Hardventure Tourism - June, 2013

Issue No. 4

break exciting adventurous sights in Tanzania June 2013 AAfocus on to thenew leastand known tourist attractions of Tanzania

Tourist Attractions in the SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS ZONE

Iringa | Katavi | Mbeya | Njombe | Rukwa

Focus on Southern Highlands Zone

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Map of Tanzania

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Map of the Southern Highlands Zone

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Contents Editorial comment Southern Highlands Zone: The land of contrast!

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Focus on the least known tourist attractions in the Southern Highlands Zone Iringa: The ‘Fortress’ which exudes bravery

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A day in my life in Kalenga

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A day’s visit to Isimila

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Katavi: A region and its spirit couple

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Karema: An early Christianity City goes fishing

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Mbeya: An arcadia of Africa

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A story by a domestic tourist: Magnificent Matema Beach

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17 Day Cruise in Southern Highlands

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A visit to ‘bald head’ Ngualla Mountain

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Njombe: A region which got its name from a tree

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Njombe and ‘Friends’ in our lives

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Adventure at City in a valley: Growing up in Njombe

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Rukwa: A region that shares borders with two countries

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A feel of relentless climb of free leaping Kalambo Falls

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Travellers’ Testimonies

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Note: All adverts in this issue are complimentary.

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Southern Highlands Zone: The land of contrast!

In August TTB and tourism stakeholders celebrated the first birth day of HardVenture, a new member of the official tourism agency’s publications committed to promoting hard tourism in and across Tanzania. Although it is slightly over 12 months of age, the Magazine this time around unlike other toddlers has effectively managed to make a 14-day tour in the Southern Highlands Zone, known in Latin as terra firma or the land of contrast in English.

Terra firma is the vast and most populous area in terms of a number of its resident regions namely: Iringa or Lilinga in Kihehe dialect which literally means God- made fortress, Njombe or Madzombe, Mbeya, Rukwa, and Katavi also pronounced as Katabhi by area residents, the Wabende ethnic tribe.

Visitors to the Zone would be treated to a number of awesome ‘godly-made’ natural attractions some of them revered by area residents as sacred and its transgression calls of punishment including ostracism. If lady luck smiles at your presence in one of the revered areas, you could bear witness to spine chilling dawn event; an intimately verbal greetings exchange between the couple spirits of Katavi.

A female, princess Wamweru or princess of the purity she god, that got her name after the Wamweru Hills where she also lives under a twin pair of tamarind trees (tamarindus indica) would exchange sunrise greetings to his majesty prince Katavi who lives on the eastern shore of Lake Katavi, the water body that separates them. It is from the Lake (Katavi also Katabhi) the male-spouse-spirit got his name!

Then what about the God’s this and that in the Southern Highlands Zone? Yes. Catch a glimpse of the God’s bridge, the God’s outdoor botanic garden, the God’s out door boiling caldera lake-pot, the God’s unique land formations arches, the God’s hanging waterfalls, the 8th world’s heaviest God’s fallen star (meteorite) as well as the God’s uniquely decorated wildlife species ‘only’ endemic in the Zone’s wilds. Just name it and the list could be as endless as the Zone’s rolling hills and its lush green countryside!

“It looks as if the God’s ‘errand boy’ who was distributing the natural attractions, after having his hands stretched that too far, when he arrived in the terra firma, he was captivated by the available stunningly wonderful creations by God’s hands, and as overjoyed as he got off, he decided to splash out all the contents that had remained in the gift basket he was carrying,” an area legend would said jokingly during our Staff Writer’s visit to the Zone recently.

Well, what else is news in the Zone then? It is the newly soft launched international airport in Mbeya, the Zone’s centrally positioned member.

Inauguration of such a facility, is big news to the Southern Highlands Zone bound long haultravellers and tourists. And what is the status of accommodation facilities in the Zone? Lots of them; both high class and moderate rated hotels, bush tented camps, lodges as well as guesthouses are available and professionally managed, mainly by private operators.

So? Welcome aboard the HardVenture A-Z roll-coaster as it takes you and your beloved one in and around the terra firma for business safaris, leisure, holidaying, overland safaris, adventurous excursions, mountain trekking, kayaking, canoeing, or just to catch a glimpse of the stunningly natural attractions, historical sites as well as the teeming wildlife in their natural habitats to spice up the beauty of the scenic land of contrast!

Aloyce K. Nzuki, PhD Managing Director

Main cover photo: Kalambo Falls

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Iringa

IRINGA

The ‘Fortress’ which exudes bravery

Gangilonga, The Talking Rock

Geographical Location Iringa is one of Tanzania’s 30th administrative regions.

The regional capital is Iringa. Before 2012 its total area was 58,936 square kilometres (22,755 square miles), of which land surface area was 56,864 square kilometres (21,955 square miles) and water area was 2,070 square kilometres (800 square miles.)

Formerly, Iringa region had a population of 1,495,333, this is according to the 2002 census but currently the four old northern districts, had a combined population of 840,404 in the 2002 census to have gone away with them a total population of 655 329 persons.

Its neighbours with which it shares border frontiers include: Singida and Dodoma regions to the North, Morogoro region to the East, Ruvuma and Njombe regions and Lake Nyasa to the South as well as Mbeya region to the West. After losing the three districts of

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Mufindi, Makete and Ludewa deep south after the Njombe elevation, Iringa region is now divided into four administrative districts namely: Iringa Rural and Urban, Kilolo and Mufindi.

Iringa region is home to two prominent national parks; the Ruaha also known as the lullaby of birds and second largest park in Tanzania as well as the Udzungwa which makes part of the Arc Mountains or the Galapagos of Africa.

Iringa town, the region’s headquarters which shares the name with its parent region, stretches along a hilltop overlooking the Ruaha River to the South, and sprawling out along ridges and valleys to the North. The altitude of the town’s environs is more than 1550 metres (5000 feet) above sea level which makes the months of June, July, and August to experience low temperatures close to

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freezing point. Iringa is perched about 502 kilometers (312 miles) South of Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania.

Garb of History Iringa is said to have been built in the early 1890s by the German Army as a garrison against the Wahehe, the area residents who were fighting a ferocious war in defence of their land against the invasion, occupation, forceful labour and direct taxes imposed by the colonial Germans.

Legends say, the word Iringa might have been corrupted by colonial officials from the Kihehe word for Lilinga which in the local dialect means fortress because of its geographical position of being ‘fortified’ by the rolling hills which surround the town virtually making it look like a military fortress.

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Ironically, 15 kilometres away from Iringa stands the remains of a former fortress and command headquarters in Kalenga village of Chief Mkwawa who led ferocity resistance against the Germans. The Chief Mkwawa Memorial Museum operates from Kalenga village in which his skull and other relics are exhibited.

Historically, Iringa was also the war theatre of several battles bravely fought during the first and second world wars, a commonwealth war graves cemetery is located downtown to bear witness of the worst military campaigns on earth.

Some 20 kilometres further to southwest stands the Isimila Stone Age site, containing archeological artifacts, particularly stone tools used by early humans about 300,000 years ago.

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Ethnicity Major ethnicity includes Wahehe, Wabena and Wakinga.

Agriculture Tea, tobacco, pyrethrum, paprika, mushrooms, as well as vegetables such as Irish potatoes, sorghum, millet, wheat, pulses, cabbage, onions, sunflower, maize, paddy, beans, tomatoes, paddy, beans and cassava are major farm products. Other products include seeds, timber and paper industries and beekeeping.

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Tourism Though hotel operators report that a substantial portion of leisure travellers stay in Iringa only as a stopover, the town has untapped tourism potential.

Visitors are charmed by the need to buzz the landing strip to chase away animals feeding on the short grasses.

Elephants are especially plentiful here.

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The multi-cultural Neema centre for souvenier

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A day in my life in

Kalenga J

uly 9 was a very colorful day when we arrived in Kalenga Village at around 10 o’clock to be met by an arousing welcome by traditional dancers from across there region ethnicities as well as the sons and daughters of Kalenga in the Diaspora who had gathered in the historical village to celebrate the life well lived of Chief Mkwawa.

Therefore my visit and two other friends, a photographer and a driver to the small village located 15 kilometres southwest of Iringa town also coincided with an off-on anniversary to commemorate the return to the village of the Skull of Chief Mkwawa from Germany July 9, 1954.

Some dancers, particularly the old men were dressed in the traditional white flowing robes with their heads covered by coiled scurf making them resemble clerics.

Others brandished spears and simulated rifle guns which rested on their shoulders as women ululated and gyrated as if to inspire their men who had assembled ready to go to war. At one stage, it looked as if the dancers were giving befitting and arousing welcome to their homecoming sons and daughters after a ferocious war bravely fought.

The annual event organised irregularly by a team of village elders who also support the management of a small enterprise known as the Chief Mkwawa Memorial Museum which also helps to raise some funds to the village Museum and the department of Antiquities.

The skull of the Chief who died in 1898 from self-inflicted gunshot during the battles of Kalenga against the German troops. is on display in the Museum alongside some relics, such as traditional weapons as well as a handful of written documents captured from the German troops.

Our host, Mzee Muyinga a descendant of the 1720s Muyinga dynasty, the fore fathers of Chief whose official

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name was Mkwawa Mukwavinyika Kilonge Munyigumba wa Muyinga, is one of the village elders who on the sideline of celebrations, volunteered to take us around the historical village after we done an interview with the Museum curator.

Naturally Mzee Muyinga would make abrupt stops here and there as he rolled back history over some of the grisly incidents that happened in their village over 100 years ago.

“Kalenga is a historical village. It was the headquarters and Commanding Post of Chief Mkwawa during the 9-year ferocious war waged by the German colonial troops against the whole of the Wahehe ‘country’ who had rallied behind their traditional ruler Chief Mkwavinyika or ‘conqueror of many lands’ in the Wahehe dialect.

His official residence and military base were inside a stone fort like hanging cave known as Lipuli, he said as he pointed to the proud hanging cave rock that is still in existence to tell a grisly story of a ferocious military campaign in Kalenga. The height of Chief Mkwawa’s former fortress wall

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now in ruins could have been about 12 feet (2metres) tall and its length is approximately eight miles (4km) long. The stockade was built for four years by the hands of the early Kalenga villagers, presumably between 1887 and 1890 after Chief Mkwawa had caught wind of the presence of the German activities near the East African coast-- from Kilwa to Mikindani in Mtwara, Mzee Muyinga, a descendant of the Muyinga dynasty like the late Chief Mkwawa, could reveal to us during the brief encounter.

Although similar edifices had been built along the entire East African coast, either by the early Arabs, Portuguese or Germans, it was unknown why Chief Mkwawa conceived the idea of putting up such stone walled fortress around the exterior of a hanging rock cave or the Lipuli.

Some of the early traditional weaponry on display in the village Museum included clubs, knob kerries, spears, shields and an arsenal of firearms that included musketeers captured from the humbled Germans.

In the Museum compound, laid two tombs; the first one belonged to Chief Sapi Mkwawa the first born son of the late Chief Mukwavinyika and crown prince (to throne.)

The junior Mkwawa was captured by Germans during the ensuing siege against his father’s stronghold and endured a forced march from Kalenga to Dar es Salaam as a prisoner

of war and put on board of a German military ship and took him to Austria.

The second tomb contains the remains of Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa, the grandson of Chief Mkwawa, who was also the former House Speaker of the Tanzanian National Assembly.

The former House Speaker died on natural death in Dar es Salaam in the late 1990s. About 500 metres away from the Museum, stands another tomb with a short monument erected on it. The tomb contains the remains of Erich Maas, a German soldier who was also the field commander who was subdued and killed by nationalists soldiers of Chief Mkwawa after a physical duel after some of the German soldiers had managed to break into the Kalenga fortress.

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Battles of Kalenga Document evidence available in the Museum indicate the military siege to capture Kalenga started on October 28th, 1894 from a nearby Lugulu hill followed by two days of heavy bombardment of the fortress by the Germans but the nationalists Wahehe fighters stood on the ground, fiercely resisting the bloody onslaught, Mzee (Old) Muyinga could recall.

On 30th October pockets of German soldiers managed to enter Chief Mkwawa’s rock cave fortress; Lipuli and physically engaged the Wahehe fighters who made up the rearguard of the Chief, with rifle bayonets.

In the ensuing melee Chief Mkwawa made a tactical retreat as his Kalenga fell and the Germans went on rampage and looting stockpiles of ivory and destroying kilogrammes and kilogrammes of gun powder the Chief had managed to accumulate over the years.

Between 1894 and 1898, Chief Mkwawa and his remaining rearguard continued to give the Germans a run for their money by staging series of fatal guerrilla attacks from the surrounding villages namely:| Lugalo, Lungemba, Mbweni, Tosamaganga, Kikongoma and Mlambalasi.

But when the proud and brave Chief realised he had no chance to withstand the superiority of ‘German rising machines and fire power,’ he took his own life by inflicting fatal gun shot in the head instead of risk capture.

When the advancing German troops stumbled on his dead body, one of them, Sergeant Merckel grisly severed the Chief’s head which was eventually sent to Germany, said the old man from the Muyinga dynasty that could be traced as early as in 1720 in remote Iringa village known as Mfwimi.

Brought home In 1949 Sir Edward Twining then the British colonial governor to Tanganyika, the forerunner to a country currently known as Tanzania, made an official request to the

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Germany government in Berlin for the unconditional return to Tanganyika of Chief Mkwawa’s Skull. Five years later (1953) Twining personally went to Bremen with the shape of the skull, cranial measurements and the place where the shot had made a hole.

He finally found what he was looking for and June 19, 1954 at Kalenga, 56 years since the death of Chief Mkwawa, Twining handed over the Skull to Chief Adam Sapi Mkwawa (the Chief’s grandson.)

The Skull had been kept in the Bremen Anthropological Museum in Germany. The version copy of the Versailles Treaty dated June 28, 1919 Part VIII Article 246, which facilitated the return of Chief Mkwawa’s Skull is also on display in the Kalenga village Memorial Museum.

