Notes from my Usambara hike
Walking through the villages, little children would shout from afar: Mazwungu take picture. People working in the fields seem to look down at us and somehow made me feel uncomfortable. Reaching Lukozi I said bye to Rashidi and continued my search for a place to stay the night. Thinking I would be able to find something in the city centre I thought i did not have to go far but ofcourse, the opposite happened. In the village people stared at me, called me names in Swahili and English, laughing followed, instead of letting them get to me, I waved back with the biggest smile and the few Swahili words I learned so far. It helped, people seemed to change their facial expressions or maybe I just filtered the positive ones out. I had to walk for another 4,7 kilometer through the fields, villages and dirt roads, followed by children, a whole bunch of at least 12 came after me for a while, joking and playing around. On my gps it showed that this was the place, papaa Mozee Guesthouse but the only thing I found was a few drunken guys acting though on their motorbikes. I decided to pretend to know what I was doing and walked into a side road where I quickly asked a guy in front of the shop if he know where to find the guesthouse. He pointed, right next to the shop was a wooden gate, having little doubt about the uncommercial entrance I decided to give it a go. A lady sat on a terrace outside and I asked her with my best hand language if she had a place to sleep. The owner of the place walked out and in perfect English showed me to my room, gave a price and asked if I would like to have dinner. For 4,39 euro or 15000 shilling I got a basic room with cold shower and toilet which was more like a hole than anything else. Showering has to be done exactly above that hole making it a bit uncomfortable but nothing too big to complain about. Sitting outside on the same terrace I met the lady, local guys kept entering the little building. I guess it’s the only place in the area selling beer so this seemed like their social hang out. All of them looked with slight surprisement when they saw me but nevertheless greeted me with a smile.