We set out for Dodoma by big bus on Saturday morning. It was a trip of some 8-10 hours. The bus was huge, air conditioned and comfortable. The road was two lanes and left a fair amount to be desired. The traffic was thick getting out of Dar.
Bill & Laurel leaving Dar.
The road goes straight to the west and finally reached the mountainous region around Dodoma. We stopped for lunch at Ricky's Cafe in Morogoro and were not disappointed. The food was quite good as was the ice cream, a rare treat. Along the way we saw many new sights. I have posted several photos and limited commentary to give an overview. Sorry about the dirty glass by my seat!
Lots of 125cc motorbikes everywhere!
Roadside market stalls at villages
More village buildings, typical of rural construction.
Saturday street scene in a small town
Roadside nursery - food crops and ornamentals are both offered.
More nursery plants are grown in bags.
Produce stands by the road.
All petroleum is imported in refined form via ship and distributed by these ubiquitous petrol tankers. This was a weigh station on the national highway we travelled.
More rural houses made of bricks dried in the sun.
Mountains approaching
Gas station - looks familiar
Bus station in Morogoro - typical of regional towns that are distribution points for smaller surrounding towns.
Laurel by the window
Savannah country after leaving the mountains. The terrain is becoming drier.
Typical Baobab tree, some of the largest trees in the world in terms of girth. They store their water in their trunks leading to the weird shape - short & rotund with scant branches and leaves. For Game of Thrones fans these seem to be the model for the sacred tree at Winterfell. The joke is that God got angry with the Baobab tree at creation so he planted it upside down!
Our new digs in Dodoma for the next two weeks.
Our meeting room for classes
Inner gardens at the hotel
The grounds at our hotel. The place is modest but at least we have hot water finally. We were pleased!!!
More language instruction to follow for the next two weeks... our Swahili is coming along slowly.
Thanks so much for the vivid pictures and commentary. That baobob (and acacia) trees just fascinated me in Africa. Can't wait to hear more. Hope the Swahili isn't too hard.
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