interesting methods of keeping fire going!  I can’t even explain it through writing haha We then walked to a Chagga Cave.  Which really wasnt a cave but more like a tunnel.  During the 1700s I think, the Chagga tribe and the Masai Tribe were at war with one another.  In order to keep their women and children alive, they built these tunnels under the earth which was 4 meters under the ground.  It was kind of sketchy but I decided that I may only be able to have this opportunity once, so I went down into the tunnel.  It was soooo dark and the man only had one little flashlight and a latern for the 6 of us.  It was soooooo cool though!  The tunnel was probably only 3.5 feet high at most parts and the rooms were probably 4.5 feet tall.  The tunnel stretched for a long while where 60 people were able to stay in the tunnel.  It was crazy!  They also made a kitchen that was under the ground where they had a chimney that went up to earth.  It was crazy!!  What a life that must have been!!

To conclude our trip, we went to this super sketchy place where the men made banana beer.  I tried it and it was super disgusting!!  It had so grainy.  They don't even bottle it, they just poured it into a jumbo plastic cup where we all had to share.  It was a unique experience thats for sure!

Now we are back at the outpost and I had the most delicious ice cream for desert!  I have never experienced vanilla ice cream like this before in my life! Haha  So I guess our weekend started out as a bit of a bummer but progressively got better.  It was a very enjoyable but busy weekend!  Living up Africa thats for sure!

Love to all!

Xoxoxo  

P.s  if you have any questions....please ask!  I would love to answer :)