Bondwa

The wind whistles past my ears.  I close my eyes, lean into it, and let out a gleeful yell…with arms outstretched…on the edge of the world.  Bondwa peak, Uluguru mountains.  We have conquered this tiny point on the map.  After a 5 hour ascent, I enjoy my prize – a gorgeous view of Morogoro.  A group of local youth seem just as pleased with our accomplishment…also letting out yells and laughter. They yell, “Muzungo, muzungo!” and take turns getting pictures with us.  My group and I spend one hour in the heavens, but then we must make our way back down to camp before dark. We travel back through the rainforest, stopping a couple times to yell at monkeys and to admire the gigantic Eucalyptus trees.  As we reach our tents halfway down the mountain, the twinkling lights of Morgoro city begin pop.  A brisk wind passes through. I welcome this old familiar friend - it’s the first time I’ve felt cold in Tanzania. I take the moment in...and then grab a sweater. We eat dinner by a crackling fire, under the starlight…all the while Morogoro shimmers in the distance.  The sound of our chatter and laughter carries through the valleys and into the night. In the morning, I awake to find myself inside of a cloud. Disappointingly, they aren’t made of cotton.  After eating breakfast and packing up camp, we continue down the mountain through the inclined farmlands of the Luguru tribe. In this matriarchal society, the women own the land…and the men must marry rich. As we pass through, local children making motor noises speed past us, running barefoot on the edge of the cliff. Across the valley I see a family working the field together and hear the faint sound of their singing. I can’t help but notice how far I am from home, and how enchanting it is.  (click on the thumbnails to enlarge!)