Day 15: Back to Tanzania

I battled to get out of Mombasa. Pikipiki (motorcycle taxis) were picking there way, tuk-tuks were tuk-tukking, taxis (taxiing), cars careering, bicycles (trying), carts being pushed, buses bussing (?), and me, battling to get my piece of the road.

Another Mombasa beach (the morning of my departure)

Eventually I made it out of the city and into the most amazing countryside with palm trees so tall and hanging coconuts everywhere. The roadside was green. Very fertile, and unlike what I had been used to in some parts of this adventure.

This is such an easy name to remember....... 

Finally I made it to the border with Tanzania. Lunga Lunga was the Kenyan side, HoroHoro the Tanzanian side. Here I realized why I had not paid the 50US$ for a visa. They told m we (SA) and Tanzania now had a bilateral agreement. There was now no cost for a visa, great. I filled in a basic org for Temporary Import of my bike (no cost) and I was off. I still had my COMESA insurance o I was fine there as well. I changed some money with the. Pedestrian money changer (1800 Kenya shillings for 10 500 Tanzanian shillings). Good to go. So off I went.

Now, the goal was to find a nice place to stay, far enough south to make decent distance. I though, ok. Tanga sounds great, let's go there. Must be an awesome place with a name like that.

TANGA TOWN

I drove in, so far so good, thinking, let's get to the beach, see that, and take it from there.

I could not find the beach!!! Eventually I drove towards it, on footpaths, through some low tidal flats and there I came across a fishing area. Now, fishermen are normally jolly folk. Not this bunch. I don't know why, but I felt uneasy. So I chat with the oldest man there. Usually a good strategy as thy have seen it all. He's about 80yrs old I guess and even speaks a bit of English.

Small talk followed and he takes me to a table where unfortunately he gets me talking to a crazy guy. This guy looked like Samuel L Jackson, with an afro, glazed drunk look in his eye, and a big knife cleaning the smallest fish I had ever seen (maybe 7cm long?).

After introductions the small talk between him and the old man was weird. He obviously wanted to get money out of me somehow and the old man was saying he should b nice. All this was in Swahili but I knew bad vibes when I saw them. He offered me a boat ride, to an island and said its 300 US$. Wow, hectic!!! Is he insane? I say its steep and he says ok, how much do I have.

Tanga fishing beach

NEGOTIATION EXAM

So he eventually wants my cell no. And I say I don't know it. I give him my SA no. He doesn't even have a phone?!? And asks a friend. Now his friend tries calling me but has no airtime. They say I might not come back. In my mind I said, 'damn straight, as soon as I get off the beach I am gone like Donkey Kong.'
I eventually extract myself with many eyes on me. I felt glad to leave. When I drove through the leftover high water I was so happy.

Leaving Tanga's fishing beach

I decided to give Tanga one more chance. So I scouted a few streets and found a nice street with trees, even a bicycle lane, and a nice garden overlooking the sea. Even here the atmosphere was somber. It was like in a horror movie, where the new guy comes to town, its beautiful, but he's the only one who doesn't know the towns secret.

The view from higher up on the Tanga hillside

So I found a vendor selling fruit salad that looks good, and get one, hoping I would not get sick from the fruit. It was delicious, the best part of Tanga. It had avocado, papaya, banana, water melon, even cucumber.
Still I felt uneasy, so I decided to make tracks for anywhere else, wow, such a waste.

Tanga to Bagamoyo

I drove and drove, and drove, the sun set, I drove some more, and more, my garmin said there was a camp site at a place called Travelers Lodge so I headed there.

My camp site in Bagamoyo

15km out, true to Tanzanian style, ....... Deviation!!!   ! The road got worse the closer I got to town.
Eventually I was there. Wow, all rooms booked 65-80 us$, but camping was 12us$. Great.
The place is by the beach but I waited till morning to walk in the beach.