Matatizo (A.K.A Furaha)

 

When was the last time you had to push your car so you could pop the clutch to start?  Some of you may remember a time when you had to do this; others of you likely have never driven a manual transmission car and didn’t know you could do this.  Likewise, when was the last time you had to fix a flat tire?  Or use aluminum foil to brighten the headlamps?  Or did you ever have a car with power windows and locks that never worked and you had a special routine for locking the car.  Or the key didn’t quite fit in the ignition properly and had to be jiggled just right to work.  Perhaps all this reminds you of the car you had when you were young, the beater, the one that had endless problems, but you loved dearly. 

This is my land rover.  I would like to introduce you to Matatizio (also know as Furaha).   This is the car I never had in my youth, one that has “issues”, but I have loved dearly. 

I bought Matatizo, a Discovery Land Rover, sight unseen, while preparing to come to Tanzania.  I wanted a car that could handle rough bush roads and go on safari.  Matatizo is a beautiful royal blue classic land rover.   It was love at first sight and I was hooked.   I have never loved a car like this one.   Matatizo is diesel and has a low sexy diesel growl.  (My friends claim they know when I am coming long before I arrive.)  The car handles rough roads with confidence and experience and makes me proud.  Among the many personality quirks are power windows that work when Matatizo feels like it, doors that must be slammed with gusto and headlights that blind oncoming cars even on low beam.

But like any romance there have been ups and downs.   Matatizo came to me nameless, but after a few months the problems began.  Matatizo, which in Kiswahili means problems, is a venerable older car and of course is likely to have the problems of any aging body.   Some of the problems were minor (power locks and windows function when they please) whereas other problems were more significant (engine rebuild).    (I have had more flat tires in two years in Tanzania than the rest of my life in the United States.)  Each time I cursed and thought about a young reliable rig.  But each time I return into Matatizo’s embrace and remember what it is I have loved about this car.  After all who among us does not have problems?   I could not forsake Matatizo.

Matatizo has made many friends.   Trips to town are fully loaded with students and staff seeking a ride to town.  Matatizo has escorted many of us to dance hot spots, restaurants and markets.    (Matatizo is quite fond of bongo flavor, Tanzania music.)  The petrol station attendants and college security guards greet Matatizo and I warmly. It was one of Matatizo’s friends who rechristened Matatizo to Furaha.  Furaha means happiness in Kiswahili.  This is indeed a better name, though I have to admit I go back and forth between Matatizo and Furaha depending on whether the car is in the garage or not.

Furaha has indeed brought a lot of happiness into my life.  I hate to sell this car and will miss it.  Going back to my all too reliable Hondo in Minnesota will be dull.   I know that I will longingly remember Furaha’s deep sexy growl and the adventures we had together.   Cars come and go, but only one can hold that special spot in one’s heart. This is the car I never had in my youth and I shall remember it forever.   So will lots of other people…

For Sale:  Classic royal blue Land Rover, Discovery.  Only buyers willing to love this car, treat it kindly, tolerate it’s problems and cherish the adventures should apply. 

Kilimanjaro Road Rally

A road rally.  Cindy.  These two things don’t normally go together and most of the readers of this blog, would not have matched them up.  But why not I retort!  I was admittedly uncertain about what I was getting into, but responding to the reassurance of my friend, I agreed.  Alpha, a car and rally fan, provided commentary throughout the day so not only was it fun, it was educational. 

Unlike race track racing, a road rally involves real roads and a route.  The Kilimanjaro Road Rally is 500 kilometers of rocky roads mostly south and west of the mountain.    Drivers negotiate rough roads, rivers, and cows wandering onto the road.   Each car has a driver and a navigator.  No fancy GPS units in these cars, simply a map and directions.

