Another weekend in Moshi

Early view of Kili at from my window (shortly after dawn)

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Moshi again.  The excuse this time: I needed to find an English-Swahili dictionary at the bookshop (sadly failed on that front as the bookshope closed at 12:30 by which time I had been distracted by food and the Italian men I met last week, just back from their Kili trek).

It was a beautiful morning walking down to catch the bus.  The sun was bright and their were light mists around the mountains surrounding Usangi. The birds were singing and the stream gurgled as it wound its way through the lush banana plantations. There had been some short showers in the night, but not as much as recent nights, so everything smelled fresh.

The bus was quite quick (once it arrived).  I got the direct bus this time and reached Moshi in just over two hours.  The ride was not comfortable - I ended up jammed into the corner on the back seat, with about six people beside me, but I'm getting used to travelling like this (although the novelty aspect has most definitely worn off now!). Also, sitting at the back meant I was lifted clean out of my seat when we went over bumps. 

Kili from the YMCA pool, 8:30am - no cloud!!!

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As we descended the final part of the mountain road, before it flattened out towards Mwanga, I saw Kilimanjaro again! Cue: sharp intake of breath (audible gasp) as I saw over the half the mountain (considerably more than last week).  I had it in my sights nearly all the way to Moshi, by which time the clouds had moved in to hide it from view.

Moshi is hot today but I'm about to return to my YMCA lodgings and enjoy their main attraction: the swimming pool!

Sunday:

YMCA gave fantastic views of Kili in the morning - I spend a good couple of hours just watching the clouds change and reveal, then hide, the peak.  Watched the large Marabou storks in the grounds in between photographing the mountain. 

Met up with some people I had met the previous evening and spent a lazy morning in the shade before getting the bus back to Usangi.  The bus was quick, but still waits at Mwanga for an hours until it fills up with people wanting to go into the mountains. 

The two peaks from my window (left - Uhuru and the summit peaks, right - Hans Meyer Peak near Mawenzi, according to the map in my Rough Guide!)

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*****GEOGRAPHY GEEK**** The drive back (without Kili views this time) allowed me to notice that the baobab trees are starting to produce leaves.  They have all be leafless during the dry season but the rains we have had have caused a few of them to produce a few small, bright green leaves on their lower branches.