It reads in part: “Within six months from the coming into force of the present Treaty, Germany will restore to His Majesty the King of the Hedjaz (Saudi Arabia) the original Koran of the Caliph Othman, which was removed from Medina by the Turkish authorities and is stated to have been presented to the ex-Emperor (Germany) William II. “ Within the same period Germany will hand over to His Britannic Majesty’s Government the skull of the Sultan Mkwawa which was removed from the Protectorate of German East Africa and taken to Germany.

“The delivery of the articles above referred to will be effected in such place and in such conditions as may be laid down by the Governments to which they are to be restored.”

The Versailles Treaty was concluded after Germany had lost all her colonies in the WWI, Part VIII Article 246 clearly stipulated that the Skull of the Chief of the Wahehe should be returned to his people in Tanganyika. Sleep well the son of the brave Wahehe People!

By Lucas Mnubi, Kalenga.

Additional reporting by Agencies and Mkwawa.com

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hundreds of Berlin- soldiers including their field commander Gnye Von Zelewski. Even after the fall of Kalenga, three years later, the residence war dragged on fiercely until 1898 when Chief Mkwawa died by self-inflicting a fatal gunshot in his head.

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kwawa was born Mkwawa Munyigumba Kilonge Mukwavinyika wa Muyinga at a place called Luhota 1855; away from his ancestral village known as Mfwimi where the roots of the Muyinga dynasty could be traced as early as in 1720.The name Mkwawa might have been corrupted from the assumed name of Mukwava, a short form of Mkwavinyika, which in Kihehe dialect means Conqueror of many lands.

On August 1891, at the age of 36, Chief Mkwawa and his nationalists’ forces had managed to spring an ambush against noisy Germans troops at Lugalo enroute to Kalenga killing

In one of the grisly events, when the Germans realised the Chief had self-inflicted a fatal shot, a German soldier known as Sergeant Merckel stepped forward and cut off Chief Mkwawa’s head and handed it to their Commander one Von Prince who later sent the skull to German where it remained until 1954 when it was returned home following popular demand by the Wahehe.

The Chief’s son and crown prince, Sapi Mkwawa, was captured during the ensuing siege and taken Prisoner of War (POW).

He was later made to carry German ordinance and in a forced march walked from Kalenga to Dar es Salaam. The heir to throne of the late Chief Mkwawa was eventually shipped to St. Ocilla, the Benedictine’s father’s

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headquarters in Germany as a Prisoner of War (POW.) The Chief’s Skull was formerly kept at the National Museum in Dar es Salaam, until in the late 60s when it was shifted to the Kalenga village Museum to the delight of the Kalongs from all walks of life, whose joy could be witnessed even 59 years down the line since the return of the Chief’s Skull; about113 years since the death of Chief Mukwavinyika.

We could sample the spontaneous exuberance of the Kalenga villagers now that they have in possession of the skull of their former nationalist leader who brought honour and pride to the village in particular, and Tanzania in general.

The irony was that the women gyrated and ululated to the groups of visitors to the village, some of them included tourists and historians from Germans to celebrate the July 9 event to commemorate life and demise of the Conqueror of many lands!

Compiled by Staff Writer.

Additional reporting by Agencies and Mkwawa.com

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A day’s visit to Isimila: Meet Stone age innovators, slingers

y short visit to Isimila, about 20 kilometres south west of Iringa, slightly reconnected my boyhood to the weapon of ‘my choice;’ the sling and sling shots.

The hand-cut Stone Age tools of Isimila were used by early humans and ancestral residential settlement of the early innovators and slingers located in a cavernous valley below a small hill.

In my boyhood, like lots of African children we could make slings which we used for hunting down small mammals and birds. Thanks to the influences of the 1950s Denise the Menace,’ an American comic series that featured Denise Mitchell a 5-year loveable boy who wore overalls as he ventured out to hunt down dinosaurs carrying a sling on his back and a scrip of stones.

“These Stone Age tools were used for either hunting wild games or as open air kitchen knives,” our guide said.

The Site is also home to intriguing land formations which have helped in placing the hamlet under the glare of world spotlight. Once gain thanks to the colonial officials who got wind of the existence of the Site after news of its ‘discovery’ by the area residents started filtering out from the historical village found over 500 kilometres from Dar es Salaam, the Tanzanian commercial capital.

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Although the Isimila caches of slingshots looked un similar to our boyhood stock piles of the primitive ‘missiles,’ I got quite nostalgic as I stood there watching the hand-cut stones perfected into various shapes and sizes. I saw a collection of smooth as well as rough looking slingshots strewn in the nearby dried up brook when I visited the Site which was formerly a shallow fresh water lake.

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It was during the run up to the independence of Tanganyika, the fore runner to Tanzania when the area residents discoveries on this Site came to the fore, official records available at the former Stone Age Site and our guide could indicate.

| Isimila and its slingshots and other rock artifacts curved and used by early humans who lived in a chain of caves below a bushy rolling hills settlement was declared historical Site by the colonials in1957. Since then, the village Museum receives about 25,000 visitors annually; an average of 2080 arrivals per month (approximately 70 daily arrivals.)

None resident visitors pay Tshs. 3,000 as entry fee for residents is Tshs.1,500 per adult to make a visit to the village Museum and the underlying intriguing land formations site known to experts as sand-stone pillars as they cut an imposing figure in a 2-km long gorge where a body of fresh water lake once stood.

Under 12 persons and students, whether residents or non residents pay half of the entry fee paid by visiting adults.

The Lake has since gone with its fresh water that supported livelihoods to the unspecified population of the early humans and wildlife including huge mammals such as elephants and giraffes as well as amphibians such as the hippopotami.

Fossilised bones of elephants, hippos and giraffes as well as humans skeletons have been uncovered in the dried lake beds and the underlying caves and taken for testing to establish their age.

Some of them could be viewed in the newly established and equipped village Museum facility. Some of the slingshots on display in the village Museum were round-shaped and smooth like those carried by the Biblical David in his shepherd’s scrip. Other slingshots on display in the Isimila village Museum were and roughly cut in oval-shaped believed to have defied all odds of nature since their perfection by the crafty hands of the early humans of Isimila about 300,000 years ago.

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but when I arrived in Isimila, clouds of those oral lessons formed on my mind as I stood side by side of a collection of memorabilia of the early humans, a friend who formed part of our 3-person team during the visit to the Site remarked.

“It is amazing. History is a novel. History is reality,” she said incredibly fascinated after she had seen the collections of the artifacts and other relics preserved in the village Museum.

We were also taught how the early men could skin the animal by a sharp edged stone and cut the meat into reasonable chop sizes by using an axe or large knife made from either hard rocks as well as granite, all of them are all in here at Isimila. It is marvelous to bear testimony to such huge collections of ancient memorabilia of our ancestors, another friend said.

Yes, the early humans have disappeared from the face of the earth but they left behind the hand cut stone-stools and other innovations that have defied all odds so many years down the line.

It is about 11 o’clock in the morning and we were standing before stock piles of hand-cut tools that the early humans, left in Isimila bracing for yet another round of tour to the ravenous gorge, home to a chain of caves and spectacular sightings of God made sand-stone pillars. Down the valley we caught spectacular sights and land formations of wonderful sand and stone pillars which our guide said they formed as a result of soil erosions.The red dust standing pillars have become the symbols of the Isimila, once a lush green village connected to a body of sweet water by a small lake that provided livelihood to humans, wild games as well as birds.

The lethal hand-cut Stone Age tools that made the livelihood of the early humans as comfortable as they so desired, were made from hard rocks as well as granite into various shapes and sizes.

But neither the slingshots nor the hand-cut knives, spears and scrappers on display in the small Isimila village Museum, could have been used by boyhood slingers, instead, they were used by grown up early humans as they ventured out for game hunting expeditions as well as fending off enemy threats, the museum curator could reveal during a recent visit to the historical Site perched in a narrow valley 20 kilometres away from Iringa along the Iringa-Mbeya Highway.

At school we were given lessons over the hunter-gathers’ lifestyles such as how they could make a big kill by unleashing hailstorm of slingshots to the game preyed. However, some of us could marvel of their ingenuity, sometimes in disbelief,

Mural road to Isimila Stone Age Site

The historical village is located on your left as you travel by road along the Iringa-Mbeya Highway, about 20 kilometres from Lilinga the original name for the current day Iringa town. The caves in which the early people lived are well maintained, thanks to the existence of an information centre, little Museum house as well as a curator.

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As you approach the village you meet two different sign posts erected by the road side. The first is made from cement block and it is written in both English and Kiswahili directing visitors to the 33 square hectares of a chuck of land that lies deep in the valley of dried up lake beds. The second is a billboard erected fewer that 100 metres from the registration office or the Information Centre.

Some uncovered bones and skeletons of early wild animals could be seen strewn along the narrow route to the rugged land formations.

I bore testimony that it was my first sighting of huge stock piles of hand-cut stones stocked in a small hut, used by early humans as household knives and hunting weapons many years ago. Yes. Only a short walk from the heart of the historical site landed us to the gorge to catch up with some of most breathe-taking glimpses of rows of cliffs that resembled modern day man made stone pillars or stand alone arches.

Donatus Lihoha, the site curator who lives in a nearby house was available to take us deep down the 2 kilometre long dried gorge. These God made features are sometimes called earth pillars, Lihoha announced as we stood glaring fixedly to the spectacular land formations whose sizes and heights varied, as the shortest stood 20 feet tall, the tallest stood about 30 feet or so.

The Isimila Stone Age site is linked by a 1 km mural road from the junction of the Mbeya Iringa Highway. The feeder road passes through the village settlement as freshly roof thatched huts dot the luxurious vegetation. The road stops in front of the information house block. To cater for about 70 visitors per day the Site management has put in place wash rooms and an open air for picnicking, particularly for

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visitors who desire to spend an afternoon away from the buzzing Lilinga!

Where did the lake go?

Along time ago down in this valley, there was a huge swampy dam whereby wild animals would come to drink water but gradually the inland water body dried up presumably due to harsh climatic changes, our guide said. But there is a second version to the story behind the disappearance of the Isimila lake. It goes like this: It is believed much of the Site was at one time occupied by a small lake presumably

Visitors at an Information Centre ( above) The information Centre building (below) as seen from outside

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“But it was the area residents who spotted these pillars in the first place they lived alongside them and eventually some colonial officials in the then Tanganyika caught wind of the ‘discovery’ and immediately batteries and batteries of budding archeologists began trooping to come to Isimila to carry out with their series of excavation work activities,” he said. Donatus admits that it was DA Maclennan, a white South African traveller from St. Peters School in Johannesburg, who in 1951 visited Isimila, to collect some

Hut used as official residence by an Isimila site curator

created by a landslide that slipped into the valley West of the Site. The lake was not very deep. It might have measured roughly 1 km deep (half a mile) and fed by a stream in the East. Part of the lake contained some reeds and marsh land.

The fast moving water from the stream carried with it slit together with gravel and sand. At the entrance or the mouth of the stream (estuary); where the stream out pours its waters into the lake, the flow of the water slowed, sometimes close to a standing halt, at that juncture sediment could slowly fell into the Lake and slowly descended down to the lake beds, eventually it accumulated up in mass.

Visitors navigate a 2km long winding path before they could arrive at the Isimila Gorge to catch up a glimpse of intriguing land formations better known as Sand- Stone Pillars.

Therefore, when the lake begun drying up, a stream from the West of Isimila known as Kipolwi river started to cut back towards the dried depression, effectively creating the present gorge or dried watercourse as it also cut through the land surface deposits and lake beds.

Any famed discovery?

That was another next question I put to the curator. And his reply was Yes and No!

Visitors admire God made earth pillars

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Some of them included Hippos’ bones as well as human skeletons. Some of these uncovered bones have been taken for tests to determine the ages of early humans and wild animals that lived or visited the once beautiful lake area declared historical site from as early as 1957.

Two huts built in 1957 are still used for the preservation of the collection of the Stone Age tools. But since 2007, the Site has undergone major restorations including the opening up of a museum house in which human development activities are documented from as early as the Stone Age period to date.

An Information Centre has also been put up and it is the first place we were to make a stop over when we arrived at Isimila.

Collections of Stone Age man made implements preserved in a hut at Isimila historical site.

of the stone age implements and colonial officials could have been the first people of the Caucasian ethnicities to blow up the ‘discovery’ story to the outside world.

Some six years after the South African traveller visit to Isimila, a team of excavators from Chicago University, in the US also arrived at the site and made the first recorded excavation works at Isimila.

It was between July and November 1957, to be exact the curator could recall on the 5 month excavations by the Americans experts, followed by successive expeditions whose teams’ compositions included geology experts from the Government of Tanzania as well as geological surveyors from another American university and several others followed including the last one which was done in 2009.

Sizes and shapes The knives-shaped had sharpened edges and were used for cutting while scrappers were used for skinning and the spear-shaped stones were used for hunting animals.

Stone age human, according to the curator are believed to have camped along the lake shore and the streams, where they could easily get the water or lay ambush and struck as quickly as a lightening over a prey as the beasts came to drink water.

Collection of bones I saw collection fossilised bones at the site and the curator successively identified them to have been of mammals related to modern day elephant and giraffes, but sport shorter necks.

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After we had made registrations we received oral explanations from the curator before we had to embark to the full-day tour in and across the site as we rubbed shoulders with foreign visitors and Tumaini University students, most of them doing undergraduate programmes in journalism and tourism.

When to visit Visits to the Stone Age Site and the natural pillars are best undertaken during the early morning and late evening hours as there is a tiresome walking distance involved through a couple of semi steep slopes which requires slow movement.

Just the services of a Tax that can drop at the Centre, and come back when you are through.

Suitable months to visit should be between May through March.

What to do Some history stint and get slight insights of the lifestyle of early humans. Take a break and visit the chain of caves below a hill which were once comfortable homes of the early humans who were also early slingers.

List to the curator, as the official skillfully rolls back history of the ancestral residents of Isimila, their tools of trade and craftsmanship in hand-cutting stone implements. It is ideal for picnicking, as a shelter for picnic goers has been pitched up.

