Woensdag 26 Maart - Tanzanie

My roete in rooi.

My gasvrou toe ek vanoggend gegroet het. Haar man het die foto geneem.

My uitsig by die Farmhouse / My view at the Farmhouse

Tanzanië

Beginpunt: Bongo Camping

Eindpunt: so 60km wes van Iringia

Afstand: 345 km

Vandag het ek die eerste keer bietjie geïrriteerd geraak. Hier is ek in Tanzanië, nog met petrol van Malawi, en nêrens kry ek geld gewissel nie! Hoe op dees aarde kan mens reis sonder Tanzaniese geld? Maak nie saak klein of groot dollar note nie, die geldwisselaars op straat bied ‘n patetiese koers aan, en by banke staan die toue mense tot buite.

Langs die een bank was ‘n Toyota agentskap, en omdat Toyota my nog nooit in die steek gelaat het nie, is ek uit pure desperaatheid daarheen. En waarmee het ek uitgekom? Met ‘n klomp Tanzaniese shillings!

Toyota is die voertuig (en bank?) vir Afrika!

Vandag was dit net ry en ry omdat ek so vroeg moontlik hier wou wees vir lekker berigte skryf. Ek was toe vroeg hier, net nie die krag nie. Dit het eers half sewe aangekom.

Waaroor ek wel kan skryf, is my blyplek. Dis die Old Farm House (Kisolanza Farm). Dis gemoedelikheid in die bos en ‘n baie, baie vriendelike personeel met ‘n aandete wat grens aan sonde van lekkerte. Ek gaan netnou vir die eerste keer in ‘n hele lang tydjie in ‘n regte bed slaap met ‘n kussing onder my kop. ‘n Kussing … Waardeer jy jou kussing by die huis?

Ek het Phillip hier by die Farm House ontmoet. Met hom het gebeur wat met enige motorfietsryer kan gebeur. Hy was met sy BMW motorfiets op pad Engeland toe. Die fiets se ratkas het hier naby opgepak. Vannag word ‘n ratkas van die Kaap na Dar es Salaam opgevlieg en hopenlik teen laat more middag is dit hier. Hy sit nou al drie dae hier. Hy wil nou die fiets net tot in Nairobi ry en dan van daar af Engeland toe vlieg.

Ek gaan nou groet. Ek hoop om moreaand weer ‘n stukkie te kan skryf. More gaan ‘n baie lang dag word.

Tanzania

Starting Point: Bongo Camping

Final Destination: approximately 60km west of Iringia

Distance: 345 km

Today, for the first time, I got a little bit irritated. Here I am in Tanzania, still with petrol from Malawi, and I can’t exchange money anywhere! How on earth can a person travel without Tanzanian currency? It doesn’t matter if it is small or big dollar bills, the money-changers on the street offer a pathetic rate and at the bank people are queuing to the outside.

There was a Toyota dealership next to one of the banks, and because Toyota has never failed me before, I went there out of pure desperation. And with what did I return? With Tanzanian shillings!

Toyota is the vehicle (and bank?) for Africa!

Today it was just driving and driving because I wanted to get here early in order to write reports. And I was here early, but the electricity wasn’t. It only came on at half past six.

What I can write about, is my accommodation. It is the Old Farm House (Kisolanza Farm). It is joviality in the bush and very, very friendly staff with a dinner that is so delicious it borders on sin. Just now, for the first time in a long time I am going to sleep in a real bed with a pillow beneath my head. A pillow…Do you appreciate your pillow at home?

I met Phillip here at the Farm House. What happened to him can happen to any motorcyclist. He was on tour with his BMW motorcycle to England. The bike’s gearbox packed up nearby. A gearbox is being flown in tonight from the Cape to Dar es Salaam, and hopefully it will be here by tomorrow late afternoon. He has been stuck here for three days. He now wants to ride the bike to Nairobi and then fly to England from there.

I am going to say goodbye now. I hope I can write again tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day.