Today we went on a hike towards Mt Meru. Arusha is at the base of Mt Meru so there was no driving involved - a nice change after a week of commuting an hour via Daladala to and from EARD-CI's headquarters. As usual in the rainy season, the mountain's peak was cloud covered as we set out on our journey with our guide, David. We started in the center of Arusha and headed towards the outskirts, passing through parts of the city none of us had seen before (though everyone calls it ' town' here). The road grew quieter and greener, and soon we were on a steep hill surrounded by farms on both sides. We gained altitude quickly, and had an amazing view of Arusha and the surrounding landscape.
Just like New Hampshire, right? Arusha is the collection of buildings on the right.
At the top of the foothill we're on is a Maasai village that we eventually reached. The Maasai are a tribe with a strong presence in the area and are know for sticking to their customs. Our hostel continuously has a Maasai warrior on guard, so we always feel safe. Our guide taught us some of the Maasai greetings while we were hiking:
takwenya ichi --- for anyone (there are different intonations for ichi depending on who you're talking to, don't quote me here)
eros subai --- for a man
yeye takwenya --- for a woman
koko takwenya --- for an elderly woman
The response is usually sopatei (pronnounced souai). Often Maasai men wear traditional garb and enjoy when you greet them in their language. Greetings here are very important and very different than what we're used to in the west. There really isn't a 'hello' or 'good morning'. You are always asking people how they are or how their morning has been. The response is always something synonymous with good. For us, the beginner Swahili speakers that we are, it has been very rewarding to learn the standard greeting. Armed with those words, we can each hold the first few minutes of a conversation after which we undoubtedly hit a wall.
While getting Swahili and Maasai lessons from our guide, David we were walking past homes like these:
At the top of the hill there was a large green where Julie Ann quickly made friends with some children while our guide was paying the village fees.After passing through the Masai village we saw this view:
If there were less clouds, we would've had a great view of Meru over top those trees on the left which is where we were headed, down that hill. After a fun, slippery, and steep descent through a jungle, we found a stream and this big boulder.
David thought we were all incredibly brave, for dousing our feet in the 'freezing' water. It seems Tanzanians have a different measures of cold and hot since the stream was not very cold. We all went for a dip in the water at the base of the waterfall. That was cold.
After the quick swim, I tried to discretely change into dry clothes, when three Tanzanian army officers turned the corner to my hiding spot. We all had a laugh! The area is strongly patrolled by the army because it serves as Arusha's water supply.
And another amazing view on our descent.
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