May 22, 2012

I’m still in Moshi. Yesterday I walked around town, always with the company of a local. There isn’t a single westerner that can walk alone in this town. There is always someone approaching to offer treks on the Kilimanjaro, Serengeti safari or tours around Moshi. I spent most of my afternoon with Seleman, that took me to the YMCA to see the swimming pool (25m) and taste the banana beer. It was good. 10% alcool. There’s a more muddy version with seeds inside that I don’t like much.

ymca pool moshi

Today I went to visit a village at the foot of the Kilimanjaro. I went with Joseph. I wouldn’t have been able to go alone. It took us 45 minutes on Dalla-Dalla. Full as hens in cage, but with nice reggae music playing. It was a nice walk in the jungle, among banana, avocado, coffee trees and beans. We walked to a beautiful and powerful waterfall. And talked to the barman of the village. He’s 32 and has a 18 years old daughter that goes to school.

This morning my stomach felt a bit weird. But when I went back after the trip all was good. I ate so much rice that it could dry up the whole Victoria Lake.

4.30pm I’m at a small restaurant near my hotel, where customers are mainly locals. I like it because from its terrace I can look at people in the street. I had a Passion Fruit juice. Next to me is a bored lady drinking a beer all by herself. At another table sits a belly man that doesn’t seem very nice and who is eating like a pig. A lady is trying to sell shoes. The bored lady tries on a few, but they are too expensive for her. Or they are not enough polished, I couldn’t tell. A boy shows his thick perfumes and the colorful clothespins. The unpleasant belly man sends him away in a rude way. He’s the owner, apparently. The Bored sends a waiter to buy something for her in a nearby shop. Meanwhile in the street a young girl carries on her head a bag full of legumes. Women of the village dispaly their vegetables on the sidewalk, in a very pretty way. I would like to photograph them, but I guess they might get upset if I do. One of the ladies with long plaits got really upset because I took a photo without asking. She’s right, and usually I ask for permission, but I wanted to photograph her while she was putting the basket on her head, I couldn’t wait. She complained for a few minutes, shouting at me. She actually wanted one dollar. Until 5 minutes ago I thought that Tanzanians are cute, they often look at you very seriously and sometimes they mutter or shout something that sounds like a reproach, but as soon as you say “Mambo” or smile, they reply with the sweetest look. Well, not all the time.