Morogoro 190 km west of Dar es Salaam is a lively middle-sized town with no obvious tourist attractions. Consequently not many tourists come to stay here. And if they do they intend to do some hikes in the Uluguru Mountains. These mountains form a beautiful backdrop to the town.
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I loved wandering about the market. Women dressed in kangas, brightly coloured cotton wraps, were doing their shopping, carrying baskets full of exotic fruit and vegetables.It is also the place to buy general household goods and clothes. Some women were frantically rummaging in a big pile of shoes to leave disappointed as the could not find a matching pair. I’m sure these shoes were the left-overs of the first world affluent society.
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Walk about town and soaking up the African atmosphere. People were very friendly and I felt welcome. Green Restaurant in Station Street serves delicious Indian meals. As I had been to some out-of-the-way places this was also a good place to catch up with the news. When the owner saw that I was watching CNN News he turned up the sound and I could catch up with the world news. Perfect reception via satellite dish.
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Morningside a half-abandoned colonial house which once served as a week-end retreat for German colonialists. It is 900 metres up the mountain, the last part of the hike is steep.
After a two-hour walking we reach a hamlet and were invited into the pub, a shed with seats and a drum containing home-brewed ale. From here we followed a trail, steep to very steep in places for another one and a half hours. This leads straight to Morningside.
The house is in a dilapidated state. It is inhabited y a farmer who were harvesting big orange carrots, washing them in a mountain stream, arranging them into big bunches ready to be sold. Then they are brought down a narrow trail to a place where a van can take over the load.
We arranged this hike through Uluguru Biodiversity Conservation Project, Pamba House, Old Dar es Salaam Road, Morogoro. It’s opposite the post-office. The guide fee is Tsh 6000 (€ 6) p.p.
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I stayed in Mama Pierna’s Hotel. This used to be the place where ex-pats met in colonial days. Some ex-pats still meet here in the evening. It is also the place where most foreign travellers and backpackers stay. The rooms are small and have seen better days, but are good value for money. There are mosquito nets without too many holes, a fan, a basic bathroom, only cold water. The strong points are the home made dishes.
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Mama Pierna’s doubles as a pub: several types of beer and snacks. At about five o’clock people begin to arrive. It is the meeting place of several business people who sit in big armchairs and enjoy a drink. There is an open veranda, a pleasant place to sit.
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I can strongly recommend The Green Restaurant in Station Road. It is always full which is a good sign. There is a large choice from Indian dishes, also vegetarian.
Mama Pierna’s has a good choice of dishes, but best is to ask what she has made for that evening. This is what the family themselves eats that day. The lasagne and the mousaka tasted Italian and Greek exactly the way it should. Portions are huge. The owner Dimitra Pierna, is half Greek half Italian.
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Nugutu Village can only be reached by taxi or on foot, a one-hour walk. The village has 500 inhabitants and has set up an interactive programme for tourists.
You must announce your visit because the villagers have to prepare the programme. You can book through the offices of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Pamba House, Old Dar es Salaam Road in Morogoro. They will also provide you with a guide.
The village chief welcomed us and the tour began. First to some ladies who were weaving mats and baskets, the village’s main source of income. They use the twine from the phoenix palm, weave this into strips and sew them together.
The blacksmith was making utensils, used to grate coconut and squeeze oranges. A string of children was now following us .Time for lunch and the ladies had prepared a traditional meal: ugali, a stiff cornmeal porridge, cassave puree, vegetables and tiny river crabs. Then it was question time.
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Published on Wednesday November 19th, 2003 by marianne
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