Accommodation The Site has no accommodation facilities; therefore visitors should make hotel bookings in downtown Lilinga, only 20 kilometres away, where there is wide range of hotels, restaurants, and guest houses, to fit each visitor’s taste and pocket. Washrooms facilities are available at the Site.

Reporting by Lucas Mnubi

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NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA AUTHORITY (NCAA) Welcome to the Eighth Wonder of the World

Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve. It pioneers multiple land-use in which wildlife conservation, tourism and pastoral activities of the semi-nomadic Maasais co-exist in a carefully managed harmony.

The area contains the greatest permanent concentration of wildlife in Africa and prolific birdlife.

NCA has also a stunning blend of landscapes and spectacular views. It is also home to worldfamous pre-historic sites including Oldupai Gorge where the remains of the earliest known ancestor, Zinjathropus boisei were discovered.

The Gorge is the only place on Earth which exhibits various stages of human evolution: Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo erectus and Homo sapiens.

Contact: The Conservator, Ngorongor Conservation Area Authority, P.O Box 1, Ngorongoro Crater, Arusha Tanzania • Tel: +255 27 253 7006 and +255 27 253 7019, Fax: +255 27 253 7007 • E-mail: ncaa _ faru@cybernet.co.tz, Web: www.ngorongorocrater.org

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Katavi

KATAVI

A region and its spirit couple

Rungwa river viewpoint

Geographical Location Katavi region is one of the newly regions established by the government, it was extracted from Rukwa Region, the region lies between latitudes 50 15 to 70 03’ south of Equator and longitude 300 to 330 31 East of Greenwich. It is bordered by Urambo region (Tabora) to the North Sikonge region (Tabora) to the East, Chunya region (Mbeya) to the East, Nkansi region (Rukwa), to the South, Sumbawanga region (Rukwa) to the South – East, Democratic Republic of Kongo DRC to the West (separated by lake Tanganyika) and Kigoma region (Kigoma) to the Northwest.

Districts The region has two administrative districts namely: Mulele and Mpanda. Historically, Mpanda district which is now a region renamed Katavi was part of Tabora, but in 1975 it was relocated to then the newly created Rukwa

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Region, but 35 years later, Mpanda was again on the move, this time around ‘married of’ a new region, Katavi to become its capital.

Population The newly carved region has a population of about 600,000 residents with their ethnicity being predominant Wabende and Wafipa. Also other ethnicities from other regions across Tanzania also live harmoniously in the region.

Etymology The region is renamed after its resident spirit couple namely; Katabi or Katabhi, a male spirit and its female spouse Wamweru or the ‘daughter of the puritan.’

The spirit couple lives under separate ‘roofs’ and each morning the ‘rumbling in the Katia wilderness’ is echoed over the skies as the couple extends intimacy greetings

| to each other. While ‘Wamweru’ lives in a grotto on the slopes of a hill also named after her, and under twin tamarind trees (tamarindus indica), the male spouse lives under the tall reeds in the swampy Lake Katavi.

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White Giraffe in Katavi

The two sites, in which these spirits live, are used by area residents for worship and offerings, but visitors need to seek and obtain permission from local authorities to visit them. My attempt to mount a search of the spirits revered by were futile, but I was promised to make another request next time I visited the land of Wabende people who believe that sometimes the Katabi appears as an usual human, sometimes a strange animal, bird with one leg, deformed animal or an animal with albinism. Frankly speaking, there are a good number of giraffes and reedbucks with albinism in the Katavi wilderness.

Economy The main economic activity in Katavi is small holder farming and livestock keeping. Major crops include maize, sorghum, paddy and cassava and a variety of legumes, mainly as staple food and cash crops.

Tobacco, among other cash crops is widely cultivated in the region as well.

Mining The region is rich in minerals such as gold, silver, and other metallic sulfides, and some other rare earths.

There is gold mine an an area known as Singililwa under private management of Kapufi Gold Mining Ltd., and it is the only firm involved in the extraction of gold in the region.

Forestry The region is covered by vast area of natural forest and it occupies nearly 60 percent of the region’s total area surface whose administration and jurisdiction fall under either the central government or local authorities.

Zebra of Katavi

Fishing Quite a good number of Katavi men are engaged in small holder fishing for subsistence economy.

Beekeeping Beekeeping is another economic activity now robustly practiced in Katavi, operators being village groups found on the fringes of the natural forests. Traditionally hand-crafted hives are mainly used to keep the honeybees before harvesting the honey and beeswax either for domestic consumption of export.

Tourism Katavi has huge potentials in tourism both in wildlife, birding and inland waters home to varieties of species

A School of Hippos

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of primates (particularly chimpanzees and red collobus monkeys), antelopes, fish, reptiles, birds, amphibians, invertebrates and plants, for the exclusivity of visitors in love with nature and tour safaris.

Two Nosed Giraffe

White Striped Giraffe

Road network The region has a reliable road network categorised as truck or regional roads or feeders which link Katavi to other road networks countrywide as well as to its villages.

Air Transport The Mpanda airport has been of late undergoing scaleup refurbishment ready to cater for the envisaged scheduled flights and air charter services, mostly by light planes. There are also three air strips in the region, and all of them handle air charter services.

Marine Transport There are two ferry boats namely; MV Mwongozo and MV Liemba or Liyemba, a former German military ship constructed on Lake Tanganyika in 1913 by the colonial Bavarians and already plans are underway to convert the ‘German machine’ into a floating hotel. Traditional boats and canoes are also used for to ferry humans and freights on shorter trips as well as fishing activities by small holder fishermen.

What to do Visitors to Katavi can treated to various activities such as sightseeing of game viewing, along the savannah plains, birding, hikes to viewpoints and waterfalls as one drives along the Katavi-Kigoma road as well as sport fishing in Lakes Tanganyika, Rukwa and Chada.

Facilities for tourism hunting are available. Campsites and kitchen tour where visitors are served open air meals deep in the wilderness are also encouraged.

Others include Photographic tourism as well as walking safaris and sand bathing.

Don’t forget to pick on the Mug yam Duma site, where prides of cheetah could be easily viewed in their chosen exclusiveness.

Accommodation Wide range of accommodation facilities are available in Mpanda as well as in campsites and hotels which operate deep in the Katavi wilderness. Also moderate guest houses facilities are provided.

Getting there Katavi can be reached by either road or air transport all the year round.

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Karema:

An early Christianity City goes fishing Karema, an old ‘city’ on the east shore of Lake Tanganyika that stood as a luminary in the quest of education and Christianity deep in Africa for over one and a quarter centuries has gone into fishing, but its huge history is opening up for visitors from across the world to share it. Before Karema, the citadel of learning and religion went fishing it has ‘refused’ to die and instead went into ‘mutations’ and in each stage its ‘pause and posture’ have been exciting and fascinating to travellers, historians and journalists as well as tourists.

Timeline  October 1885, French-Canadian Catholic White Fathers unveilled a missionary station in a village that was a collection point of slaves abducted from in Central and across the Great lakes region in the newly established German East Africa.  A bit earlier 1870s, Tippu Tip, a notorious slave trader founded a private empire along the Upper Congo river to the West of the Lake and Karema to the East a collection point and the most preferred route (from the Congo to the East coast of African ports were the slaves as commodities got new patrons after money changed hands.  1889, Karema received a special guest a celebrated freed slave, who later become the station’s doctor for nearly seven decades until his death in 1956.

Captions: Roman Catholic Church in Karema (above) opened its doors for a maiden ‘sermon’ in the village in 1885 as seen recently. (Below) an abandoned building stands forlornly in Karema to display the Bavarian rockworks architectural design

But where is Karema and who was the highly celebrated freed slave? Where did he come from and how did he found himself in Karema?

Such questions among others had stirred my curiosity to make a visit to Karema, but when I thought of the expenses involved I slowed down but not defeated. However, one evening I managed to bump into one of the sons of Karema and an Alma Mata of the Karema seminary.

John, an entrepreneur who lives in Dar es Salaam had caught wind that I was toying with an idea of visiting his home village as part of my involvement in writing something for a tourism magazine; HardVenture which is published by the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), the official agency of promoting tourism and tourists attractions existing in Tanzania.

John’s concern was simple. He thought there was human neglect behind the poor state of Karema city as some of

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its beautiful buildings have been abandoned. How could an important institution and former path finder to good education and Christianity such as Karema left to rot in mounds and ruins? He asked.

But on the other hand, I was also interested in the hamlet’s past fascinating history which shows the current Archbishop Polycarpo Cardinal Pengo and former President Emelio Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, among others, at different times, were students at Karema Seminary. And of course, I was eager to see at least the grave of one the most celebrated freed slave who lived a saintly life as catechist, saved lives as medical doctor, died and buried on the soil of the current day Tanzania, almost the time I was born. So, at around noon 3, 2013 our plane winged and touched down at the newly refurbished Kigoma Airport. Late in the evening we had to connect to the village, now an exclusive fishing site

| by a smooth drift with the current on board MV Liemba and arrived early the next morning. On the way to Karema, the Graf von Götzen the ferry was known to its builders, made the first stopover at Lagosa Port for Mahale Mountains National Park bound visitors to disembark and the next dock was our destination Karema, where also Katavi bound visitors disembarked.

We were told visitors or passengers on the way to Sumbawanga would disembark at Kasanga Port and thereafter, the former German machine with carrying capacity of between 450 and 600 passengers and cargo could cross the Lake to Mpulungu Port in Zambia.

The ferry passes Karema twice in a week on Thursdays and Saturdays, so for visitors who need to make connections have to abide by the schedule, whose updates could be accessed at the Dar es Salaam Railway Station or from the Ministry of Transport, the parent ministry.

In Karema we were booked at a modest Catholic Church guest house for the 2-day stay in the historical village. The following morning John took me around of the compound of his former seminary, providing explanations at least to everything as if he was the manager of the station. We passed buildings formerly used as ‘dormitories, in which my host, Archbishop Polycarpo Cardinal Pengo and Mwai Kibaki stayed while they were students at the institution.

Documented evidence shows the Catholics entered the lakeshore of Tanganyika through Karema and opened a base there about 128 years ago.

Some of the fortified buildings with cocrete rockwalls in which the three early missionaries lived. They included founder member and then Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika, Mgr. Jean-Baptiste-Frézal Charbonnier who was preceded by a former Papal Zouave named Léopold Louis Joubert.

The latter stayed briefly in Karema, before he crossed the Lake to Mpala, Zambia. Charbonnier died at Karema on 16 March 1888 and Léonce Bridoux was asked to succeed him. Bridoux died on 20 October 1890. The two missionaries were buried in Karema.

However, some edifices are still intact but ‘worn out‘ to bear testmony to the medieval architectural designs as well as a blurb of humn neglect, to borrow John’s words. They included the church building, the remains of the former seminary and a hospital block built one and a quarter centuries ago (by the time of my visitation). Although the tour in and across Karema Missionery provides an opportunity to see the rockworks of the ancient Bavarian archtectures, but like I put it to my host earlier, my visit to Karema could be incomplete if I had not been able to set eyes and pay homage to the grave of Dr. Adrian Atman a medical doctor who worked at Karema for an odd 67 years until his death

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1956! Who was this man? I put that question to my host who effectively narrated the century old sad story of the medical doctor which had a happy ending as though everything happened yesterday.

“Dr. Adrian Atman was captured by Tuaregs raiders (rebels today) in his native Mali when he was a boy of 10 years of age, enslaved and later to sold him to an Arab slave trader who lived in the old city of Timbuktu and thereafter the poor boy was taken into a slave market in Northern Algeria, where a man of God; a White Father saw him and successfully ransomed for three hundred francs. The boy was being auctioned like a commodity in an open air slave market in northern Algeria. Young Adrian was enrolled in an Algerian school, and thereafter was sponsored for diploma studies at a medical school in Malta.

In 1888 at the age of 23, he arrived in Karema and began his medical apostolate. Within days of his arrival the young medic started training natives as nurses to help him in his Karema clinic. Dr Atiman used western medicine in his prescriptions, but also experimented successfully with traditional remedies. The clinic is still in use as a village dispensary (health centre). But does Karema or Kalema mean to the Wabende people? I put that question to my host.

Karema in Kibende dialect, he said could mean something near to ‘disability’ or ‘infirmity.’ Legends believe the village acquired the infirmity tag because the captured men and women arrived there with swollen legs and ankles and they walked with ‘difficulties’ as a result of enchainment by their captors and slave drivers. When strings of slaves arrived in the village after long walks and enchainment they had swollen ankles and legs and like people with ‘infirmities’ couldn’t walk normally hence the tag Kalema, Karema or Kalemie meaning ‘disabled,’ he said. But there is another version of the story. Karema was named after Karemii town in the DRC as the freed slaves (refugees) from Karemii suffered an ailment similar to infirmity, so the natives called them Karema or disabled and gradually, the village was to carry the moniker which didn’t go away to date!

However, the lake shore village located 130 kilometres from Mpanda, the regional capital, found itself an epicentre of a collection point of abducted men and women because of its favourable geographical position its proximity to Lake Tanganyika which assured the slave traders maximum availability of water supply for the hundreds of captives or freed slaves.

But, how did Karema come into existence In September 1876 King Leopold II of Belgium convened an African conference to chart out how to exploit the Congo Basin-Karema route as well as the formation of a committee

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Distribution of Reasearch Centres and Stations

Current TAWIRI projects

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| of studies of the Upper Congo or the Comité D’Études du Haut Congo. The committee was formed on 25 November 1878 and its primary aim was ‘opening up’ the Congo Basin to the exploitation of Europeans. According to my host, the Comité was a precursor of what was to be known as the Congo Free State, a private enterprise of King Leopold II as well.

Military station In 1879 Comité D’Études du Haut Congo occupied Karema, naming it Fort Leopold after King Leopold II of Belgium. In 1882 Captain Émile Storms took command of Karema from Lieutenant J. Becker, whose term of service had expired, a change of guard which was not received on silver plate by the native leadership as a result chief Yassagula of Karema, attacked the station soon after the arrival of Captain Storms.

