On Saturday, we went to Marangu Falls which is about 2 hours from Makumira. It is very close to the Kenyan border and also the land of the Chagga tribe people. I love going on drives because you get to just watch the land pass by and observe people going about their everyday lives. Watching the landscape change is very cool. The land in between Makumira and Moshi is fairly flat and expansive with very red soil. The locally made and widely used bricks to build with are also very red. Lightbulb! I asked our driver, Alex, if this was the same soil that they use to make the bricks for building. He said yes.
This photo is a good example of the red soil and the building style with the bricks and tin roofs. Most houses then get plastered over with concrete and painted. That seemed much less common in the rural areas. I also love how the colorful plastic pails look against the brown and red earth.
So we make it to Marangu Falls and I should not have been surprised that we were then greeted by another guide. People take you everywhere here. I am sure we were hilarious to them because we were taking pictures of EVERYTHING. "Oh, look at that plant! This is sooooooooo beautiful." I kept saying to the guide, "mzuri sana and asante sana" which means very beautiful...and thank you very much. The area of Marangu is very lush with rolling hills covered in banana trees and all sorts of flora that I have yet to learn the names of.
Whatd'ya think.....Can I talk her down AND slay the approaching leopard?
At the top of the waterfall is a statue of the maiden, Makinuka, who fell to her death at these falls. The legend has it that she had gotten pregnant with an illegitimate child. Her fate was death by ritualistic spearing or stoning. Instead of facing her fateful death at the hands of others, she decided to jump from the falls. However, it is said that at the last minute she changed her mind and decided not to jump.... alas, a leopard was approaching her, getting ready to pounce. She slipped and fell to her death.
So we walked through the winding hills for a few hours, being told about the food that grows in that area. They have two kinds of bananas: one that is small and sweet that is used for eating and also for the juice to ferment the millet for the local beer. The other kind is longer, thinner and firmer and is used for cooking; very similar in taste and texture to a potato. They also grow coffee. There are two kinds: arabica and robusto. The most common is arabica. There is also guava and rasberries. There was another plant that looked like amaranth, but the guide called spinach. Here is our guide. He was very proud when I asked if I could take his picture. He was very informative, smiley and nice. It is also a good idea to throw a little tip in with the handshake at the end. It was well earned.
He also explained the symbol for the Chagga tribe. On the side, it is lined with leaves of the forgiveness tree. On the left is a coffee plant and on the right in a banana tree which represent sustenance (I think!). Mount Kilimanjaro is in the background and a leopard, which symbolizes power, sits at the top. The saying at the bottom means something along the lines of being united with God. I hope that I remembered this all right....it was only 4 days ago, but so much happens everyday!
In this picture below, there is a pool that collects water from the river. Just beyond that, there was a tent. What an ideal campsite....in the lush tropical forest next to the sound of rushing water with a beautiful stone lined pool to take a refreshing dip in. Ahhhhhhhhhh......
You could tell we were getting closer to town as homes were dotted all along the hillside. I love the rusty colors that come out in the metal roofs. I also love the contrast of the colorful laundry against the intense, lush, green hills.
So that was Saturday! On Sunday, I went to church with my family. They are Pentecostal and they have lots of singing and dancing. The whole service was in Swahili....so I just swayed and listened and felt the breeze coming in from the open windows. The church was out in the bush.....very rural and wide open with a view of Mount Meru in the distance. At one point I recognized the word for "guest". I looked up and my baba is gesturing for me to stand up! So I stood up and, in my limited swahili, said my name, where I am from and who I live with here in Tanzania. Jina langu, Sadie. Mimi ninataka, Mericani, jimbo Minnesota. Mimi ninakaa Mama na Baba Vivian in Makumira. My baba said that it was correct and good. Phew.
I wish that I had brought my camera.....in the middle of the service, my brother, Brian, turned to me and said that we were going to walk to Bibi's (grandma). So we walked for about a half hour along a dirt road and then turned and walked further into the bush. We came to a tiny little house made out of clay bricks. Out came the most adorable little bibi ever!!! She had only a few teeth, but just a gigantic smile. I said, "Shikamoo!" which means "I give you my respect" She responded, "Marahaba!!" Which means, I accept your respect. She just babbled on and on as I smiled and knodded and just said, "polepole....kidogo swahili." Slowly, slowly.....very little swahili.
This home was where mama was born and raised with 8 other sisters and a brother! I got to meet a lot of them....with just smiles and a few greetings. They don't speak English. Sorry...I realize that my verb tenses are jumping all over the place!
Of course they presented me with food! Tanzanian hospitality. If you eat it makes them very happy. We had ugali, which is a traditional stiff porridge. You grab it, roll it into a small ball in your hand, indent it a little bit and use it to scoop up the food. There was fish, some sort of soup with okra and greens. Brian helped me translate a few things...not sure how much really got communicated. Oh well. Just smile, eat, and say, mzuri and asante sana over and over and over again!
There was a funny moment, as they got more comfortable....I joined them under a tree in the shade. It was three of the sisters and the brother. They started touching my jewelry, tattoos, skin and hair. They just kept giggling. Sometime you just gotta let it happen. I felt like a freakshow on display. It was very funny and we all got a good laugh over my muzungo-ness. Muzungo means white person.
Well...that is all for now. There is so much more to tell, but I am tired of writing and I want to keep these posts semi-coherent.
Oh! One more thing--today we went to the market to practice bargaining in Swahili. It was really cool actually. The market is something else. We were told not to bring our cameras...so you will just have to imagine. It was huge, colorful, bustling with people and men trying to weave through the paths with large metal carts filled with bananas on the stem. Vendor after vendor with their fruits and vegetable laid out on cloth on the ground. I went with 2000 shillings, which is about $1.20 and I got so much food! It is incredible. People were excited when they heard me speak Swahili and ask for fruits and vegetable in their language.
Okay. More later. This country and culture is ever unfolding before me.
Love, Sadie
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