We should start early from Iringa, but Martine gives me a hand to get the bike between 2 parked cars and scratched her short. So first we go to a tailor for a quick repair. Then we take the road, undulating by a large valley with farmland, between 2 lanes of hills; well remember theses are not hills but smooth tops of mountains, 2000 m high. The slopes are covered with small bush. We get an 8 km long steep climb, with a great view of all the land down, on left, forest everywhere. Then comes a long light downhill till Ilula, a small town, looking like a slum as always. We take lunch at the top part, and then we discover the main part is downhill. At the end I see the only comfortable guesthouse, but yet it is not midday, so I decide to continue. We cross Ikokoto, which is indicated on the map as a main village, but it is just a few houses along the road. I ask and some tells me there is a hotel downhill. Well we get 10 km steep down winding along a stream, in a gorge, between 2 abrupt high slopes, with high trees. No houses here, no huts, and none can chop the trees. We get s few views on the stream, and we go rather slowly. We arrive at the hotel, but it is a tourist trap, with rooms at 25 and 35 $, a big place with various buildings, restaurants, huts for traditional lodging, conference hall, etc…, all empty but no way to bargain. We continue, as I hope to find some guest house near. After 10 km we arrive in Mahenge. We are again in a valley with farms, but along the river, so there are some good views on the river and plants around, and big trees. In Mahenge are 2 guest houses, but without visiting it or stop, Martine decide alone that they are too uncomfortable, and continues. We get some argument, as we have already done 75 km and the next village would be far, and it is very hot, but she continues. I follow her slowly, and after 35 km she is waiting for me at the entrance of a big village, where there are some guest houses. There were others villages on the road, but too small and too poor to get anything. We go to have a look at this place; well it is a dirty slum along the road, a truck stop, noisy and smelling gasoil. There are 3 miserable guest houses along the road, with bar, so we have chance to get loud music all night. We choose to go back to the guest house just before the entrance of the village. At least it seems quite and clean. In fact there no water no electricity and the owners who live in are very noisy, talking loudly, sweeping the courtyard at 6 am. Worse than anything other in the end! Well I go instantly to bed with aspirin and my walkman to try to sleep.
In the morning I move away as quick as possible. I need to be outside, and we have a long day, and I am tired and with headache, because of the too long day yesterday. Fortunately we enter in a national park and the country side is wonderful. We are in a narrow valley winding along the river, slightly downhill, so easy to pedal. The slopes of the mountains on each side are covered with forest, with high trees, no one chops them here. Well certainly it is not the original forest, destroyed before by the locals, but at least it is forest. And in the valley grow a lot of big baobabs, here protected and with a sign and a number on each and other big trees. I can see birds flying. And there are a very few huts along the river, with just some vegetable garden, a bit far from the road. They are populated by Massai, yet in traditional clothes, very tall and slim, very poor too. Africa, with Europe, are the only 2 continents where primitive or very antic tribes are not respected and not protected. So we get a nice ride for 35 km. The only problem is as there is no village; there is no shop, no restaurant. So we are hungry. Then starts the long climb, 35 km more, at the start easy and then with long steep stretches. Well the countryside continues beautiful, however we get off the river bed. At the top I see a hut selling bananas, but for whites it is 4 times the price so I let it. 1 km after, downhill, a farm gets a stand with bananas, where I get the local price. Then it is the downhill till Mikoumi. We get off the national park, and the forest is no more protected. So all the hills are nearly naked, most of the trees are cuted, letting just poor grass, rocks, and scattered poor small trees in the heat and the sun. Sure here in a few years the mountains would be dry rock, and nothing more growing, and people moving away, no more wood coal, so no way to make some money to survive, no way to cook, no way to get hot water or to heat anything. Yet they don’t use fuel or gas, too expensive, and needing a special expensive stove too. Just before the town I stop under a tree, in the shadow, just at the foot of a farm, to wait for Martine. The young guys talk with me for a while, but their English is short, and my Swahili shorter. So I am alone again and I co to the town. Well it is just another slum along 2 roads, with shops, a few guesthouses, and restaurants, trucks stop. And bus station. Mikoumi is at the entrance of 3 big national parks, so it should be a big town with supermarkets and lodges for tourists, but not at all. We eat at a restaurant and stop at the first acceptable guesthouse. The room is large and clear and quiet but dirty and very very hot, as the fan turns but it is wrong made, so it doesn’t move the air, just makes noise. We see later other acceptable guesthouses further, passing the trucks balance.
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