A Garden in Marangu

Sunday, September 4, 2005

We are camping for the next two nights on the grounds of the Marangu Hotel near the town of Moshi.

Our tents are set up in a grassy area near some low cement buildings holding quite decent toilets and showers a short distance away from the hotel itself which was originally a farmhouse built in the early 1900's.

Scattered around the grounds which cover twelve acres are little white bungalows for rent, and I am very pleasantly surprised to find that the gardens here are filled with all sorts of beautiful flowers and trees that I've never seen before.

There are also many birds to be seen in the grounds.

When I signed up for a budget overland tour I wasn't expecting to be camping in places like this actually.

I spent a pleasant part of the evening wandering around photographing flowers and writing in my journal under the trees.

At night, some of the larger mango trees are lit up with big round Christmas tree lights, lighting the paths with soft light.

Late in the evening, some of us meet in the hotel's lounge. It is decorated with beautiful wooden lamps carved in designs with African animals. A double amaretto costs two dollars here, pop is fifty cents. We relax and chat and talk about tomorrow's day-hike on Kilimanjaro.