March 10, 2025

Burka Coffee Estate, Arusha, Tanzania

It rained again last night. It was a real downpour. Apparently they are all real downpours. The people here are very happen as they have been experiencing a drought for the last couple of years. The rain has come earlier than usual which they hope means it will be a good rainy season. Most of the rain comes in April and May; which are the equivalent of fall in the northern hemisphere.

Breakfast was in the Gill Room again this morning. It seems they have even fewer people here now than yesterday. They didn’t layout a big breakfast buffet this morning.

We decided to go a bit more traditional this morning and have eggs Benedict with ham. Not completely traditional as it was served on fried potatoes rather than bread.

At 10:10 we met our guide Lailatu, the same young woman who drove us from the airport, who is going to show us the city.  Apparently the or a big thing to see in town is the Cultural Heritage museum. It is billed as a place where art and artifacts from the past and present of Tanzania and other East African countries can be viewed in a single compound. The center boasts various carvings, gemstones, artifacts, clothing and books. Yes, it is very large, has lots of things you can see and buy, but learning about the history of Tanzania, not so much.

Some of the items were huge. They were also not in expensive. They were beautiful. However, except for the paintings which you could probably take off the frames and roll, sending them back to the states would cost as much or more than the artwork itself. Oh, two US presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have visited here. Yes, it is tourist trap.

Lailatu then drove us around the city. We went past the central market, which is just what you think it is, a place where you can literally buy anything. Lots of fresh fruits, live chickens, clothing, you name it they have it here. It was proposed yesterday that we get out and walk though the market, however it has been raining and it is muddy and really full of people. It also looks a lot like many of the central markets we walked though while we ere on the world cruise.

We did talk about buying rubber boots. If it is going to rain a lot it will be muddy. Patrick thought this was a great idea. Lailatu said not to bother. Easy of the camps we will be going to supply us with boots, not to worry. The biggest issue is packing and the weight they would add. The small bush planes have fairly strict weight limits.

Arusha and Tanzania are growing. Parts of the city could be in most any poorer American town. Parts were ramshackle huts which served as homes and stores. Schooling is required here through the 8th grade, and it is taught in English. We saw a number of schools and school children. They all wear uniforms to school. St. Constantine’s International School is next door to the coffee plantation. It looked really nice. Apparently they have about 850 students and take students from 30 different countries. The school offers classes for children 3 through 13 years old.

Upon our return we stopped at the Bistro Café here at the lodge for lunch. Mary had Tandori Chicken and I had Butter Chicken Curry. This was accompanied by a Safari Beer. Apparently it is a little stronger than the Kilimanjaro beer we had last night. All totaled up is was 89,000 schillings. Sounds like a lot but that is slightly less than $34. You would be lucky to get anyone of the things for than in California.

After lunch we returned to our room. Housekeeping was still cleaning the room so we sat on the porch and waited for her to finish. Then it was nap time. We started taking the anti-malaria pills this morning. Patrick didn’t think we would need them, but we bought them so why not.

We napped until about 16:30. Mary played on the iPad and I wrote this blog. It really isn’t that hot, but the humidity is 73% and the temperature is also 73. My phone says it feels like 76. It feels muggy.

Undecided about dinner. Not really hungry. We have learned some Swahili!  Karibu – You’re welcome and Asante – Thank You. The greeting in Jambo, which seems to mean good day.

We skipped dinner, just not hungry. Went to bed at 21:00. We leave for Kuro and the Tarangire Ndovu Tented Lodge tomorrow, in the Tarangire National Park. A fairly short flight to the south east of Arusha.   

Buonanotte & Ciao, Enrico & Maria