The cars.  I am not sure what I expected for the cars, but there was a crazy and impressive mix of supped up cars.  None of them were particularly fancy, but each one was unique; everything from a Porsche to Land Rovers to trucks.  Some had sponsors, other were fueled privately.  Each car had a pit crew that followed their car taking shortcuts to meet, cheer and fix their car throughout the race route.   Fix is the operative word here.  To my uninformed eyes, tires seemed to be the most common impairment and more than one car passed us limping along on nothing but the tire rim.  The Porsche, an unlikely race car for rocky Tanzania roads did surprisingly well, but eventually surrendered of a broken clutch, driving in only one gear. 

 

 

The crowd.  Predictably the race spectators were mostly men with only a sprinkling of women.  There were very few wazungu (white people) and a significant number of Indian Tanzanians.  There were many curious villagers, children herding cattle and middle aged business men.  Predominately the crowd was young Tanzanian men who authoritatively discussed the cars, laughing, cheering and speculating as the cars passed.   Always at a distance, clusters of young Maasai men, wrapped in their red shuka (cloth wrap) and leaning on their sticks, watched and joked with each other as young men do.  

 

What is it about cars that hold the rapture of men?  Watching these young men gather around a car as it stopped for maintenance, was as much fun as watching the cars themselves.    Indeed watching the race was only a small part of the experience.  The boisterous banter among young men, the timid gaze of Maasai women and the curious stare of young children wondering about this mzungu woman were just as fascinating as the cars for this road rally novice.

I am not sure I will ever be a road rally junkie, but I am very glad I went and I would go again.  And like any race, be it a foot or car race I think it is probably a lot more fun to be a participant.  So… next time I want to be a navigator or part of the pit crew.  I could do that!   Life is short, why not try new things?  Don’t worry; I won’t give up my job as a professor.  I’m just saying… that if anyone is looking for a navigator, I know how to read maps!

Kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro

Northern glaciers on Kilimanjaro

In my office there hangs a new certificate next to my Kilimanjaro marathon medal.   It is a certificate that certifies that I made it to the top of Kilimanjaro, 5895 m (19341 ft) on January 19^th, 2011.   Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world and tallest in Africa, is an amazing unique ecosystem unlike any other mountain.   Everything about this mountain is captivating and after living on it for almost two years, I was lured into its spell and compelled to climb.  What follows is a description of the trek.

Diana, Natalie, Mara and Cindy

Team elders: Diana and Cindy (Mawenzi Peak in background)

Team goofballs: Natalie and Mara

Team:  The team was an all woman team.  Diana, 49, a visiting nursing professor at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, was the instigator; Kilimanjaro had long been on her ‘bucket list’.  Natalie, 23, Diana’s daughter, is a teacher at Moshi International School and was an enthusiastic accomplice in her mother’s scheme.  Mara, 19 (turned 20 descending the mountain) a Gustavus student, was spending her interim term with her mother (me) and had wanted to climb last year when she lived in Tanzania.    I, 53, a Fulbright Scholar teaching at the College of African Wildlife Management  - Mweka, had always wanted to see the famous endemic plants of this mountain as well as see the view from the top of this mountain.  So this was our team.  We had trained on the mountain roads and trails near my house as the expedition approached.  We almost lost Diana due to food poisoning just 2 weeks prior to the climb.  Though not fully recovered, she managed to get up the mountain through sheer determination.

How many people does it take to get 4 women up Kilimanjaro?... 13

Staff:  To get the 4 of us up the mountain it took: 1 lead guide, 1 assistant guide, 1 cook and 10 porters.  No small undertaking!!

Route:  We took the Marangu Route which is the easiest and most popular.  This route has huts rather than tents.  They are simple A frames of minimal creature comforts.  We took 6 days which is recommended to allow your body to adjust to the altitude.  The statistics are as follows.