But it was Lt Becker who mounted the counter attacker and by the superior fire power, put Yassagula’s men to flight and destroyed the village huts and properties. He responded to an attack on his couriers with an expedition that defeated the rebel chief on 23 April 1883.

However, the German scientist Richard Böhm who accompanied Storms was struck by two bullets in the leg during the action and was laid up for several months.

Storms then founded Mpala village (Zambia) on the west shore of the Lake, opposite Karema and on May 4 1883 laid foundations there. A few months later Yassagula submitted to Storms and Becker and became a reliable ally. Becker left Karema on 17 November 1882 on his homeward journey.

Storms strengthened and expanded the post, which was now called Fort Léopold, and started to grow vegetables.

At the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) also known as the “scramble for Africa,” the east side of the Lake was assigned to the German sphere of influence, including Karema. King Leopold II of Belgium decided to focus his colonising efforts on the lower Congo. He asked Archbishop Charles Lavigerie, the founder of the White Fathers missionary society, if he would like to replace the Belgian agents by missionaries at the two stations on Lake Tanganyika. Lavigerie accepted.

Redeemed slaves By the time the Catholic missionaries founded the village of Karema (by the consent of King Leopald II and colonial German) at least five hundred redeemed slaves had assembled in Karema and they needed protection. The first station manager was a former Papal Zouave named Léopold Louis Joubert who offered his services to Lavigerie, and it was accepted in a letter of 20 February 1886.

Joubert reached Zanzibar on 14 June 1886, and reached the mission at Karema on 22 November 1886 a head of a caravan. He remained there for some months at the request of the Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika, Mgr. Jean-BaptisteFrézal Charbonnier, to protect the mission against attacks

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by slavers. He then crossed the Lake to Mpala in March 1887. Charbonnier died at Karema on 16 March 1888 and was succeeded by Léonce Bridoux who also died two years later (20 October 1890). The missionaries built the current church in 1890 and in 1893 completed a fortified mission house, which is still standing.

On 19 June 1891 Adolphe Lechaptois was appointed Bridoux’s successor as Vicar Apostolic of Tanganyika and Titular Bishop of Utica. He also made his base at Karema, which he reached on 8 September 1891. During the first part of the 20th century Lechaptois opened many schools, as well as five orphanages. The centre at Karema became a junior seminary. Lechaptois died on 30 November 1917 at Karema.

On 10 May 1946 the Apostolic Vicariate of Tanzania was renamed the Apostolic Vicariate of Karema, and on 25 March 1953 was promoted to become the Diocese of Karema. On 24 October 1969 it was renamed the Diocese of Sumbawanga, reflecting the transfer of headquarters to the growing city of Sumbawanga virtually the historic Christianity ‘city’ changing roles to the current one; a fishing village.

Fishing village After the relocation of spiritual activities, today Karema is a fishing village and it is worth a visit.

Getting there The former missionary ‘city’ can as well be reached by road or ferry transport and apparently the ferry boat available is the MV Liemba, formerly the Graf von Götzen, a 1,300 ton steamship that the Germans assembled on the Lake in 1913 for use as an armed troop transport. An air strip at Karema, can as well handle light chartered planes between it and the Mpanda airport or the other two more air strips in the region.

Accommodation There is a guest house which is managed by the Catholic church to cater for accommodation needs for visitors in Karema as well as medium hotels in the regional capital Mpanda.

What to do Hiking in and around the fishing village, kayaking or rafting or boating under local fishermen, sand bathe and sightseeing or ruins and tombs of spiritual leaders who had huge influence in Tanganyika for the past 100 years of Christianity on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and beyond.

I stayed in a church managed guesthouse from three days bushing shoulders with local fishermen and tourist. On August 26, I left Karema for Mpanda the district capital by Land Rover ride offered by friends I had met there.

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Mbeya

MBEYA

An ‘Arcadia’ of Africa

Ngozi Crater Lake

Geographical Location Mbeya Region is located in the South West Corner of the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The Region lies between Latitudes 7 degrees and 9 degrees, South of Equator, and between Longitudes 32 degrees and 35 degrees East of Greenwich. Mbeya Region lies at an altitude of 375metres above sea level with high peaks of 2,981metres above sea level at Rungwe Mountains being highest altitudes in the region. The regional occupies total land surface area of about 63625 square kilometres, about 6.4% of the total land surface area of Tanzania. About 61,868 square kilometres of Mbeya region is dry land as 57,000 squares kilometres of which classified as arable land.

Games and wildlife reserve have been apportioned 990 square kilometres of land. Forest reserve as been allocated about 2314square kilometres of chunk of land whereas

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1564 square kilometres of land is designated for urban settlements and other uses. Mbeya sharers its border with the neighbouring countries of Zambia and Malawi deep to the South. Rukwa Region is to the West of Mbeya whereas the regions of Tabora and Singida are to its North as to its East is Iringa Region. The border outpost towns of Tunduma and Kasumulu in Mbozi and Kyela district respectively, serve as major entry points of the northern shores along Lake Nyasa Rainfalls normally start from October through May followed by dry and cold spells between June and September.

Ethnicity The Mbeya indigenous tribes are Bantus, who are believed to have migrated to region many years ago. Ethnicity grouping included Wanyakyusa in Kyela and Rungwe

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Kiwira River

Rift Valley at Mbala, Mbeya

Kaporogwe Water Falls

districts, Wasafwa and Wamalila in Mbeya rural district.

Wanyiha and Wanyamwanga who reside in Mbozi district, as well as Wandali who come from Ileje district. Wambungu and Wakimbu reside in Chunya district while the Wasangu come from Mbarali district. Of course there are scores Bantus and non-Bantus who have migrated to Mbeya and have made the region their home.

Agriculture Mbalali and Kyela districts are potentially Rice farming zones whereas Mbozi, Mbeya, Rungwe and Ileje were potentially cultivating areas for Coffee, Maize, Beans, Potato, Pears, and variety of fruits farming. Chunya district has an edge over Cotton, Tobacco, Maize and Cassava farming as well as traditional beekeeping.

Administrative Divisions Mbeya Region has seven administrative districts namely: Chunya, Ileje, Mbozi, Rungwe, Mbarali and Mbeya Urban.

Fishing There is huge potential in fishing in the Lake Nyasa for ornamental fish as well as other limited species of fish varieties.

Economic activities Mbeya Region is one of the big four regions, which produce most of foods commodities as well as cash crops in Tanzania. Some major economic activities include:

Its share of least known tourist attractions The region is endemic to several tourist attractions such as the Rungwe mountain ranges the spectacular Mbeya and

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Tourists at the Kaporogwe Water Falls

Kaporogwe Water Falls

Mbeya Peak and Rungwe Volcano

Loleza Mountain viewpoint

Kyejo peaks and pristine beaches along the shores of Lake Nyasa. Usangu Plains, an ecological feature of the tropical rain forests deep in the Great East African Rift Valley Usangu game reserve, Utengule wetland and the Lake Ngosi, also known as the Crater caldera Lake and billed similar to Lake Lomond in England are but a collections exotic tourist attractions found in Mbeya(region.)

Getting there Mbeya Region generally boats of good Roads network and Reliable rail transport (TAZARA) air transport after commissioning of the new Internal Airport in Mbeya to a reliable central zone regional network as well as to the outreach border outposts tarmac roads that are the gateway to either neighbouring Zambia or Malawi.

Daraja la Mungu which in Kiswahili means God’s Bridge is a huge boulder (rock) biodiversity natural bridge that spans across the Kiwira River, in the Kiwira Valley. Just a few kilometres up the valley, there is a natural ‘cooking pot’ where the Kiwira River discharge its waters into a seething cauldron or sump to form part of the Marasusa Falls. All these are but yet some of the natural wonders of Mbeya.

Air Transport There are a number of airfields at least three airstrips situated in the Tea Estates one each in respective districts of Chunya, Rungwe and Mbalizi. Light passenger planes charter planes services are available at the old Mbeya airport.

Lake Masoko which is also a crater lake is an attractive site visitors enthralled in sport fishing tourism. A night’s tour to a fishing satellite city at the Isongole Fishing Camps as well as a pick on the Kaporogwe Water falls could be adventurously rewarding.

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Railway Alongside the TANZAM highway (Dar Es Salaam, through Mbeya Region) the region enjoys a railway (Tanzania Zambia Railway Line) Thus, the region enjoys 230 km. Of the TAZARA railroad. The railway was constructed in early 1970’s to serve the landlocked Zambia as an alternative |

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TAZARA Cross-bridge

way to South Africa. Most of Zambian, Malawi and Zaire Congo imports and exports are transported through this line.

The TAZARA Railway line has also made possible the hard timber harvesting in the basins of tropical forests of Mlimba.

Kilombero as well as boosting up economic and agricultural activities along the rail line.

Commodities like timber, food cash crops and livestock are easily ferried from producing areas to markets. Currently TAZARA is facing high competition with road transport between Tunduma and Dar Es Salaam.

Transport within the area There is also the districts reliable commercial shuttle to and from. Transportation within the area mainly is by mini buses (15-20 sectors) popularly known as “Daladala” and other places transportation is by puck ups. Goods transportation within the region is reliable apart from being expensive especially one areas with feeder roads.

Accommodation Mbeya region has a number of Hotel, Motels, Guest house, and Hostels. In Mbeya town only two Hotels are in Tourists Class, that is Utengule Countries Hotel and Mount Livingstone Hotel. The rest like Mbeya Peak Hotel, Rift Valley Hotel, Holiday Inn Hotel, Mbeya Eland Hotel, Nkwenzuru Hotel, Kiwira Hotel and Moon dust Hotel, which are not in Tourists, offer standard services. There is also a number of Hostels operated by religious organizations and a big number of Guest houses with standard services There is also a big potential for the establishment of tourist resort or camping site or Hotel around Mbeya region.

What to do Hiking, tourism fishing, Beach holidaying and Sunbathe and sand bathe. Kitchen tour, cultural tourism and visiting of rare sites and natural attractions such as the Bald Head hill, God’s natural Bridge across Kiwira river/falls as well as taking a plunge in numerous dripping waterfalls of Mbeya.

Meet groups of women entrepreneurs as participate in handlooms activities as well as soap making.

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A story by a domestic tourist

Magnificent Matema Beach

D

uring my tour safari to the Southern Highlands recently, I could meet a number of foreign travellers as they passed through Iringa and Mbeya especially to its south western small town of Matema en route to either Zambia or Malawi and as well as beyond.

I could notice only a few of them gave a second thought to stop in any of such beautiful towns for some few days let alone some hours.

In casual discussions when we stopped in Mikumi for lunch, some foreigners as well as domestic tourists could ably single out the beaches of Matema along Lake Nyasa as must see holidaying and picnicking site.

Well, after receiving such travel guidelines, I implored my host, the Sisi Kwa Sisi cultural tourism centre in beya to make some changes in my 17 day tentative itinerary in and across the Southern Highlands Zone so that I could begin with a two day visit in Matema Beach, Mbeya. I was almost dying of seeing the much touted Matema Beach, located 130 kilometres away from downtown Mbeya.

In our 4WD Toyota Landcruiser, with James behind the wheels four of us hit the road down south West to the Matema beach.

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A winding road took us through high mountains, vast tea estates and maize fields before it descends to the tropical shores of Lake Nyasa. All the way we passed through villages until we arrived in laid back town.

James slowed down to announce that we have arrived in the Matema Beach ‘city.’ James had done the 130 distance in approximately two hours!

As I walked around the Matema Beach ‘city’ as the residents call it, I found it to be just as small town, like most Tanzanian towns built along lake shores because like the rest; they bore one feature in common: small holder fishing as predominant economic activity. A short walk downtown, the young members in our group made to themselves that they could retur to the city in the evening for a prowl for the beautiful Wakisi girls! We laughed off our heads! Indeep, Matema

| city, the township which got its name from the fabulous beach, although it is a small town but it has a big and warm heart to visitors. Its numerous tourist attractions that exist here, especially the hypnotising beaches set against the stunning backdrop of the Livingstone Mountains, a river estuary, the dotting villages and the colourful potsware, were simply untapped.Its unpretentious local nature was also breathtaking!

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The second group, which was my group opted for a stroll and excursion on the beach as well as in the nearby caves and villages to meet the Wakisi women potters of whom we caught displaying their beautiful wares in their compounds or on the pavements surrounding their mud huts. The excursion onto the Lake or down the coast and through the villages, as well as the stunning viewing points of the

At Matema beach we received a warm welcome by the fishermen and fishmongers, who thought we were customers for their huge fish catch that afternoon. Every fisherman and fishmonger was trying to beat the other to win customers who had arrived in a car. We were a group of four plus James our driver-guide. But when they realised two of us brandished cameras, and had begun taking photo shoots, they immediately ignored our presence some of them touted: Mapaparazi wa Dar hao literary to mean Paparazzi crew from Dar. I bet one of us or James might have identified us as a journalist from Dar es Salaam.

Paparazzi or Paparazzo, is an Italian word used negatively by a section of the Tanzania society against members of the media whom the society believed being ‘hopeless,’ because they pry too much into other peoples’ lives.

Fishing is the main economic activity of the people living in Matema village whose geographical location is close to the lake Nyasa, in Mbeya region.

Water front hotels and a tourist resort site, guest houses, restaurants, a conference centre as well as chains of drinking joints, were available along the Matema Beach and downtown Matema.

After photo shoots, we went to the hotel to confirm our bookings, there after, we had to change into swimwear or beachwear, ready for an afternoon stroll on the beach as others, the female- members of group enjoyed sand bathe.

The following day, we broke into two groups. The first group which identified it self as ‘adventurous,’ went to sea aboard the fishermen’s dug out canoes. They left the hotel early in the morning to join the fishermen on the beach. At around 12 o’clock there was no any canoe insight!

Sings of apprehensions crept into us but a group of fishmongers around tried to calm our nerves insisting the first canoe was about to land.

