Afrique 36 – TANZANIA 2 – FROM MATAMBAKO TILL IRINGA

 Then we follow way to Iringa, in 3 days.

First day is by an easy but hilly flat for 30 km, we stay around 1600 m, with a very large view on the flat downhill, rounded by mountains in the distance. Then we climb 300 m till Nyororo, a big village slum, where we find a lodge.
Next day is a long day, 75 km, till Ifunda. We enter in a long and very large plantation forest of eucalyptus and pine trees, planted with the help of Norwegians, for wood and paper industries. There are a lot of different flowers on the shoulder, and on one place are growing a few parasol acacias. We follow that forest for 25 km. Then there a long and steep climb till Sao hill, and a long slight downhill till and other big slum town, Mafinga. We get a good lunch here, and it is certainly the place where I forget my vacuum flask. After Mafinga comes back an asphalt and large shoulder. It is a relief, because the drivers are fool in that country. They drive very fast, and overtake anywhere, without any visibility, at a top of a hill, at a curve, or a long file. Buses and trucks are racing, overtaking each other. And of course they won’t slower if there is no room for the small cyclist. So we have regularly to stop on the grass shoulder to let the trucks and buses go on. And there is rather a lot of traffic. Well cars drivers are not better, just very less in number. Each we see one or two trucks crashed along the road. That are new crashes, they don’t let the old crashed trucks along the road. We come back in a land with fields, but we don’t see any farm or crop or cattle, it looks like unused. The road continues with long hills. We get suddenly a splendid view on a very big swamp, mostly covered with green. We try to stop in the lodge Old farm Kisolanda, but it costs 40$ for a room and 14$ for camping, more than double price than a nice room in a lodge, 6$ today. So we move away and continue till Ifunda. We arrive just after the rain, so the very black sky was just impressive. We stop at top of the town, in the first lodge indicated, just behind the market. It looks typical African ambiance, with the bar and a little kitchen outside for the restaurant. We get good food for 4$. Well coming back to the room I discover I lost my vacuum flask so I am a bit disappointed.
We get 40 km to join Iringa. That starts by 7 km climbing till 2000 m and 300 m downhill and a long slight downhill till the village, another slum. Then some other hills and a long downhill slightly, till the cross to Dodoma. The road goes by a large valley, with huts and basic farms, between 2 lanes of hills, covered by a small bush. Well the hills are in fact the top of the mountains, at about 2000 m high. Then Iringa town is at the top of the hill, so we have 2 km climbing at 7%. Iringa is a big town, and lodging is expensive. Well we find a nice place to stay, for 2 nights. Then we go walking. Mostly the center is a market, shops everywhere, each one trying to win some money, lanes of building one flat high, in basic concrete. Only around the university there are some high buildings in good state and shops for white tourists. I ask to one of that shop where to find a new thermos. He drives us to another bazaar, where I effectively quickly find a good thermos. Then we come back. I go to the iron smith down to improve my front rack, following suggestion from Martine. Now the paniers would be more in the axe of the front wheel.
Then I go a bit to internet, good news the lodger in Malaga continue to pay.
Martine spends the afternoon reading.