Day	Location	Distance / elevation gain	Elevation at destination	Steps: Cindy’s pedometer	Vegetation
1	Gate to Mandara Hut	12 km / 1009	2709	16357	Forest
2	Mandara to Horombo	15 km / 1017	3726	17500	Forest / moorland, heath
3	Horombo to Horombo	8 km / 200	3726	7419	Upper moorland
4	Horombo to Kibo	15 km /992	4708	13975	Alpine desert
5	Kibo Hut to Summit (Uhuru Peak) and back down to Horombo	6 km up and 21 down / 1187 m up and 2166 down	5985 (Uhuru Peak) then descend to Horombo at 3726	38000	Summit, lots of rock, back down through alpine desert
6	Horombo to Gate	27 km /2026	1800	27500	Moorland, forest
Total		104 km / 8370 m up and  down		120751	5 life zones

Diana and Natalie: hot chai and cards

Food:  Awesome and plentiful.  Lots of rice, pasta and soups.  Always chai (tea) or hot chocolate.  They woke us up every morning with hot chai!

Weather:  As tough hearty Minnesotans we scoffed at the idea that this mountain could be so cold, after all its Africa.  But we discovered that it is cold at night.  We had borrowed sleeping bags but still needed to sleep in multiple layers.  We only had one day that rained, or I should say hailed, and fortunately that was our short, acclimatization day and we were inside playing cards when it hailed!  The top of the mountain was cold, but tolerable with the right clothing. 

Schedule:  Each day started with chai, followed by washing and packing.  Porters carried most of our gear.   In the day packs we carried rain gear, warm clothing, 3 liters of water, lunch, camera and miscellaneous other personal stuff.   Breakfast was served in huts at tables, eggs, porridge, toast, fruit,etc.  Our days were spent hiking (7-8 hours except the summit day which was 15+ hours of hiking), taking pictures and investigating the plant life!  Arriving in camp we were served afternoon tea with popcorn!  This was followed by washing, relaxing and then dinner was served around 7 pm.   We managed a little bit of reading, cards and photography in between all the activities.

Summit Day:  This is the big day that everyone anticipates.  This is where altitude sickness is most prevalent.  Three people had to be evacuated while we were there.  One woman, who was in our hut, was vomiting and had to be taken down.   When this happens they take porters from all the groups to get the individuals to a lower elevation as quickly as they can.  Altitude sickness is serious stuff.  We had all taken altitude medication.   Most of us experienced some minor altitude sickness symptoms, mostly headache, appetite loss and nausea.  I pretty much lost my appetite.

Kibo Hut is more like a barrack in a desert.  It is cold, windy and barren.  You arrive in the late afternoon, dinner is served around 5 and then you try to go to sleep by 6 or 7 pm.  That was a bit hard as we had a group of Germans sharing our room who snored loudly!  Between the nervousness and snoring I hardly slept.  We were awoken at 11:30 pm and were given toast, chai and cookies to eat.  (They don’t want you to eat much because you will likely throw up.)   I tried to eat, but wasn’t particularly successful.  Drinking is very important at this elevation and we were constantly drinking.  Getting suited up is accompanied by nervous energy and lots of questions….what the heck am I doing???  Summit day we wore:  long underwear (bottoms and tops), fleece sweater, down jacket and gortex jacket on top.  Legs were covered with long underwear, insulated pants and then gortex wind pants on top.  Boots with heavy woolen socks covered with gaiters, hats, scarves and hoods completed the outfit along with a headlamp.  The first day of our trek, we started the hike in light hiking pants or shorts and t-shirts; what a contrast!

Sunrise from Gilman's Point, Kilimanjaro

The Team: Sunrise at Gilman's Point

Our trek up began around 12:30 am.  Fortunately we had a full moon and we didn’t need our headlamps though we kept them handy for detail work.  Pole pole (which is Kiswahili for slow) is the mantra as we begin the ascent.  Our guide sets the pace which is indeed VERY slow.  But at this elevation you really can’t go fast without losing your breath.    You simply place one foot in front of the next over and over again and slowly you rise up the mountain.   We stop frequently for water, but it is hard to stop for long as the cold sets in quickly.  There is a long chain of hikers going up the mountain.  This is high season and probably 30 other folks are going up the same route that night.  I can see the headlamps of groups higher up.

