Journeying

The journey back towards Dar es Salaam is so spectacular that it is enjoyable despite the length. At Iringa I filled up with coffee and a fresh chicken pie. The driver gifted me a bar of Cadbury Caramilk as a birthday present for tomorrow. The Kitonga Gorge is an incredible setting to drive through, and the road bisecting Mikumi National Park provided surprisingly good treats (groups of zebra, giraffe and elephant) for one of the country’s busiest highways.

Trucks with failing brakes are a major hazard on Tanzanian roads, evidenced multiple times on this trip by overturned vehicles, cliffs scraped as lorries have tried desperately to reduce speed, and blocked roads where trucks have jackknifed. It must be petrifying to work as a driver for a company with poor maintenance standards, overloaded cargo and unscrupulous management. I hasten to add that I have all the privileges of being able to avoid such situations to the best of my ability as my employer keeps our vehicles shipshape and I can choose more reputable firms when I travel by public transport. The same cannot be said of poor Tanzanians unlucky enough to board buses run by the dodgiest companies.

As it’s dangerous to travel at night we bedded down in Morogoro. I went for some paneer curry at a tasty place I discovered during my travels last Christmas, complete with poppadoms and butter naan.

I then had time to do some important work emails, have a cold shower (unintentional - heater seemingly not working), listen to Straight Up by Paula Abdul and Coat of Many Colours by Dolly Parton, then go to bed as the night closed on the latest year of my life.