Hello from Dar es Salaam!
We just arrived in Dar es Salaam after spending a full day in Udzungwa National Park, in the southern part of Tanzania. After a 4am wake-up Monday morning, we took a 6 hour bus ride from Njombe to Mikumi and then a very bumpy 1.5 hour ride to a campsite outside of Mang’ula, the village near the Udzungwa park headquarters. After exploring the surprisingly vibrant and friendly town of Mang’ula on Monday night, we hiked to Sanje Falls, Africa’s 3rd highest waterfall, on Tuesday.
The waterfall is divided into three stages. We walked with our two guides to the 3rd stage, the top of the falls, first. Along the way they pointed out and discussed every medicinal, poisonous, and timber tree on the pathway and also stopped to watch some monkeys. Given the humidity, we were dripping sweat when we reached the 3rd stage. Luckily, there is a pool under the 3rd stage for swimming. Excited to swim, we started putting on bathing suits and heading for the pool when the rain started coming down. The cold rain didn’t make the cold water any more appetizing, but we had fun nonetheless.
After seeing and swimming in the 3rd stage, we walked, dripping wet, to the 2nd stage, which looks out over the village of Sanje (where the waterfall gets its name) and to the Selous Game Reserve. We then hiked down to the base of the falls, where we could also swim. Luckily, the sun came out, and we enjoyed swimming, exploring, and sun bathing for a little while under the falls and surrounded by trees and butterflies.
In total, we hiked (and swam and ate and laughed and got drenched) for about seven hours. We went back to Mang’ula and spent the night. Yesterday morning we took a 5am bus to Dar es Salaam. More to come on our time here in Dar.
Peace and Tangawizi,
Mia
