Exploring Arusha City

After our hiking adventure on Mount Meru, we stayed in the city of Arusha for a few days, which is the starting point for hiking tours or safaris and is located in the eponymous region. We set out on foot to explore the city. Our hotel, or rather the lodge, was located on a quiet street, a bit off the center. However, the entrance gate was always locked and a guard had to let us in and out. Nevertheless, we always felt safe here. Our first destination was the Maasai Market. Thanks to Google Maps and MapsMe (Offline Map App), we knew the way. However, a young man approached us halfway and we started talking. Emmanuel, who is actually a tour guide here in Arusha, told us that since Corona there are very few tourists here and he is currently working as a voluntary art teacher with orphaned children. But today he is off and he accompanied us to the Maasai Market. He told us something about the city, the country, and the people here. For example, the big Coca-Cola clock is exactly the center of Africa. So I just had to take a photo together with Emmanuel. At the Maasai Market, he explained to us that there are different streets here, with different names, such as Kilimanjaro Road. However, in principle, most of the stands sell the same things. We bought a few souvenirs and since we were almost the only visitors at the market at that time, we quickly found ourselves in the midst of the vendors and they all wanted to sell us something, so we quickly spent our first Tanzanian dollars. On the way back, we made an appointment with Emmanuel for the next day. He wanted to show us more of Arusha and go to the museum with us, and we found him very nice and he could explain and show us a lot. We spent the rest of the day comfortably in our accommodation, the Outpost Lodge. The next day, as agreed, Emmanuel picked us up after breakfast and our first stop was the Tanzanite Museum. Admission was free and there was a small guided tour about the history, origin, extraction, and processing of Tanzanite. Tanzanite is a vibrant blue gemstone that is found only in Tanzania. It can be found in rocks in the Arusha region, and in the museum, we could see what the caves where the stones are found look like. The gemstones are then sold as jewelry stones, for example by Tiffany. But we didn't buy anything, it was a bit too expensive for us.

Next, we went to the National History Museum - a small but sweet national museum. After paying a small entrance fee, we started our visit. There, we could see and learn about various bones and skeletons of the indigenous people, information about the different tribes, as well as a lot about the local animal and plant life. Outside, there was a small botanical garden. Here, too, Emmanuel was in his tour guide element and told us everything worth knowing about the herbs and trees there. There were also turtles and an eagle there. We felt sorry for them because they were locked up there. So, quickly on to our next destination, the Local Market. It was quite busy, people were pushing past us, and there was so much to see and discover. It had everything: spices, herbs, fruits, vegetables, meat, unfortunately also cute little baby chicks running around, and there were also all kinds of household goods like brooms. Emmanuel knew everything there as usual and could tell us the names of all the fruits and vegetables and tell us something about them. Due to the heat and the hustle and bustle on the market, we eventually got very exhausted and hungry. Emmanuel had a solution for that too: we went to a local restaurant. At the entrance, there was a barrel filled with water and soap for hand washing. The typical local dishes are eaten here with hands. So did Emmanuel. He had Ugali: a cornmeal lump that is dipped in vegetables. He told us about his family - his wife and his daughter who now goes to school. At the moment, the most important thing for him is to take care of his family and ensure that his daughter gets a good education. He also told us about his volunteering job, where he teaches street children painting. We imagined pictures like the ones we know from kindergarten and elementary school. However, he took out a few drawings that he had with him from his backpack and showed them to us. We were totally impressed because the pictures were wonderful: Maasai painted on canvas in their typical attire and with their sticks. He gave us one and we were super happy because can you imagine a more personal and unique souvenir from Tanzania than a painting with a personal story behind it? And so a great day in Arusha with many impressions and unique memories came to an end. We were glad and grateful that we met Emmanuel and that he accompanied us today.