Safari (= trip) Tanzania mainland begins

Now the neighbors are gone again and you have to live with my rather factual reports again ;-). It was really a nice time for the four of us, even the rainy season didn't bother us. Strangely enough, the two of them didn't answer whether we could be rehabilitated. Shortly after we said goodbye to Anke and Larissa, we too left the beautiful colors of Zanzibar. The break and the opportunity to breathe in Zanzibar did us good, but nothing kept us there any longer. Werner (from NABU) had offered to pick us up from the ferry in Dar Es Salaam if he brought other guests there. However, that wasn't planned until April 25th, so we decided at short notice to go on safari from Dar Es Salaam. There are national parks nearby that neither of us had ever visited, and there were also various companies that run tours in the rainy season. Due to the weather, we decided against a tent safari and opted for what was essentially a luxury safari (for us). Patrick, our guide for the time, picked us up directly from the ferry in Dar Es Salaam and we drove off to the first national park that same day. We were very happy about that, because the city of 7 million was definitely too loud and too crowded for us. The next few days were wonderful, exciting and eventful. We visited three national parks (you know them, for the cooking group: Mikumi NP, Udzwunga Mountains and Nyerere NP) and had to conquer some really interesting roads. But we only sat in the back and still found it incredible. But the country is incredibly green, everything is blooming and even the locals are happy about this splendor of colors in nature. We got on very well with Patrick, had a lot of fun together, repaired the jeep with him in the middle of nowhere and were happy when he beamed from ear to ear at special animal encounters (e.g. 3-week-old young lions) and also took photos. He also called the road conditions an adventure, but drove us safely from one place to another. One day we went on a walking safari in the Udzwunga Mountains, which was a really nice change after all the time in the car. The route itself wasn't particularly exciting, but we got some exercise and were rewarded with breathtaking views. On April 25th, we stood at the ferry terminal to Zanzibar for 1.5 hours because we had arranged to meet Werner there. We had found a small canopy where we could stand relatively dry and watch the colorful hustle and bustle. We had a bit of work to do fending off all the small traders and were happy when the jeep with the crowned crane on it finally arrived. Werner brought Werner's guests safely to the ferry terminal and then we drove in the car towards Arusha. After an overnight stay in Korogwe and a total of 15 hours' drive, we arrived in Usa River (a suburb of Arusha). Werner took us to a lodge where he negotiated the price for one night down from $280 per person to $80 per room. We stayed here for two nights, were the only guests, and enjoyed our stay. Four different species of monkeys live in the large garden and the food is more than good. Today we're moving to simpler accommodation for two nights and then we're allowed to live in Werner's house for a while. Our project in Chamchuzi currently depends on getting a car. It makes no sense to start there without a car and NABU has been trying to get a decent car for a good six months. But the market is empty these days because the tourism industry is really booming after Corona and everything has been bought up. We're taking it easy, like everyone else here, and tomorrow we'll look at 2 other projects nearby. Maybe we'll stay here for 2-3 weeks and then head west for another 3 weeks. We'll see, we'll report back, but we're still enjoying our time. The internet is even more difficult than in Zanzibar, if there is any, there's suddenly a power outage or whatever. "There's always something" 😉! So don't worry and enjoy life without us for a while - because in 6 weeks we'll almost be back.