crystal's capers

one girl's international adventures

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Arusha - a Drive-through

We didn't stay long in Arusha. But on the way to our first safari destination, I did manage to get a few pictures of city- and country-life.

The city of Arusha has about 300,000 people, but that estimate could be way off, since there is no real way to take a census. As I said, most streets are dirt, and decidedly unkempt. The main street through town is a contradiction with it's even paving and cement buildings. There were numerous restaurants and internet cafes, even a supermarket or two, some banks and other shops. At the same time, donkeys or men pushed and pulled wooden carts, while perpendicular streets showed the ramshakle nature of the city.

As the city fell away, the vast, rolling landscape of Africa emerged. The countryside is dotted with Maasai boma (villages, which I will say more about later) and busy little streetside towns. For miles around each town, locals walked slowly up and down the road for market day, or to collect water. For all the pedestrians strolling (or sitting) along what seemed to be the highway, one might think they were in town-centre. The fact is, walking (or in some cases, bicycling) is transport: that's all there is, folks. There were very few vehicles on the roads.

Mostly, we saw groups of young, Maasai boys herding sheep and/or cows from their boma to the local water and food sources. These herds meandered across the highway, and around the countryside at will in their day-long endeavours for sustainance.

*** Don't forget to click on the pictures for more info ***

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