Wednesday 23 June - Moshi and Kilema

It was my birthday today and it turned out to be a really memorable one. It was wonderful to wake up and not have to start packing and hitting the road again. That in itself was a birthday gift.

Brock and Delphi, our hosts, had arranged a trip to Kilema on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. We hadn't seen the mountain yet because of a layer of cloud but we believe the mountain dwarfs the town of Moshi. Kilema is the area where Delphi was raised and some of her relatives still live there. She and Brock had arranged to trip to visit Delphi's cousin Sylvan, his wife and large family.



Sylvan is a stone mason and he took great delight showing us how he cut stone blocks using hand tools. Kilimanjaro is a volcano so the rock is volcanic. We were amazed at how much he could do with the resources available to him.

We were treated to wonderful African hospitality when we arrived at the homestead.

We were ushered into the home and treated to a delicious meal. It was the first time I have had a meal using a special type of hard green banana and meat. The bananas are a staple food in this part of Africa. We really enjoyed the meal.

One of Sylvan's daughters recently gave birth to a beautiful little girl. A new baby forms a focus for the family and we were impressed by the love and support for one another. We were very privileged to share in this special meal with the family.

This photo shows a number of generations within the family. The baby is really pretty and obviously loved by all.

From there we visited a school, a church and a hospital in the surrounding area. The roads are understandably very steep but the area is beautiful with lush vegetation, waterfalls and of course people who go about their business.

We also visited the Live Chagga museum where the curator gave us an animated and interesting history of the the WaChagga people who live in the area. It is something like our cultural villages in South Africa.

We then went to visit two more of Delphi's relatives who live in the town of Moshi, one of the being Delphi's sister, Sophia. Amidst much joking and laughter Mark agreed to take Sophie as his second wife. I readily agreed as long as she is prepared to take over all the cooking. It was a happy and fun visit.

From there we went to a birthday dinner at the Bristol restuarant in Moshi. It was a balmy evening and we sat on the veranda next to a lovely courtyard, enjoying our meal. A great ending to a perfect day.

Tomorrow we are off to a game park.