DESTINATION AFRICA PART 3

Castelinho38 High Commission entered Tanzania via Namanga on a small bus. After the procedures at the border we arrived in Arusha on the feet of Mountain Kilimanjaro, the highest pick in Africa. From here we left for a two days Safari, first in the Terengire National Park where we encountered again many of the most famous animal, especially Elephants and Giraffes together with hundreds of Tze Tze flies.



We spent the night in a fantastic camping top of Rift Valley escarpment, under an incredible sky, got up early in the morning to see the sun rising and then drive with our old Land Rover ( and its local driver) to Ngorongoro Creater, one of the most stunning Reservation Area in Africa. Inside this creater at more then 2000 mt on see level, we have seen again lions, zebras, wildbeasts, yenas, monkeys and many others, not to mention an incredible landscape and vegetation.



From Arusha we then got a bus to Dar es Saalam, Tanzania s capital on the cost of East Africa, where after more than 10hs of jorney we arrive at night in a very hot and humid big city. Here C38 HC spent a couple of days to do some shopping, visit the city and prepare the next stops of our trip.




After a 2 hours Ferry ride we finally arrive in the island of Zanzibar, which is without doubts one of the most amazing and fascinating place on earth. This is the island of spices, from where Sultans, Portuguese and British were controlling their trades in the Indian Ocean.
Here muslims, indians and christians lives together in peace for centuries and africans, persian, arabs, europeans have mixed with each other into the Swhaili culture.

Zanzibar old town is easy to discover, and people are very friendly and interesting. We felt very much at home at Clove Hotel ( www.zanzibarhotel.nl ), a three floors house in the old town, with charming and well decoreted rooms and a breathtaking roof top terrace where breakfast is serve and late evening chill out take place.



In Zanzibar our favorite place has been the local market, where you can find everything from fresh fishes to muslim dresses, quick meals or football tshirts. It s now here Mango season and Pineapple is simply delicious. The Zanzibar apple is what in Brasil we call Jambo fruit, and Jambo in Swhaili means Hello! It seems to us that this fruit has been introduce in Brasil by someone coming from Zanzibar.




There are so many fascinating stories about how this island was the centre of the main routes and trades during last 4 centuries. Slave trade, expeditions, sailing boats and pirates
We ve been able to find one of them hidden in a small hotel room in town (pictured above with the face covered and his tatoo) who you might be able to recognaize.
C38 High Commission is taking a few days in the northern beaches of the island before catching the Tazara Train on next tuesday. This train should take us in Zambia, our next destination from where we ll send some more african news ... Jambo, Jambo!