Lake Deluti

After the conference, my friend Iris and I decided to explore the beautiful outdoors around Arusha. Some of the national park and game reserve options in the surrounding area have pretty steep price tags attached, so we decided to set out on our own adventure that ended up being a spectacular day. I'll walk you through it, showing that it doesn't take much to have a great time [The exchange rate is about 1500 Tsh Tanzanian Shillings per dollar]:

Step 1: Board a dalla-dalla (local minibus) bound for TENGERU or USA. Don't be deceived, that second bus isn't headed to home sweet home, but instead to Usa River, just east of Arusha. While waiting for the dalla dalla to fill up way past capacity, buy popcorn and peanuts from a vendor who comes up to your window. [500Tsh for dalla-dalla, 500 for popcorn, 500 for peanuts]

Step 2: Arrive at Tengeru market, bustling with vendors with all kinds of fresh produce. Buy a bottle full of homemade mango-passion juice that's been poured into a used water bottle and hope that there aren't too many germs. Approach one of the women vendors to purchase a couple of bananas, and ask the best way to get to Deluti Lake, which is nearby. When you find out it's a 25-30 minute walk, ask her to help you find a good piki-piki (motorcycle) driver who can get you there faster. Jump on the back of the motorcycle and zoom down the dirt path. [500Tsh for bananas, 1000 for juice bottles, and 1000 for piki-piki ride]

Step 3: Arrive at the eco-tourism entrance gate with the hand-painted sign to "pay here first". After paying the foreigners price, proceed along the path around the lake. Admire the numerous species of birds and the beautiful trees. Gaze across the lake to Mt. Meru, Arusha's highest peak. After a long hike around the lake, treat yourself to a Fanta at the humble restaurant. [15000Tsh for foreigner's entrance fee, 1000 for Fanta]

Step 4: Get totally schooled by local kids who have invented a modified version of bowling or shuffleboard, using 7 used batteries. When they let you compete, set up 3 batteries on your side and roll the bowling battery towards the 3 that your opponent has set up. When you've knocked down some, he gets to use the bowling battery and the "pins" that have fallen down to try to knock down your batteries. First one to knock down all the opponent's batteries wins. [Priceless]

Step 5: Walk back to town, along the dusty dirt road, passing women who are returning from market with goods on their heads. Along the way, stop to notice the Livestock Training Institute (cool, ag stuff!) and the coffee plantations. At the market, haggle with the women to get a large ripe papaya. Board the dalla-dalla back to town. [1000Tsh for the papaya, 500 for the dalla-dalla]

Step 6: Learn the Swahili words for lake (ziwa), forest (msitu), and mountain (mlima).