It was well past 1 o’clock, when a member of the adventurous group made a phone-call to the hotel to announce that they a bagful of fresh fish, they would need a chef to make arrangement the fish for an evening meal.

The Matema Beach fishermen had given out the 20 kg fish free!

Ben and Irene a Belgian couple standing in the waterfront viewing a spectacular view of Matema beach.

waterfalls and the nearby caves, all made us the delightful and the visit worth.

At one point we met some European tourists as they strolled at the waterfront sites.

Ben and Irene indentified as couple from Belgium. Although we couldn’t communicate effectively in English with the Belgium holidaying couple, they could yet indicate their satisfaction with the scenic view of the “la plage,” a French word for beach. “It is wonderful and natural,” echoed the Belgian couple in unison of the Matema Beach as they stood at the waterfront to catch a glimpse of its beckoning and spectacular scene as the thatched huts, dugout canoes,

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A monkey on top of Mbeya peak

fishermen and the area Wakisi women potters completed the magnificent background of the mountain beds of the Livingstone Mountains Tanzania!

While in Matema Beach most of us spend the second afternoon taking sunbathes, an activity which our guide said could be done throughout year!

Some taboos Our third day in Mbeya took us to Mbozi; the site of meteorite which the words of the area legends it is shrew with taboos.

Legends believe the monolith is something revered, and only few area residents could dare come closer to or touch it.

However, with the assistance of our guide, we went closer it as much as possible and touch its slippery thick metal skin with bear hands to our utmost delight as camera clicked and flashed in broad daylight. It was wonderful and self satisfying.

Area residents believe the fallen ‘star’ has been there since time in memorial but available records at the site show the first European spotted the sleek monolith in 1930. Some area residents, believe the site could be a shrite, where their ancestors frequented for sacrifice, offerings as well as supplication.

On the fourth day, our hosts had planned mountain hiking, be we skipped out as none was interested in the grueling hike to the summit of Mbeya Peak some 2,818 metres above the sea level. This is the highest peak along the Arc Mountain rolling ranges. You missed out of the excellent viewpoints atop of the summit, our host quipped of an expedition whose hiking trail begins from the Mbarari Juncition, or Four ways. We also missed out with a visit to the remote Lake Rukwa, a real paradise out in the middle of nowhere after our 4WD had developed mechanical problems.

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God’s ‘hanging’ gardens of Kitulo Then we went out on the fith day to catch a glimpse of the Kitulo plateau, an outdoor a botanic delight located between the Livingstone Mountains and Uporoto Ranges. It is unique experience to be here, a friend as we stood in the midst of wild African flowers including the famed tropical violet!

The site combined with the breathtaking scenery of the Livingstone Mountain backdrop has endeared it the area residents who identify the only as Kiswahili as “Bustani ya Mungu” whose literal translation means the God’s Garden of Kitulo, a gazetted national park.

From the one of the greatest floral spectacles we hit the road to another park the Katavi or Katabhi as it pronounced by the area residents, the Wafipa which means untouched wilderness.

Above the rolling hills, looking down the valley grasslands I could see an impressive herds of Cape buffalo, topi and zebra gazing in the open as in a higher **elevation and

Signboards show the direction of Kitulo National Park, (the African paradise) on the roadside to Mbeya.

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Tourists take photos of natural outdoor flowers in Kitulo Park

Miombo woodlands I could spot yet flocks of sable and other smaller mammals.

Lions and elephants are also common as the waterways are the homes to populations of hippos and crocodiles.

The nearby Lakes Chada and Katavi play host to concentrations of water birds. It is rewarding to birders to be here!

In the Rukwa valley deep south of the park, another site I also skipped, I was told to be the home to Puku (an impalasize antelope related to waterbucks) and the reedbucks as well as other large numbers of wildlife species.

Getting there Katavi has accessible road but most visitors fly in by private charter aircraft. A small classic tented camp provides the only suitable guest accommodation in the park.

Two lions rests close to the bank of river Ruaha as they prey on the thirsty animals when they come down the river to drink water.

By Emmanuel Onyango Matema Beach

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The author overlooks the wilderness of the Ruaha National Park!

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17 Day Cruise in Southern Highlands Day 1-2: UDZUNGWA MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, drive to Udzungwa Mountain National Park. In the evening short walking tour to the nearby village (Mang’ula). Dinner and overnight at Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel. Early morning of the next day start mountain hiking, (VISIT SANJE WATER FALLS) dinner and overnight at Udzungwa Mountain View Hotel (B/B).

Day 6: BRIDGE OF GOD & WATERFALLS After breakfast, drive to Kiwira-Songwe where you can find a famous attraction; the brdge of God (Daraja la Mungu). A millions of years old rock forms a natural bridge that crosses the river. Just a few kilometers up the kiwira valley is the ‘cooking pot’ where the Kiwira River falls into a seething cauldron or sump and the Marasusa waterfalls. Dinner and overnight at Landmark Hotel (B/B).

Day 3-4: MBEYA After breakfast, drive to Mbeya and in the evening town tour, dinner and overnight at Mount Livingstone Hotel. Late morning of the next day, start an adventure tour by climbing Mbeya peak (2,826m) with packed lunch. It takes three hours to reach on the peak. As you go along the mountain slopes, you see the indigenous flowers and colourful butterflies. In the evening short walking tour in Mbeya town.

Dinner and overnight at Mount Livingstone Hotel (B/B).

Day 7: MOUNT RUNGWE After breakfast, Start a fully day hiking tour (with packed lunch) on Mount Rungwe (2,960m) dominates the area, on the slopes of the mountain and watching the sun come up over Rungwe. During the night camping on the slopes of Mount Rungwe . Lunch and dinner at campsite ( Mount Rungwe ).

Day 5: NGOZI CRATER LAKE After breakfast, drive to Ngozi is another million year old volcano that can be climbed in just a few hours. After climbing to the top through tropical vegetation you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the Crater Lake , lying 200 meters below. Dinner and overnight at Landmark Hotel (B/B).

Day 8: KAPAROGWE FALLS After breakfast, start a full day walking tour to kaporogwe waterfalls. This tour is not just a trip to the beautiful Kaparogwe falls, but also includes a hike in to the valley to see the German built hanging bridges. On the way to the waterfall you will pass through the authentic village of Isuba with traditional houses and a local bar. Dinner and overnight in campsite.

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Day 9: LAKE MASOKO This Crater Lake is the perfect place to swim, picnic or even camp. It is especially known for its history. The Germans dumped coins and other items in the lake when they were being chased by the British forces during the First World War. Find out more about Rungwe’s past during a nice walk around Lake Masoko . In the evening drive back to Tukuyu, dinner and overnight at Landmark hotel (B/B).

Day 13: KITULO NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, drive to Kitulo Plateau National Park for bird watching and viewing the different 350 species of vascular plants, including 45 varieties of terrestrial orchid and in the evening drive to Mbeya (Mount Livingstone Hotel) for overnight (B/B).

Day 10-11: MATEMA BEACH After breakfast, drive to Matema beach, this is among the most scenic in Tanzania . A winding road passes high mountains and vast tea estates before it descends to the tropical shores of Lake Malawi . From Matema you can make canoe trips with fishermen over the lake to a nearby village where women are specialised in pottery, and to rivermouth where you can try to see crocodiles and hippos. It is also possible to organise hikes to the Livingstone Mountains from Matema. Launch, dinner and overnight at Matema beach resort.

Day 14-15: IRINGA After breakfast, drive to Iringa for town tour and cultural tour in Maasai boma area.(OR VISIT ISMILA STONE AGE AREA,OR MKWAWA MUSEAUM) Lunch, dinner and overnight in MR Hotel (B/B).

Day 16: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, drive to Ruaha national park for full day game drive with packed lunch. Dinner and overnight at Ruaha river lodge (B/B).

Day 12: MBOZI METEORITE & SISI KWA SISI FARM After breakfast, drive to Mbozi district for viewing the eighth largest meteorite in the world. Its weight is about 12 tonnes and dates back to at least a thousand years. Nearby the stone, the sisi kwa sisi society is worth a visit to experience true African rural life. In the evening drive to Mbeya town.

Dinner and overnight at Mount Livingstone Hotel.

Day 17: RUAHA NATIONAL PARK/DAR After breakfast, drive back to Dar es salaam. Dinner and overnight in Holiday inn (B/B).

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A visit to ‘bald head’

Ngualla Mountain M

ount Ngualla, often referred to simply as Ngualla, is a collapsed volcano located in the remote south west of Tanzania. It is approximately 200 km north of the Mbeya township and is currently managed by ASX-listed Peak Resources. It gained widespread attention in 2010 after it was first reported to contain quantities of rare earths oxides, it was later announced in 2012 to contain one of the largest rare earth element deposits outside of China.

The area is also prospective for phosphate, tantalum and niobium which have also been found in commercial quantities, the area currently contains a JORC compliant resource of 1.6 million tonnes (using a 3% lower-cut grade) of rare earths.

Rare Earth Exploration The Ngualla rare earth deposit can be divided into two geographic and geological areas, the southern rare earth zone located in the centre of the carbonatite around Ngualla Hill, and the south west alluvial zone. The southern rare earth zone is a 1 kilometre by 1 kilometre area in the low magnetic central core of the Ngualla Carbonatite.

Rare earth mineralisation occurs from the surface and is enriched in the weathered zone of the carbonatite, varying from a few metres to 140 metres vertical depth. The bulk of the mineral resource at Ngualla is contained within the southern rare earth zone and most of the highest grade component occurs near surface within the weathered zone.

The south west alluvial zone is located the south west of Ngualla with rare earth mineralisation occurring from the surface within unconsolidated ferruginous gravels to depths up to 30 meters.

These alluvials are the result of erosion, transportation and deposition from the weathered bed rock mineralisation in the southern rare earth zone.

A panorama of Ngualla with workmen on site.

Name The name ‘Ngualla’ comes from the ‘Kinyakyusa’ words for ‘balding head’, which reflects the appearance of a large piece of the mostly bare land in which there is no habitation, agriculture and very little wild life.[ Formation Ngualla is a Proterozoic carbonatite estimated to be ±1,000 million years old and is a plug-like intrusive carbonatite with a diametre of approximately 3 km, made up of various successive carbonatite phases.

Ngualla is intrusive into Precambrian gneisses, quartzites and ryo-dactic volcanics. It is a carbonatite-fenite complex of oval outline with a longer axis orientated approximately north-south. Over a north-south trending central ridge and an area of the north-western side of the complex carbonatite outcrops are found, surrounded by red soil.

This is in turn surrounded by a ring of low-hills that are predominantly covered by fenites. The fenite zone is up to 1 km wide with a breccias zone adjacent to the carbonatitie.

Mineralogical studies Mineralogical studies have shown that bastnasite and synchysite are the main rare earth minerals and occur within a barite – iron oxide hydroxide lithology in the weathered zone and a carbonate rich lithology with barite in fresh carbonatite.

Alumina is negligible and there are no clay minerals. Uranium and thorium levels are very low at 17ppm and 37ppm average respectively within +1% REO mineralisation in the southern rare earth zone.

In December 2012, Peak Resources announced - as part of their planned beneficiation process of the Ngualla deposit - that results had shown an intimate association between iron oxide and rare earth minerals (hematite and bastnaesite).

The gangue minerals of barite and silica generally do not contain rare earth inclusions and have discrete grain boundaries with bastnaesite, indicating that grinding will separate these minerals.

Geological similarities have been drawn to fellow Australian miner Lynas’s world class Western Australian project Mount Weld.

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Njombe

NJOMBE

A region which got its name from a tree

Brewing Bamboo Beer ‘Lulanzi’

Geographical Location Njombe which until recently was one of the key districts that made of up of its parent Iringa region is among the four newly established regions of Tanzania. It shares its border with Iringa to the North, Mbeya to the West and Ruvuma to the South. Before the surge of development in construction, Njombe was just a corner town or ‘forest town’ perched on a road junction leading to Iringa on the North and South to Songea, the administrative capital of Ruvuma region and one of its three neighbours on the southern border frontier.

Administration Njombe region has five administrative districts namely:Waging’ombe, Njombe Rural and Njombe Urban with the latter crowned as the regional capital.

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The new region did not leave its parent region empty handed, instead by love and affection, it was allowed to take away its two former sister-districts of Makete and Ludewa by ‘their’ parent, Iringa region.

Etymology The name Njombe originated from a name of a tree specie called ‘Mdzombe’ for singular and Mazdombe for plural which then dominant in one of its localities known as Mdandu. And it was in Mdandu where the Germans chose to build an administrative and defence block; the Boma.

The tree specie was known to possess medicinal potency and it was hugely used by early area residents in the treatment of a number ailments. Who ‘corrupted’

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the word Mdzombe or Madzombe into Njombe when it came to name calling of the former district, could be beyond everyone’s guest, but and presumably might be the colonialists or anyone else, but what is formally known is that Njombe got its name from a medicinal tree of Mdandu.

Population The population of the current Njombe region is about 3,000,000 residents and it is pre-dominant Christians its ethnicity composed of Wahehe, Wabena, Wakinga and Wamanda, among others.

Economic Activities The main economic activities of the people of Njombe include cultivation of food crops and it is one of the largest producers of Irish potatoes, maize and beans which make the staple diet of the area residents.

Timber, especially piers or electric poles are produced in large amounts by the area residents of Njombe and in large plantations and it a stable cash crop with common tree species grown in the region being Pines, Eucalyptus and Cypress.

Early Njombe residents pioneered ironworks in a locality known as Mjimwema, where the remains of iron furnaces

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were still in existence and they were specifically involved in old technics of bloomery iron which is done through two stages namely; iron smelting and smithing, according a local expert Edwinus Chrisantus Lyaya.

Mr Lyaya and teams of experts have visited Mjimwema several times in research expeditions. The purpose of their current work was to examine the existence of the remains of ironworks in an attempt to link the Mjimwema artisans iron processing know-how with the current ironworking technology.

Preliminary findings indicate ‘Mjimwemans’ were involved in bloomer iron processes which were simply smelters and smothers and such a technic was also applied by some other African societies and the end of the 19th Century.

