Where We Be
This was our transition day between the 4-day
Masai Mara safari and 10-day Tanzania safari. At
2:30 pm we boarded the Riverside Shuttle in
Nairobi. Our luggage was stored on top. We
were the only non-locals on the bus; apparently
most tourists fly between the two cities, but we
enjoyed the journey. A nice breeze filtered in
through the windows, and the hip-hop playing
on the radio made us feel right at home. We
made good time over well-maintained roads and
the border crossing fortunately went smoothly.
The drive through Tanzania was beautiful. The
countryside is mountainous and hilly. Where the
land is flat enough for farming, the tilled soil is
bright red and the crops grow lush. We passed
thatched huts and tidy villages that were so
picturesque we could almost imagine living
there. At one point the man sitting next to me
nudged me and pointed out the window. There
it was -- Mount Kilimanjaro with its snowy peak!
A definite highlight of the drive.
We passed through a few towns brimming with
raucous energy before pulling into Mt. Meru
Hotel in Arusha around 7:30 pm. This oasis of
Western luxuries felt like home away from home.
The photos are a bit blurry as they were taken from a moving bus, but they give an idea of everyday Tanzanian life
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Women carried bundles of firewood, bananas, or jars of water on their heads
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The gorgeous early morning garden view from our window at Mt. Meru Hotel in Arusha
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The long drive gave us a chance to see farmers and Masai herdsmen going about their daily tasks
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The thatched hut villages were tidy and picturesque
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The Tanzanian countryside is hilly and beautiful, with rich red soil and lush crops
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