Matipwilli, Tanzania: First Team to arrive in Tanzania.

After some 47 hours of travel for most and 40 hours for myself, 3-4 flights and one river crossing by foot in the dark and very little sleep, we arrived safely at our home away from home for the next couple of weeks.

The trek from Dar se Saleem, Tanzania to Kisampa took us about almost 5 hrs from landing. Busy Saturday traveling through the remote villages. The local people shopping at their local farmers markets on the side of the road and lots of traffic congestion on the two lane highway. Local politicians campaigning for the upcoming election.

We pit stopped for some water about 50kms from the airport and there was a "Subway" restaurant. We almost felt like we weren't too far from home. Our trek went from a two lane highway to a one lane dirt road for many kms winding through a pineapple plantation. At times our bus was on such a tilt due to the road condition we weren't sure if our bus would make it. With the road being so narrow we cringed each time an on coming bus was approaching. Many of us closed our eyes as there was no room for two cars. Murray commented "It doesn't matter how much you miss the other car, you just need to miss it."

We stopped at the last village to meet the Kisampa guide to show us the rest of the way. He graciously showed is to a local's residence for the majority of the ladies could use the facilities before the final trek into camp. It was an interesting little hut. Inside was a hole in the concrete floor and a bucket of water on the floor to clean the floor when you are finished. Reminded me of my prior washroom experiences in China but when you gotta go, you gotta go!

We got a far as we could in our little 14 passenger bus. Then we had to unload all of our baggage and then hike up our pant legs, remove our shoes and cross the river on foot (doable as the river level is low. Otherwise we would have canoed across). The wonderful people from Kisampa helped carry our luggage across the water. We then loaded into jeeps and finished the final 3kms to the camp. It is unfortunate that we arrived after dark as we could not see much. I am told we are in for a surprise in the morning.

What we did notice tonight is that the moon is upside down here compared to how we view the moon in North America. Interesting...

Exhaustion is setting in so we will update you tomorrow on our accommodations and our first night at camp...Good night from Kisampa Africa!

Marianne
DWC Participant
Tanzania 2010