Tourism hunting is also an activity done in Njombe, although it was apparently an authorised venture to residents.

However, regional authorities could come up with a sustainable plan on how the natural resources in their jurisdiction can benefit area residents and prospective professional hunters or just tourism hunting on win-win agreements.

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Njombe and ‘Friends’ in our lives

G

iving complements to friends could be one of the most valuable assets to tourists and adventure travellers, who for quite some months have become loyal readers of the HardVenture Magazine. It makes an interesting reading to find out that the magazine staff writers live the ‘hard way’ by relegating ‘city’ luxuries and the warmth of their beds to visit some of the most remote villages in Tanzania or Africa in general, where as a member of an adventurous travellers group better known as the Great North Road, I have personally visited, stopped or just passed through on my adventurous travells.

However, I don’t know where or how I can get a copy or copies of the Magazine. Apparently, I access its interesting contents online and am satisfied, though.

Well, thanks to globalisation which has brought mother earth into a village. Any way. My family and I love your country and its nice people. Most of us have passed through Tanzania several times and we love Kondoa, (and NOT Arusha) because we have discovered that the remotely placed Kondoa village or whatever, stands exactly between Cairo

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and Cape town. We have come to such conclusion because we have followed the Great North Road trail several times, years in years out, and therefore, we believe our judgement could be correct!

But one thing. Most of us in the GNR love and have at one time or the other lived in Njombe.

In fact some members of the GNR spent their good old days of their childhood in Mdzombe, the original name of the corner-town because of their parents worked and lived in gold town of Chunya in the late 40s.

What is does the term ‘friends in our lives’ mean to me and other members of the GNR? I have been thinking about the GNR a lot over the past week and what it has come to mean to me. Friends used to be those whom you spend a lot of personal time with, open your heart to and trust with the fabric of your life.

People who influence you and have a part in making you the person that you are now. I think with the age of technology,

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a part of the fabric of my life in Njombe or Madzombe, Kondoa, Arusha, or anywhere in Africa. Friends I thought I would never find again, and would not have, if I had not been member of the GNR. Then, ‘new friends’ discovered through the GNR. Precious friends yet to be met and yet already familiar and important parts of my life. Friends who have given of themselves, through the written word. Friends who, although far from me, have reached out and come alongside me whenever I’ve needed it.

This is a tribute to the both HardVenture, our travellers group and to my friends, old and new. If I have, unwittingly, left a name off of someone who considers a part of what I write, I apologise for the memory lapses. If you fall in any category I mentioned, know I consider you a friend. Your are in large numbers.

Mhh! Here is my personal recollection: It started with one person, filled with a love for his country, a dream, and a shiny key in his hand and that person is Dawie. I ‘ll see you Dawie Cooper!’

that definition has changed somewhat, although the place of friends in our life has not.

I know for me, through travells, I have rediscovered friendship in little villages, towns and cities like Kondoa or Njombe, which formerly I did not think possible. I for one as a traveller, I think of the friends in my life as sparkling jewels.

I appreciate both those in the category I can see and touch, but just as importantly, those that I can now feel in my heart even if I could be away in my native America (USA).

The ‘long time ago friends’ I had grown to love and who had been such an important part of my life at one stage might not be nearer to me during my travels.

Therefore, there are friends who have stood beside me during struggles in my life and whom have come alongside me again at times over the past year and some of them I have shortlisted their names and I hope, editors of HardVenture could help by publishing them in their subsequent editions.

Those are friends I laughed with, cried with, partied and enjoyed life with. Friends who were directly or indirectly

And my old friends: Hamis Ali in Kondoa, Alfred Sanga in Njombe, Tanzania as well as fellow Americans; Jill Aplin, Karin Hansen, Moira Fenwick, Jackie Gibbs, Hilary Abrams, Blackie Hall, Mad Maggie May, Ian Coetzee, Johnny Stavrou, Basil O’Connell Jones, Howie Silk and Moira Steevens. Wendy Vercueil, Rose and Russell Boosey as well as couples: Miles & Sue Parton, Pierre & Diana Fabel, Gordon & June Garlick, Chris & Hazel Forde, Colin & Jan McGregor, Grant & Heather Knowles, Karl Claussen & Sheila van Heerden..to name but few.

I dug deeper in my memories and discovered yet new friends:Dawie Cooper, David Housden, (son) Craig Hartnett, Arthur Steevens, Fiona Gayther, Elias Georgopollous, Speedy Morris, Charlie Cartmill, Annie Small, Judy Drew, Ken Miller, Bwana Grins, Doug Grewar, Jacqui Milward and Tina Magee .

Halima or Mama Juma, Gary Brassington, Chris Swart, Des Kenny, Bill Knott, Jimmy Churchill, Heather Chalcraft, Kevin Shone, Barry Woodrow, Lighty Samaras, Gill Main, George Maxwell, Mark Powell, Wilma Wall, John Tyne, Sue Watson, Sue Forde, Bob Smith, Ron Clibborn-Dyer and again it is an endless list. There have been times when I, just like you, and now I want to ask you my friends in Tanzania: “If a man searches for treasure all his life and strikes gold, does he put up his shovel and go home?”

Linda Hayes, Tucson, Texas (Editor’s note: The author could be reached online by the following email address: lhayes@greatnorthroad.aol)

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Adventure at City in a valley

Growing up in Njombe F rom long past memories, I have not managed to put down an incident that occurred one day on my Grandpa’s in little Njombe. During my early boyhood in current day Zimbabwe as well as in Njombe, most houses owned by white families and ‘well to do natives’ had a large cast iron wood burning stove. On the farms this was no different but the meals cooked on it were second to none.

My favourite was bean soup (remember plenty there were plenty of legumes in Njombe), that had been simmering gently on the back of the wood stove. About an hour before supper a large chunk of belly pork would be added to the pot where the whole lot would be served with steaming hot freshly baked bread that had just come out of the oven, yum, yum. Throughout the day there was an enamel coffee percolator sat on the back of the stove, which never seemed to be empty. Every time I helped myself to a cup of coffee, the pot always appeared to be more than half full.

I tended to drink a few cups of coffee as the fresh water was drawn in a galvanised metal bucket from a well dug in the back vegetable garden. To draw off a cup of cool water you had to dip the cup, bottom first, whilst carefully tipping the edge so that the water could just flow into the cup over its lip. If you just scooped up a cup of water you would end up with a tadpole or two wriggling around in your cup! Perhaps those could be some of post-independence stories churned from newly independent African states!

Once again, I have transgressed. The memory of collecting firewood for the stove and the ‘Njombe Boiler’ to heat up water for the bath. Scavenging firewood was undertaken each time the woodpile was down to a quarter of the usual stockpile. A large flatbed trailer would be hooked up to the tractor and all the farm hands or house helpers would sit on the trailer with legs dangling over the edge. It was just a case of travelling off into the Njombe natural forest and each dead tree being cut to manageable size and manhandled onto the trailer. With the trailer piled high with wood we would head home.

As a young boy then, I would join the wood gathering team but did not ride on the trailer. Being a young boy the most exciting place was standing on the footplate of the tractor where the driver sat. I would be leaning my rump back against one of the large mudguards covering the rear wheel. On this particular day we were returning back to the ‘farmhouse’ with a trailer brimming high with twisted, gnarled, bone dry logs. We were travelling flat out of along two track dirt farm

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road. The speed on the tachometer indicated 17mph and either side of the track the fully grown golden brown Njombe grass stood a good four to five feet tall. Where ever you looked was the light brown colour of the grass interspersed with gnarled trees within shouting distance of each other.

Looking around I spied behind us and to one side a large black object travelling on top of the grass. It quickly caught up with the tractor and shot past for a couple hundred yards where it then slithered up a tree. It was as though you had run your finger along the top of the grasses. Since the black bird flew very low the grass swung from this way to that way. It appeared the bird had been hurt by a caturpalt! The

| lads sitting on the trailer were all jabbering excitedly, ten to the dozen, some calling for the driver to stop the tractor.

The driver moved the throttle lever to idle, drawing up the tractor and trailer. Off jumped the wood gatherers and, grabbing hold of lengths of wood, made off for the tree.

From the safe haven of the idling, vibrating tractor I watched the farm hands throwing stones and bits of wood into the tree. The bird was eventually knocked to the ground and killed. All us Africans have unhealthy respect for the owl and the only safe one is that one which cannot visit your house at night! Those were the adventures in the city in the valley.

I real enjoyed them. Cheers Njombeians!

Bob Englinton, Harare, Zimbabwe

And boys are born adventurous My sister and her husband lived in a subarb about 5 kilometres from downtown Njombe which was about the 4th house up from the direction of the central market. Looking at our family photo, I remember the scene. Looking from my sister’s house (I see those funny reeds which grew on top of the slimes dam, have really taken over). If you crossed the main street passed under the power lines and moved fifty feet into the bush you were in a world of your own. There were many well-worn paths to wander along and one of my favourite paths was one which led to the stream and ponds on the north side of the slimes dam.

In this stream there were the biggest tadpoles in the world.

Enormous things one could mistake for burble. Now in those days you used to make a spear gun out of a short length of bamboo with an elastic band bound to one end with that yellow and green blasting wire, the spears were made from the main stalk which carried the leaves of the Congo oak (Those are the huge trees which carried bunches of pear shaped berries at a certain time of year and was ‘ammo’ for your fly cattie).

Into the end of a length of this stalk you would insert a pin, this was to give the spear a point and then taking stripped blasting wire wound a short length behind the pin to give the spear some weight. (These spear guns were great at school to shoot spears into your friends and enemies backsides; I can still feel the sting). I was allowed to play in the bush and often when visiting my sister with my parents, would go down to the stream and spend the day spear fishing for tadpoles. I was not allowed to cross the stream and go onto the slimes dam itself. This was strictly forbidden and I was threatened with all kinds of horrible things if I was ever caught there (boys being boys, this was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey). I don’t believe I was disobedient, just adventurous. On this particular day, while on my way down to the stream, I bumped into some other kids in the bush and it wasn’t long before we were across

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the stream and climbing up the side of the slimes dam. This was the first time I saw the grand canyon, a memory I will never forget. Those of you who have been there will know what I am talking about. The grand canyon was formed by a stream which flowed from the West to East through the centre of the slimes dam and had over the years eroded the middle section out to form a canyon. A majestic sight to see while standing on the top edge and looking down and across.

Quick as a flash we had descended to the bottom of the canyon and started to explore and play. Eventually we came to the mouth of the canyon where there was this massive flat open area formed from the washout caused by the stream and rain. This area was one of the reasons we were not allowed into the area. Apparently there was quicksand in the area and kids had lost their lives there (I don’t know if this was just a story to keep us kids away). While writing this I keep getting memory flashes of large white sign posts with skull and crossbones in black with a large warning in red printed underneath. These were placed around the perimeter of the slimes dam.

While exploring this area we came across a section where the very fine slime had settled out onto the top and had started to dry and crack. This area had the texture of fine clay. Well, it didn’t take us long to take all our clothes off and by running full speed dive onto your belly and go sliding across this mud flat. This was great fun and we were really having a ball when all of a sudden I looked up across our patch and there was my Mom standing with all my clothes in her one arm and a big stick in the other hand. I remember the other kids moving like lightning to get as far away from my Mom as possible, never mind their clothes.

I unfortunately had to go to my mom and get my punishment, this started with a whack across my bum with the stick which started me running in the direction of my sister’s house and every time I would slow down and ask for my clothes I would get another whack. Eventually we got to the edge of the bush and I thought my Mom would give me back my clothes, but NO! Another whack and this continued right across the open area, across central street (much to my embarrassment), until we got to my sister’s house. Imagine this kid covered with white clay looking like a Xhosa youth on his way to his circumcision ceremony, running in front of this white woman, with a stick. One hand covering his privates and the other his backside, to try and ward off the whacks from the stick! Although I got punished for going onto the slimes dam that day, it didn’t stop me from going back many, many times. The only difference was that I was much more careful to make sure no-one saw me and could split on me. Really, boys are born daring and adventurers.

Ian Jackson. Jackobville, USA

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Rukwa

RUKWA

A region that shares borders with two countries

Lake Rukwa

Geographical Location Rukwa is one of the thirty regions of Tanzania.

Sumbawanga serves as the region’s capital. It is bordered to the north by Kigoma and Tabora Regions, to the east

by Mbeya Region, to the south by Zambia and to the west by Lake Tanganyika which forms a border between Rukwa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

History Its name comes from Lake Rukwa, which is home to the largest population of crocodiles in Tanzania. It is the region of the Wafipa ethnic tribe, who maintain themselves by subsistence agriculture and livestock keeping.

The governmental region was established in 1975

by President Nyerere by taking Mpanda District from Tabora and the former unified Sumbawanga District

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from the Mbeya Region. Nkasi District was established in 1984. In 2012 the region was reorganized with Mpanda District going to the new Katavi (Katabhi) Region.

Districts Rukwa Region is administratively divided into four districts: Kalambo District, Nkasi District, Sumbawanga Urban District and Sumbawanga Rural District.[2] Economy Mining:While there are extensive mineral resources in the Rukwa Region, there are no active large mines. Gem stones, including emerald, moonstone, aquamarine, amethyst, ruby, and topaz, have been recovered from a number of locations. There are coal seams in the Muze, Namwele and Mkomolo areas, and some mining has occurred there.

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A feel of relentless climb of free leaping Kalambo Falls There is some uniqueness to African countries when it to comes to the sharing of their border frontiers and the existing natural tourist attractions.

It could be extremely interesting as well as surprisingly unusual as I found during our last outing to the free leaping Kalambo water falls , the second highest in Africa, perched between the Tanzanian and Zambian border frontiers about 950km southwest of Dar es Salaam.

My wife, a friend and I had managed to scale up a steep gradient for about three hours under the scorching tropical heat in search of the ‘hidden’ but breathe-taking freeleaping or single drop of 221 high(about the size of two and half soccer pitches) waterfalls that Tanzania shares with neighbouring Zambia.