Almost there... Uhuru Peak (Uhuru is Kiswahili word for freedom, liberty)

Our group rises slowly with minor altitude ailments in the group.  Fatigue, headaches, cramps and cold are part of the experience.  Nonetheless we plod up the mountain.  At sunrise (6:30 am) we arrive at the rim of the mountain (old volcano) to Gilman’s Point (5703 m).  The sunrise is awesome and we all congratulate ourselves for getting this far.  However, the next 285 meters to the actual top of the mountain, Uhuru Peak at 5985 m was considerably harder than we anticipated.  We were deceived by the relatively small elevation gain and had forgotten to take the altitude into consideration.  Nonetheless we made it to Uhuru Peak where we found many people taking pictures and congratulating one another.  We too took our turn for pictures.  

Ta dah!!!  We did it!

Above the clouds

The view from the top is amazing.  The glaciers were stunning and it is so sad to know that they are slowly receding.  Despite the amazing view you don’t linger long at the top as it is cold and you still have a long ways to go.  The descent starts with retreating along the crater rim to Gilman’s Point and then back down the mountain to Kibo Hut.  From Gilman’s point in the daylight you can see how far you have climbed and it is impressive.  Going down for the next 6 km is tough on the knees.  Fortunately there are places where you can ‘ride’ the rock scree, but by time you get back to Kibo Hut the knees are pretty wobbly! 

The descent, 6 km downhill to Kibo Hut (Mwenzi peak in background)

Horombo

When you arrive back at Kibo hut you are exhausted.  Muscles twitch, you have no appetite and you are cold.  We were given an hour to rest / sleep, but despite my fatigue, I couldn’t sleep.  After our hour we all manage to get our bags packed and begin our descent to Horombo Hut.  It is pretty important to descend as quickly as possible to avoid more altitude sickness which is why they move everyone down the same day.  We are exhausted but somehow manage another 15 km to Horombo Hut.  At Horombo we have dinner and collapse into a deep sleep. 

We awake on day six rested and ready for our last day of descent.   On the last day we passed through three vegetation zones.  The hike is essentially all downhill.

Perspectives on the Mountain:  I have lived on the shoulders of this mountain for a year and a half and seen its moods, clouds and vegetation on the lower slopes.  I have long wanted to climb, but the cost and the ‘popularity’ discouraged me.  Now, I am glad that I did it; I have a new perspective of this amazing mountain.  As you climb Kilimanjaro you rise through five life-vegetation zones to the top.  There are many endemic plants on this mountain including the giant senecios and lobelias.  These plants were a major lifetime highlight for me.  They are found nowhere else in the world and have evolved unusual strategies for surviving in this environment.    Fittingly the certificate that certifies that I made it to the top is decorated with endemic plants which made this botanist even happier!  This mountain has long held the fascination of many people and I understand this even more now.  

The mountain faces many challenges; deforestation, declining water supply and shrinking glaciers.  Tanzania has done a good job of trying to forestall some of these issues, but the problems are global in scope.  It is my hope and prayer that shrinking glaciers here and elsewhere around the world will motivate us all to seek creative solutions together as a global community.  Whether you have climbed this mountain or not, we cannot afford to lose these precious places and must fight to see that they remain wild and pristine.

Giant Senecios -- endemic to Kilimanjaro

Giant Lobelias -- Kilimanjaro

Zebra Rocks

Alpine desert

Rocks and clouds

Success! (Tanzanian flag)

Christmas Reflections

Krismasi Njema!

Back home in Minnesota the Christmas frenzie has reached a peak; only a few days left to shop, bake dozens of cookies, attend countless Christmas gatherings, send Christmas cards, wrap  too many gifts, finish decorating the Christmas tree, attend the Nutcracker or Christmas Carol and many other such traditions.  I can’t say I miss it.  Today for the first time this year I heard Christmas music in a grocery store.  It caught me off guard and it seemed out of place.   Not only was it 80+ degrees outside, there are no visible signs of Christmas; no Christmas trees, no promotional shopping displays of Christmas items and no harried shoppers.  It was a bit like hearing Christmas music in the middle of July in Minnesota, simply odd.

