Images: The long journey

After a longer work period at the fire station it was time for some change. On Tuesday, 14th June, we boarded Tazara train from Dar es Salaam, taking to Mbeya in the west of Tanzania. From Mbeya we took a bus first to Sumbawanga, then to Kasanga where we arrived in the afternoon. After enjoying two stunning sunsets over Lake Tanganyika we climbed the gangway to MV Liemba, spending the next two days on the upper deck, watching boats pass by, visiting a church ruin left behind by British settlers during one of the numerous stops along the route. Finally we arrived in Kigoma where we were most friendly welcomed by a frisbee teammate who hosted us in his Norwegian-style bungalow. After four days of hiking, swimming and relaxing we started out on our way back. Arriving in Dodoma by train we stayed in a deserted upper class hotel before leaving for the village of Katesh to climb Mt. Hanang, Tanzania’s fourth-highest mountain. A guided is said to be compulsory to be admitted to the Forest Reserve the climb featured beautiful views across saltlakes and the plains, yet it was not incredibly challenging to reach the top. Ambitioned mountaineers might rather want to spend their money in the Alps rather than going for a 3D safari in the middle of Tanzania. Arriving in Dodoma again I turned twenty-one standing on the empty platform of the railway station, my co-traveller Marianne singing a birthday song for me. Later we had cake at the station master’s office. Taking the express train we arrived in Dar es Salaam in the evening of 29th June, just in time to make pizza for a small birthday gathering which marked the happy ending of our long journey.