Down south, Zambia also shares its Victoria Falls, with Zimbabwe.

As a matter of fact, the Kalambo Falls which is also a river, defines the Tanzania-Zambia border all the way into the vast Lake Tanganyika, which itself is shared by a foursome of African countries: Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Zambia, and Tanzania.

The waterfall is in high flow in the May and June timeframe.

But this depends on how much rainfall the region gets during its rainy season from January through April. The flow diminishes as the year progresses. Some of the area residents we spoke to said that around October or November, the falls probably won’t look impressive. However, under these conditions, they also said that they once stood atop

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the falls with one foot in Tanzania and one foot in Zambia.

We definitely had to earn our sighting of Kalambo Falls as we had to partake on a minimum 2-3 hour walk each way (or about 5km to and fro) with a steep, relentless climb up a dry canyon.

Plus, the Lake Tanganyika Basin seemed to be very hot so we were sweating bullets and had to drink lots of water (much of which ended up being warm as the day got hotter).

Since we were staying at the quiet Isanga Bay, our excursion began with an early morning start as we ‘boated’ from the resort to the village at the trailhead at 7:45am. The hike began at 7:55am as we were being sent-off by the village kids.

We did bring lots of pens and even a plastic bottle so they could use them. I don’t recall if it was Claire’s suggestion (from the Thorn Tree Lodge near Kasama) or from someone else before our trip, but we came prepared.

We then followed the local guide who was a young adult who was also from the village. He promptly led us right through the village, and we were quickly behind the village and right

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up the trail. The kids would await us back at the village.

The trail was well-defined through tall grass, but soon enough, it started climbing in earnest. The first hour’s climb was steep with lots of large rocks requiring either large steps or the use of all of our limbs. At about two-thirds the ways up the climb, we had lost our shade and the heat of the day was already stifling.

After the first hour (it was around 9am by now), the trail started flattening out. We passed a few huts and fields before walking amongst more tall grass. It appeared that there was some farming that was going on up at this plateau. We suspect that the adults tending the land up here must also have come from the village we had just passed through.

About 40 minutes later, our guide took us into an overgrown spur trail amongst tall stalks. These stalks were taller than us and it was real easy to get lost here so we had to pay close attention and keep pace with our young guide. Eventually, we’d make it past the tall stalks, and before us was a pretty steep descent towards a rocky ledge. The drop-off besides the ledge was the wide valley formed by the Kalambo River.

It was from this point that we finally got to see Kalambo Falls plunging off a cliff and right into the shadowy gorge below

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against the morning sun. We had to get right up to the edge of the cliff in order to see all of the falls, but we had to be careful not to get too close to the cliff exposure. I wanted to chill out here longer hoping the sun might move more above us so we wouldn’t be looking against its light as much, but Julie had no interest in waiting out that event as the sun’s heat was already starting to stifle us.

By the time we left the waterfall, it was 10:30am. With the heat that must’ve totally surpassed 90F and maybe even 100F [definitely well into the 30-40C range], it was a good thing we were now going downhill. I wasn’t sure we would’ve made it even to Kalambo Falls had we started the hike any later than we did given the heat and the long uphill climb.

As we made our return, we saw there was a little more activity amongst the adults, including some of the village women were carrying things in baskets skillfully on their heads. I recalled Claire from Thorne Tree Lodge mentioned to us that this was actually a way to keep the hands free to do other things like maintain balance or navigate the steep terrain. Keeping things on the head was a matter of balance and posture, which can be learned with enough practice.

By about 12:15pm, we passed through the village once again where we were greeted by a group of cheering kids.

We tipped our guide, handed out the rest of the stuff we had on us (including the empty water bottles), and we were back at the boat. Fifteen minutes later, we got to relax for the rest of the day at Isanga Bay Lodge.

Directions: We were staying in Isanga Bay and the caretakers (Sean and Rene) accommodated us in our boat ride to the trailhead. But in order to even get to Isanga Bay, we were driven up from Kasama for the roughly four-hour drive north towards Mpulungu on the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika.

From there, we caught a 45-minute boat ride to the Isanga Bay Resort. I understand that there was also another approach to Kalambo Falls. This was said to require an allday all-land approach from the town of Mbala where there were apparently other accesses to the rim of the gorge containing the falls (as opposed to the access trail that we ultimately took). I’m sure a guide would be needed for this option as well.

As we were about to leave to Isanga Bay in Zambia, news filtering from Dar es Salaam said Kalambo has been transformed into a district, and it is our hope the political administration in new district will woo investors to put up hotels an accommodation facilities for the comfort of visitors who want to share such precious natural attractions with Tanzania.

Reporting by Davie and Sue Watson, Kalambo, Rukwa

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Travellers’ Testimonies “Kalambo Falls extremely magical,” Calhoun, Georgia

Kalambo Falls is in Southwest of Tanzania. But some tour operators would go far and ‘cheat’ that such beautiful natural wonder, breathtaking, magnificent and very hard to get to, is northern Zambia. I travelled there for the first time in 2009 only to realize the wonder is north of Zambia yes, but not part of its territorial land. I took a long rough overland trip in a Land Cruiser from Mbala, in Zambia only realise Tanzanian regional authorities there have not built hotel room facilities to cater for visitors to and from the Falls as compared to neighouring Zambia. The Zambian road was dry but I could imagine that even with 4-wheel drive you wouldn’t make it in the rainy season.

But in May of 2010 I wanted to approach the falls from the bottom. But I will tell you how I got there and why it is worth the trip in a moment and why Tanzanian authorities should ‘come from slumber’ and make use of the unique natural wonder of high profile national heritage.

Let us go back a few days. I flew from Johannesburg; SA

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to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and checked into the Victoria Falls Hotel. It is my favourite hotel in the whole world with its amazing views of the falls and its long history. Had “afternoon tea” on the terrace, an evening river cruise on the Zambezi River and a traditional ‘boma’ (dinner of local wild game and dancing) before overnighting at the hotel.

After a walking tour of the Falls from the Zimbabwe side I walked across the bridge into Zambia, had lunch at Zig Zag Cafe and caught the next flight to Lusaka and a charter flight to Kasama.

In Kasama I stayed at the Thorn Tree Guest House and the next day had a two hour drive North to Mbala and on to Mpulungu on Lake Tanganyika.

At Mpulungu, Zambia’s only port, I caught a boat for the one hour trip to Isanga Bay Lodge on the shores of Lake Tanganyika.

The boat is capable of carrying 8 adults plus luggage and your vehicle can be parked with no charge, at Mpende Fisheries.

Isanga Bay Lodge sits on an expansive white beach shaded with palm trees overlooking the bay and at night you can see dozens of small fishing boats, illuminated with lights, as they prowl their favourite fishing spots.

| You will see their catch the next day all along the Lake front as the fish dry in the sun.

The lodge offers exceptional friendly hospitality at this off the beaten track, a gem in the heart of remote Africa.

The next morning I set out at 7:10 AM for a 10 minutes boat ride to Myamba village, near to where the Kalambo River empties its waters into Lake Tanganyika. As the children see the boat approaching they long along the beach on the side of Tanzania and jump into the water yelling, “Baba, (father) give me money!

I departed the village at 7:25 AM with my guide (provided by the lodge) and wandered through the village and an overgrown soccer field and began a very slight uphill climb. I thought to myself, “this isn’t so bad.” Don’t kid yourself the real climbing is just ahead.

Also, as I discovered after making the reservations at the lodge, you cannot reach the bottom of the falls by beginning at the mouth of the river and working your way up the river. I am told that climb is impossible. While the gorge is up to 1 km with a depth of 300m it is too steep and rocky to reach the actual bottom of the Falls. You will only see the Falls from the top.

Back to the climb. Soon I was climbing, what seems to be straight up, up and over giant rocks and boulders on a very

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narrow but well-worn path, had hand over hand climbing as you work your way further and further from the Lake. I reached the top of the escarpment at 8:10 AM after a 45 minutes climb. The views looking back toward the Lake and the village are breathtaking and it gave me a real sense of accomplishment. I was most grateful for the friend in Mbala who had prepared a walking stick for me. I had to ignore the women, with baskets of fish on the head, climbing right past me.

Once I reach the escarpment I had a long walk through cassava fields and reached the western view of the Falls at 9:05 AM (total climbing time: 45 minutes to the top of the escarpment and 55 minute walk through the fields. It was about another 10 minute walk to the edge of the Falls. Here the river forms a large pool before dropping off 772 feet into the ravine below.

Did I say pack plenty of water? I quickly ran out of the water I was carrying and thankful my guide was carrying more.

The Falls is one of the tallest uninterrupted falls in Africa (after South Africa’s Tugela Falls and Ethiopia’s Jin Bahir Falls).

Once you reach the Falls, a park attendant appears from nowhere to collect the park fee. I quickly hired another guide to take me across the river, above the Falls, into

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Tanzania. I stripped down to my skivvies and entered the river just above the Falls. I was as thankful for the strength of my guide as I began to lose control in the swift water. He grabbed my arm, and like giant pneumatic wench pulled me up and across. I wandered around the Tanzania side of the falls, without a visa, for a short time and then made the treacherous swim back to the Zambia side and then began the long decent back to the Lake!

It took much longer going down, 2 hours and 10 minutes) then going up. In the village of Myamba I met with the headman, Jerald and gave him money to buy pencils and notebooks for the children of the village and told him I hoped he would prohibit the children from begging. He said he didn’t like it but that the tourists encouraged by dishing out small small cash to the children.

That afternoon after returning to the lodge and having a hot shower and good meal I was back to Mpulungu and Mbala for an overnight stay at Lake Chila Lodge. The next day I flew a charter out of the Zambian Air Force base to Mfuwe, in the southeast part of Zambia and to Mfuwe Lodge and stayed for a couple of days viewing game in South Luangwa National Park. I think by putting up hotel facilities inside Tanzania, could be challenging, but I hope, if the site is properly marketed, prospective investors and financiers could be up there waiting in the wings for the opportunity.

Reflections by Jerry Edo, from the US

More online testimonies “I Stayed May 2011, travelled with friends to Kalambo Falls, absolutely lovely..”

Larry@aol.com I stayed at Isanga Bay for a few nights and it was just lovely..The sand was white and warm, the sunsets were stunning, the food was really nice and the staff very friendly. It’s an ideal honeymoon location actually after descending Kalambo Falls. Fresh coffee outside your door in the morning...They can also organise local guides to bring you to the Falls nearby and on treks and so on - well worth a visit. I would love to go back!

Stayed August 2007, travelled as a couple Girll83, Ireland

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A-Z to Cruise of short list of cultural tourism in the

Southern Highlands Zone A: Letter A stands to ‘Arcadia’ an imaginary land in former Europe which an early British traveller, Joseph Thompson in the late 1800s likened it to Mbeya where he said, there had always been happiness and peace. “I found a peaceful and hospitable people. Their circular huts are charmingly neat in a magnificent grove of bananas laden with branches of fruits, all weeds, garbage and ugly things are carefully cleared away…”

The first letter of the Alphabet also stands for Dr Adrian Atman, a celebrated freed slave who found his way to the historical village of Karema, the current day Katavi region after he was ransomed by a Catholic White Father for 3,000 francs in a slave market in Algiers, Algeria. Adrian was abducted in 1866 from his home in his native Mali by Tuareg raiders (rebels)when he was a boy of 10 years of age and sold to an Arab slave trader who later took him to an open air slave market in northern Algerian for sale. Young Adrian was ransomed and freed by a White Father, took him to school in Algiers and to a college of medicine in Malta. He arrived in Karema 1889 at the age 23. Dr Atman armed with a diploma in medicine and worked at the Karema health clinic for 67 years training nurses and saving lives until 1956 when he died of advance age and buried there.

Letter ‘A’ also stands for the rare species of elephants and giraffes with Albinism exclusively sighted in Rukwa wilderness and the Katavi National Park.

B: Stands for the Bremen Anthropological Museum in Germany where the Skull of Chief Mkwawa was kept for 40 years until it was returned to his people in Kalenga Village in 1954 after popular demand by the Wahehe.

Letter B also stands for ‘bald head’ or Ngualla in Kinyakyusa dialect to describe the geographical shape of a mountain simply known as Mount Ngualla, a collapsed volcano located approximately 200 km North of the town of Mbeya which authorities say it contains quantities of the largest rare earths oxides deposits but remains uninhabited except by some few birdlife and fest bugs! Another version of letter B is the Bustani ya Mungu, literal Kiswahili translation which means the ‘hanging’ Gardens of God, on the Kitulo plateau, an outdoor botanic delight located between Livingstone Mountains and Uporoto Ranges in Mbeya.

C: Depicts the Conqueror of many lands, unofficial meaning of Mkwavinyika, and a childhood name given to Chief Mkwawa. Letter C also stands for Crater Lakes of Mbeya notably Lake Ngosi and Lake Masoko.

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Letter C also stands for the ‘Cooking Pot, a natural volcanic pot-shaped caldera into which the Kiwira River discharges its waters, which eventually boils up to form the source of the Malasusa Falls (also known as Marasusa Falls), but it is not related to Bishop Malasusa of the Lutheran Evangelical Church of Tanzania.

D: Daraja la Mungu, Kiswahili words whose meaning is the Bridge of God huge boulder that spans across the Kiwira River, Mbeya, thereby forming a natural bridge which area residents and visitors have used to cross over the swirling waters of the river from one bank to the other from time immemorial.

E: Stands for Erich Maas, a German field commander who was killed by the Wahehe fighters under Chief Mkwawa and buried in Kalenga historical village where his little grave jostles for a space in the compound of Kalenga Village Memorial Museum alongside Chief Mkwawa’s grave and those his son and grandson.

F: Stands for the ‘Fallen Star’ of Mbozi, Mbeya better known as the Meteorite of Mbozi, a 20 tonne-sleek metal like monolith believed to be the 8th heaviest among the world’s documented fallen stars.