This is my second Christmas in Tanzania and since I have none of those things to do I have time to reflect and write.   I don’t miss the consumerism craziness.  I do miss family and friends.   Though Christmas is not outwardly evident here in Tanzania, it is an important time for family and friends.    The dominant tribe in the area I live is Chagga and the Chagga have a wonderful homecoming tradition at Christmas time.  Everyone comes home to the Moshi area, even those in the far reaches of Tanzania who have to travel days to get here.  There are parties and celebrations.  Even, the traffic in Moshi is noticeably greater during the holidays and of course the prices for food, gas, and transportation go up.  This is a time to gather, share stories, watch some football (soccer) and enjoy the company of family and friends.

So for you my friends I offer this Christmas gift / reflection.  Snapshots of life in Tanzania… a very different place than snowy Minnesota with Salvation Army bell ringers, last minute shopping bargains and fancy giftwrap.

• Christmas Trees – Rare.  At one of my favorite outdoor bar /music places they have a metal tripod of sorts with lanterns and a few Christmas lights.   Not exactly a balsam fir tree but it works.  See my earlier blog post on Christmas trees.

• No lutefisk or lefsa, but plenty of fresh local fruits – pineapple, mango, papaya, watermelon, passion fruit, bananas, plums, oranges, etc…

• Stockings – Laundry is done by hand and hung to dry outside.  So the closest I come to hanging stockings is hanging my hiking socks out to dry.

• Snow—the nearest is Kilimanjaro and oh what a beautiful view I have of this mountain!  Daytime temperatures are in the 80’s.

• Santa Claus is a northern hemisphere mirage.  As far as I can tell his reindeer don’t know how to get to the southern hemisphere.

• Christmas music – The music I heard in the grocery store was a typical Christmas carol. Even though western music is fairly common here – I heard Abba today at a local restaurant over lunch – western Christmas carols aren’t heard until a few days before Christmas unlike in the states where it seems they start in October.  Nonetheless, Christmas music here is a mix of western Christmas carols sung in Kiswahili or English with a Tanzanian accent. 

• Christmas Eve…not a big deal here.  Everyone celebrates on Christmas day and like other countries they follow Christmas with Boxing Day.  However, unlike northern Hemisphere countries that have ‘stuff’ to box, I am not sure what anyone boxes here…

• Mistletoe – Mistletoe is a parasitic plant found everywhere around here.  No one hangs it in doorways, but it is common in trees.  Perhaps I should try some   :) 

•  Turkey – One of my friends raises turkeys and sells them to motels for mzungu (white people) for crazy prices (~$75/turkey). 

One of my favorite things to do is to hike to a nearby rural Catholic church built in the late 1800’s.  Except for Kilimanjaro looming in the background, this church is a mammoth stone church that could rival any European cathedral.  Complete with stain glass windows, archways and ornate accessories the church is perched on the shoulder of the mountain, a fitting tribute.    If I go in the late afternoon, I can listen to the choir practice traditional Tanzanian Christmas music.  These are what I call ‘Holy Moments’, listening to this wonderful rich harmony.  Moments when the world is right, when the beauty is overwhelming and when the music lifts one out of the ordinary routine. 

There is nothing ordinary about life here on the mountain.

Wishing you  Holy Moments in the coming year!

Images of Zanzibar!

mostly Moslem

but a place of many contrasts

carved doors

Sultan digs

the doors of Zanzibar

Stone Town

crazy coconut!

coconut juice

 definitely tropical

sugar cane juice mixed with lime and ginger!

nutmeg and mace... the island of spices

night market... too many choices

                        night market ...heavy sales pitch

slave trade memorial sculpture

more carved doors!

paradise?