Dinsdag 25 Maart - Tanzanie

Dit het baie gereen en die meeste riviere is in vloed / It rained hard and most rivers are in flood.

Ek het 'n bergpas afgekom en dié gesig het my begroet / I came down a mountain pass and this was the view I had ...

Die kinders by die Bongo kampeerplek / The children at the Bongo camping site.

Tanzanië

Beginpunt: Nkatha Bay, Malawi

Eindpunt: Bongo Camping Site, Tanzanië

Afstand: 350 km

Ek het vroeg my bagasie reggekry om uit Nkatha Bay te kan vertrek. Die weer het egter nie saamgestem nie. Dit het begin te reën, sulke groot swaar druppels wat net aanhou bly val het.

Heelwat later is ek toe weg. Sommer dadelik het ek ‘n berg om oor te klim. Die kruin was met mis bedek. ‘n Hele paar plekke was die teer weg en net rooi harde grond het oorgebly.

Geleidelik het die ry begin beter word. Die een Malawiese dorpie na die ander het verby geflits. Kort voor twaalf het ek by ‘n paar hutte gestop. Langs die hutte was ‘n houtbrug oor ‘n rivier in vloed. Ek het ses piesangs, twee broodjies en ‘n Coke gekoop en saam met die locals gesit en eet.

Ek het lank langs die Malawiemeer gery. Om die een of ander rede het ek swaar gekry. Die twee dae by Senga Bay met Audrey en Eke was so lekker. Die meer het ‘n gemis na menslike kontak in my losgemaak.

Ek moes weg van die meer. Happiness is the direction, not the place …

Vroegmiddag was ek by die Tanzaniese grens. Alles het vinnig gegaan, net die versekering was stadig. Toe ek uiteindelik daar wegkom, val dit my by ek is in ‘n nuwe tydzone. Tanzanië is een uur vroeër as Suid-Afrika.

Dit het begin skemer word en donkerblou reënwolke het oor die berge saamgepak. Die alleenheid het weer soos ‘n dun kombersie oor my kom lê. Ek het slaapplek gesoek. Alles waarby ek gery het, het my eerder afgestoot. Teen ‘n berghang het ek ‘n bordie Bongo Camping gesien en besluit om daar in te ry. Die paadjie was verspoel en die fiets het onder ‘n paar keer teen klippe gesleep.

‘n Oop grasgelykte het gekom. ‘n Gebou aan die regterkant. Paar tente links. Voor die gebou spelende swart kinders, een man, ‘n Deen, Karsten Gram-Hansen. Was ek bly om mense te sien!!

Karsten woon al ‘n hele paar jaar dae, is besig met gemeenskapsprojekte, het ‘n paar terug ‘n pragtige Tanzaniese vrou getrou. Ons gesels lekker. Karsten mis ook soms maar ander geselskap. Mingwa, sy vrou, maak vir my die lekkerste aandete: Rys, groente in sous, daarby advokado, piesangs, lemoenskywe.

En daar verander ‘n wonderlike ontmoeting ‘n homesick middag in ‘n aand met heerlike gesels en kuier. Is dit tog nie waaroor my rit in die eerste plek gaan nie?

Tanzania

Starting point: Nkatha Bay, Malawi

Final destination: Bongo Camping Site, Tanzania

Distance: 350 km

I had an early start, getting my luggage ready to depart from Nkatha Bay. But the weather didn’t allow. It started raining, big, heavy drops that kept on falling.

I left much later. Almost immediately I had a mountain to climb. The summit was covered in mist. At quite a few places the tar was gone, just red hard ground remained.

The driving conditions gradually improved. One after the other, the Malawian towns passed by. Just before twelve I stopped at a couple of huts. Next to the huts was a wooden bridge over a river in flood. I bought six bananas, two small loafs of bread and a Coke, and sat down with some of the locals to eat.

I drove along Malawi Lake. For some reason I suffered. I enjoyed the two days at Senga Bay with Audry and Ekke. The lake had awakened in me a yearning for human contact.

I had to get away from the lake. Happiness is in the direction, not the place…

I was at the Tanzanian border early afternoon. Everything went well; just the insurance took some time. It occurred to me, after I eventually left the border that I was in a new time zone. Tanzania is an hour before South Africa.

It started getting dark and dark blue rainclouds gathered over the mountains. The loneliness covered me again like a thin blanket. I was looking for a place to sleep. But all the places I drove passed, repulsed me. I saw a sign, Bongo Camping, against a mountain slope and decided to drive in. The road was washed away and at a few places the bike dragged against the rocks.

An open lawn appeared. A building to the right. A few tents to the left. There were black children playing in front of the building, and there was a man, a Deen Karsten Gram-Hansen. I was glad to see people!!

Karsten has been living there for a couple of years and is busy with community projects. He married a beautiful Tanzanian woman. We chatted. Karsten also sometimes misses other companionship. His wife, Mingwa, prepared a delicious dinner for me: rice, vegetables in a sauce, and with it avocado, bananas, and orange slices.

The wonderful meeting changed a homesick afternoon into an evening with pleasant visit and conversation. Isn’t this the reason for my journey?