G: Stands for Gangilonga, the huge ‘talking stone’ of Iringa under which legends would temporarily seek refuge for intimate worship and offerings so that they could reconnect their sinful souls to their ancestral gods pleading forgiveness for any unforeseeable social misdemeanor they might have done.

H: Represents the ‘hidden’ breath-taking free leaping water falls from a height equivalent to two football pitches and inland water makes the official southwest border frontiers between Tanzania and Zambia and it is formerly known as Kalambo falls.

I:

Stands for the Isongele satellite fishing city at the Koporogwe River, Mbeya, an attractive site for cultural tourism tour and fresh water fish savoury.

J: Represents the name of the first Papal Zouve(representative) in Karema Jourbet Louis Leopold in 1886.

K: Stands for Katavi, pronounced Katabhi by the area Wafipa ethnic tribe which in their local dialect Kifipa, means the ‘untouched’ wilderness. Located in Rukwa Region, Katavi National Park is the 3rd

| largest park in Tanzania occupying a total land surface area of 4,500 square kilometres equivalent to 4 and half soccer pitches made up of a valley and higher lands with stunning Miombo woodlands.

The letter K: also represents Kalambo Falls on the Kalambo River which is also the name of a newly carved district that forms the frontier border between Tanzania and Zambia on the southwestern tip of Lake Tanganyika. This is the second highest fall in Africa at 220 metres (about the size of two and a half football pitches.) Kalambo Falls is at its highest peak during the rainy season which begins in the region between January and April. Some area residents we’ve spoken to said that around October or November, the falls probably won’t look impressive. However, under these conditions, they also said that at one time they stood atop the falls with one foot in Tanzania and one foot in Zambia!

L: Stands for Luhota the presumed birth place for Chief Mkwawa Mkwavinyika wa Muyinga, who was born in 1855, after his parents had migrated from another village known as Mfwimi, the ancestral land of the Muyinga family which is the largest dynasty in Iringa region and whose roots could be traced as early as 1720.

M: Stands for Merckel, a German soldier with the rank of sergeant who beheaded Chief Mkwawa after the German troops had stumbled on the Chief’s dead body shortly after the Chief taken his own life by a selfinflicted fatal gunshot in his head.

N: Stands for Ngualla, which in the Kinyakyusa dialect means ‘bald head,’ when attempting to explain the geographical features of Mount Ngualla, a collapsed volcano located about 200 km North of the township of Mbeya believed to possess large quantity of oxides, but the mountain is uninhabited.

O: Represents a type of dance known as a la ‘Oklahoma’ style! which two American expatriates, Brett and Christie from Oklahoma city who have residents of ‘their’ newly formed ‘state’ aka region; Geita for many years had to perform when celebrating the news from Dar es Salaam that Geita has become a ‘state’ putting to rest the ‘comings’ and ‘goings’ of Geita whirlwinds.

P: The letter represents Paprika; an earliest spice found on the East African coast since the 13th Century but apparently is grown widely in the Southern Highlands Zone.

Q: Represents the Quilts fabricated at the Neema Cultural Centre downtown Iringa sought for by visitors who need them as souvenirs or just a wonderful African hand made wears.

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R: Stands for rugaruga also lugaluga the highly trained foot soldiers of Chief Mirambo which at one time made Tabora ungovernable by mounting daring raids by burning down houses and properties protesting against the invasion and occupation of the Omani Arab traders of the old interior city in collaboration with the sultanate government of Zanzibar.

S: Represents slime dams of Njombe in which children were forbidden to take a plunge, but now and then others sneaked and took a plunge at the chagrin of their parents.

T: Stands for terra firma a Latin word meaning the land contrast in English which adequately describes the geographical features of the southern Highlands Zone.

U: Stands for Ululanzi, a popular local brew in Iringa and Njombe, usually prepared from Bamboo true Juice.

V: Stands for the Versailles Treaty signed June 28, 1919 at the end of WW1 that and paved the way for vanquished Germans to unconditionally return the Skull of Chief Mkwawa to his people in Kalenga Village, in the then Tanganyika (British) Protectorate. Letter V also stands for vintengwe which in the local Kibena dialect means miniature furnaces used in melting and refining the bloom from the primary smelting furnace employed iron working societies during early iron age period in Mjimwema,Njombe as well as in some parts of the Ufipa land.

W: Represents French-Canadian Catholic White Fathers who founded Karema, a former Christianity city and citadel of education whose luminary former students included Archbishop Polycarp Cardinal Pengo of the Arch Diocese of Dar es Salaam and former Kenyan President Emilio Mwai Kibaki.

X: Stands for an X shaped copper ingots early traders collected in and a cross Central Africa and stored in Karema, Ujiji or Tabora on transit to the East Africa coast.

Y: Stands for Chief Yassagula of the former Karema who in 1882 staged an attack against the presence of Belgian military in his village in the heat of the brief war a German scientist was injured.

Z: Stands for Zelewski Gny Von, a German field commander cum commissioner who was killed in an ambush at a site known as Lugalo, Iringa when Chief Mkwawa successful sprang up an ambush against the (German) commissioner and his unruly advancing troops killing hundreds of them.

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Simple Swahili Words for Visitors / Tourists Nyumbani Baba Mama Mtoto Msichana Mvulana Kijana Meza Kiti/Kochi Kikombe Glasi Kijiko Jikoni Choo(Chooni) Bafu(Bafuni) Kuoga Kunawa Mikono Kitanda Kulala Amka Kumekucha Chai Chakula Maji ya kunywa Njaa Nimeshiba Kaa Simama Nakwenda Kwa heri Asante Tutaonana

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Home Father Mother Child Girl Boy Youth Table Chair Cup Glass Spoon Kitchen Toilet Bathroom Bathe Wash Hands Bed Sleep Wake UP It is Morning Tea Food Drinking Water Hunger Am full Sit (down) Stand (up) Am Going Bye Thank you See you

Safarini Stendi

- Journey - Stand / Bus Terminal Basi - Bus Dereva - Driver Kondakta (Konda) - Conductor Nauli - Fare Tiketi - Ticket Kiti cha abiria - Passenger Seat Kiti Cha dereva - Driver Seat Mzigo (Mizigo) - Luggage Begi - Bag Dereva Simama - Please Stop Endesha polepole - Please Drive Slowly Unaendesha Haraka - You are being speedy Kituo Kifuatacho - Next Stop Abiria - Passenger

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Hotelini Mhudumu Meza Kaunta Kiti Chai Mayai Maji Chakula Kitafunwa Chumba Shuka Mto Sigara Bia Soda Wiski Waini Nyama Samaki Mboga Nje Gadeni Kuota Jua Dirisha Pazia Mswaki Dawa ya Meno Sabuni Mafuta Taulo

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Mavazi Shati(Mikono Mifupi/Mirefu) Tsheti Koti/Jaketi Suruali Bukta Nguo za Kuogelea Viatu Ndala Nguo Za Baridi Nguo Fupi Kitenge/ Khanga Msuri Miwani ya Jua

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Kofia

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Hotel Waiter/Waitress Table Counter Chair Tea Eggs Water Meal/Food Bite/Bites Room Bedsheet Pillow Cigarette Beer Soda Whisky Wine Beef/Meat Fish Greens Outside Garden Sunbathe Window Curtain Tooth brush Tooth Paste Soap Oil/Jelly Towel Clothing Short or Long Sleeve T-shirt/Polo Jacket Trouser Shorts Swimming Costume Shoes Sleepers Cold Wear Mini-skirt Quilt Loin Clothe Eye Shade/ Sunglasses Hat

Mbugani Tembo Meno ya tembo Simba Twiga Punda Milia Swala Fisi Nyumbu Kongoni Ndege Miti Mlima Majani Nyasi Miiba Matunda Pori Asali Nyuki Kichaka Msitu Faru Kiboko Mamba Sungura Tai Mbweha Chui Duma Korongo Hondohondo Maua

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Pwani Mchanga wa Pwani Maji ya chumvi Kuogelea Nguo za kuogelea Kuota Jua Wavuvi Mtumbwi Samaki Nyavu Kupiga Kasia Kuweka Tanga Ufukweni Mawimbi Rambiza Zama Elea Mbizi

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Wilds Elephant Tusks Lion Giraffe Zebra Antelope (Varied) Hyena Wildebeest Hartebeest Bird Trees Mountain / Hill Leaves/Foliage Grass Thorns Wild Fruits Honey Bees Bush/Thicket Forest Rhino Hippo Crocodile Rabbit/Hare Vulture Jackal/Wolf Leopard Cheetah Flamingo Hammerbird Flowers Beach Sandy Beach Saline Water Swim/Dive Swimming Costume Sunbathe Fishermen Canoe / Dhow Fish Fish Net Paddle/Row Sail Shoreline Tides/ Waves Surf Drown Float Dive/Ogelea

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Tanzania Fact File Administrative capital: Dodoma Commercial capital: Dar es Salaam

The coolest months are June, July and August, when the weather is often overcast. In high-altitude areas such as Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Highlands, temperatures can fall below freezing.

Climate: Tanzania’s climate is predominately tropical. Coastal areas are usually hot and humid, but on the beaches a sea breeze cools the air considerably. The average day temperature is 30°C. Tanzania has two rainy seasons – the long rains from late March to June and the short rains from November to January.

Visa Issuing Centres and authorities: A Visa may be obtained at the United Republic of Tanzania Mission abroad or Consulate and also on arrival at all designated entry points.

The long rains fall in heavy downpours, often accompanied by violent storms, but the short rains tend to be much less severe. The hottest time of the year is from December to March, before the long rains begin.

In case of Referral and Multi Visas, applications should be sent to the office of Principal Commissioner of Immigration Services Dar es Salaam or at the office of the Commissioner of Immigration Services Zanzibar.

Visa Fees: Standard rate for ordinary Visa Fee is USD 50, for Multiple Entry Visa is USD 100 and Transit Visa is USD 30 except for the following Nationals with their specific Visa rates in brackets; USA-(USD 100) and Ireland-(USD 100).

Official languages: Kiswahili and English Currency: The Tanzania shilling (Tsh or TZS), divided into 100 cents, is the national currency.

Banking: Banks and bureau de change are available at airports and in all major towns. Banking hours are from Monday - Friday 8.30 am - 3.00 pm, Saturdays 8.30 am - 1.30 pm.

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A few branches in the major towns are open until 4.00 pm.

Please note that banks are closed on Sundays.

Credit cards and travellers’ cheques: Credit cards (Access, MasterCard, Visa, American-Express, and Eurocard) are accepted only at major lodges, hotels, and travel agents. A surcharge may be added for this service.

ATM and 24-hour cash machines are available in branches of major banks. Travellers’ cheques in pounds sterling or US dollars are recommended, though it may be difficult to exchange them outside the main cities

Getting There By air: Tanzania has three international airports: Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), formerly known as Dar es Salaam International Airport (handles most international flights), Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) and Zanzibar International Airport. Julius Nyerere International Airport, is located 15 km southwest of Dar es Salaam, and it takes approximately 25 minutes drive to reach it by car from downtown. Airport facilities include duty-free shops, car hire, post office, banking and bureaux de change, a bar and restaurant.

Time: Local time is GMT + 3 hours Electric Current: 220 volts AC50Hz Communications: International Direct Dial is available.

The country code for Tanzania is +255. The outgoing international code is 00 for the United States, or 000 for all other countries. Public call boxes in post offices and main towns operate on a card system, available from most small shops. Several cellular phone companies operate in Tanzania and roaming lines work near most major cities and towns. Internet cafes are plentiful in major city centres.

Health: Tanzania has a tropical climate and different bacteria, flora, and fauna than most visitors are accustomed to, so it is advisable to take a few health precautions when travelling to make sure that your trip goes as comfortably and smoothly as possible. Malaria is usually top on the list of visitors’ worries, and prevention goes a long way towards keeping you protected. Make sure to visit your doctor to get a prescription for the anti-malarial drugs that best suit you.

The yellow-fever vaccination is no longer officially required when entering Tanzania; however this is still a requirement if you wish to visit Zanzibar. Other vaccinations should be considered. For more information, contact your doctor well in advance of your visit.

Security: Tanzania is a safe country to travel in. Tanzanians are warm-hearted and generous people and are eager to help visitors get the most out of their stay. Tanzania is a politically stable, multi-democratic country. As in all countries, a little common sense goes a long way and reasonable precautions should still be taken, such as locking valuables in the hotel safe and not walking alone at night.

Best times to visit    

Northern Tanzania Southern Tanzania Zanzibar and the coast Western Tanzania

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: : : :

July to March June to March June to March May to March

Kilimanjaro International Airport: Lies 40 km from Arusha and it takes approximately one hour drive to reach it by car. Facilities include curio shops, a post office, a bar and a restaurant. Shuttle bus services to the airport run regularly from both Arusha and Moshi.

Zanzibar International Airport: Located approximately 7 km from the centre of Stone Town and takes approximately 15 minutes to reach by car. Facilities include a restaurant, bureaux de change and curio shops.

International airlines: Air India, Air Malawi, Air Mozambique, Air Zimbabwe, British Airways, Emirates, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, South African Airways, Swiss Air, Yemen Air and Air Turkey International.

Domestic airlines: There are also local scheduled flights from all three above mentioned international airports to all Lake Zone regions. These include: Precision Air, Air Tanzania, FastJet, and Coastal Aviation, among others.

Your tour operator can arrange your travel requirements on request.

By road: From the north, paved roads connect the Kenyan capital of Nairobi with Arusha and cross the border at the Namanga post. A number of shuttle buses, leaving twice daily between the two cities, also follow this route. The trip takes approximately 4 - 6 hours. From the south, the road from Malawi enters Tanzania at Karonga before continuing onwards to Mbeya. There are no viable bus services along this route. It is possible to cross the border from Uganda at the Mutukula border post, but transport options are equally limited. Internal roads connect Arusha and Dar es Salaam to major towns around the country. Roads to major tourist destinations are either already paved or under construction.

At the time of writing, paved road extends from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and almost to Karatu, on the way to Ngorongoro Crater. There are a number of reliable bus service operators running throughout Tanzania. For road safety avoid driving at night.

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