Final Iringa post!

August 15

Wow, the ride home was crazy. We passed by THREE major accidents on the way from Iringa. The first was at the top of the first mountain we climbed. We didn't see any of the wreckage because the petrol tankard had ROLLED off the mountain and into a small crevice between peaks. The fact that it was a petrol tankard meant that we passed several hundred people running up the road with buckets to collect the leaking gasoline before the authorities could arrive to clean up. The accident was probably one of the largest windfalls the villagers in the area have ever experienced. I just wonder if the driver made it out alive.

Once we were out of the mountains, it was a straight shot to Mikume, where we stopped for breakfast. The restaurant was also attached to a snake farm, but they wanted me to pay in US dollars in order to get in. I told Edson I could see snakes in glass containers in the US, but not wild giraffes, so we jumped back in the landrover once we finished eating. Our first ride through the park occurred during the afternoon and there were few animals to be seen. This time, it was around 10am and there were many more out and about. I believe we saw impala, zebra, buffalo, elephants and giraffes. There were way too many impala and not enough of anything else. The elephants were spotted by Rama lying under a distant tree. I'm not sure how he saw them while also keeping control of the car. The man has good eyes. The giraffes were my favorite and we got to see about 10 in total. I took pictures, and I'll post them when I can.

At this point, we saw our second accident. A bus had collided with a tractor trailer. The front of the truck was completely smashed to pieces and was on fire when we passed. The bus had been pushed off the road and was compacted all along its right side. About two dozen people were standing alongside the road looking confused and upset. There was a tow-truck moving the bus, but no evidence of an ambulance or emergency vehicles. I'm not sure how emergency services work (or don't work) in this country.

We again stopped in Morogoro for lunch. On the way to the restaurant I saw two familiar blond Danish girls walking by some shops. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lise and invited her and Line to eat lunch with us. They were totally surprised, but quickly joined us at the restaurant. It turns out they are in Morogoro for the weekend taking a break from life in rural Turiani. They have plans to go hiking in the morning (I'm totally jealous). We said a quick goodbye after lunch, but I should be seeing them in a week's time when they come for a visit in Dar. I believe Lise said it was her birthday on Sunday, so I'll have to figure out a celebration of sorts.

Just before the bridge that separates Morogoro district from Dar es Salaam city limits, we passed our third accident. This one looked like it was a few hours old. There was another tractor trailer blocking one of the lanes in the road. When we drove around it, we could see that the front was also smashed, similar to the accident in Mikume. There was no evidence of the other vehicle, though it must have been large to cause that much damage. Given that the truck was in the right lane facing the wrong direction, it must have been trying to pass another vehicle when it rammed into something going the other way. I don't think I've seen so much destruction in one day before.

I have the weekend free and then I have to pick up and go to another workshop on Monday, this time in Tanga. Tanga is a city roughly parallel to the smaller of Zanzibar's two islands. It should be about a two hour drive, but you never know in this country. I'm trying to decide if I want to go to Bagamoyo for the day tomorrow or not. Hmm.