We decided to do a few day drives to win time to get to Dar es Salaam. We do not really have a time schedule but because certain children indicated that they want to meet us on a specific date in the future at a undecided place, we have to move on a little bit faster than the previous 2 months
. We stayed at the Riversyde Campsite about 15km outside Iringa. It seems that this is the get together destination for all the Tanzania Missionaries where they get a course in Swahili before being sent in all directions across the country. Met very interesting people from all over the globe. There were also 2 UK teachers doing a Geography and History 3 week adventure and cultural tour with their 16 year old pupils. They had to carry a huge jug of water on their heads (showering themselves), slaughter a poor chicken and cook dinner in an indigenous manor under the supervision of the Tanzanian Swahili speaking tutor. It was all great fun although not so much fun for us because their VERY smoky fire made not at their camp but in front of our tent, 
put our campsite free of mosquitos but totally under smoke. We wanted to do washing and wash the bakkie, so we stayed 2 nights.
Riversyde Camping 20000TS (R135) per night.
Our next stop was the Tan-Swiss Campsite & Lodge just before you enter the Mikumi National Park. The A7 North-East Highway goes through Mikumi that is part of Selous National Park. We saw lots of Giraffe, zebra, impala and Elephant (in the distance) while driving through the park. There are numerous sign posts telling you what the fine will be if you kill an animal. Even the suicidal lorries kept to the speed limit! Arno also got a speed fine of 30000TS (R200) driving 68km in a 50km zone. There are signposts telling you to drive 50kmph but never tell you when you are out of the area and that specific place that he got the fine, the officer said they know that everyone thinks they are out of the area and that is why they are catching about every second car there
. They were very friendly and seemed a bit ashamed of having to fine us because they are are not truthful with their sign posts. Well not too bad driving 10 000km and get your first fine……and he never even try to drive fast. I was very sorry for him
. We also drove through Baobab Valley which was awe inspiring and very impressive. Thousands and thousand Baobabs. Beautiful but difficult to capture.
All on the same road with you, lorries and busses!
Tan-Swiss camping
It was a long day on the road from Tan-Swiss to Dar! It took us 7 hours to drive the 290km in total chaotic traffic with road conditions unable to photograph or to explain. The tar has been tread into sunken tracks with walls of tar on each side and a high middle between you and the coming traffic. You are constantly fighting to keep control of the bakkie because the tracks are lorry sized tracks.
Boarding the Ferry
Driving street up and street down looking for the Ferry Port
T4A it seems,do not know that the Chinese are building roads all over the place and seems to upgrade the whole Dar es Salaam, so the road to the Ferry Port is blocked and becoming a walkway, meaning that we had to change course that confused T4A even more than us. After driving in hectic traffic street up and down, we stopped, asked and drove to the port. The trip across cost 2200TS (R15) and took about 7 minutes. Very exciting. We are camping at Mikadi Beach on the South coast of Dar es Salaam where Arno serviced the truck, I did washing, Skyped with the children and updated the blog. We are camping right on the beach overlooking lots of small islands. It is another small Paradise. We are taking the Ferry to Zanzibar tomorrow leaving our beloved truck here at the campsite being looked after by Maasai Askaris for a fee of $5 per day. A brand new adventure awaits us!! Talk again from Zanzibar Spice Island
A Tanzanian Dow passing our campsite this morning. Different from the Mozambique Dow
View from our tent
No words needed!
Hilux being looked after with loving care
Updating the blog
