traveling with Mary Ellen (Lushoto, Rangwi, Mtae)

My traveling adventures commenced on December 19th and proceeded until January 5th. We started our journey in the Usambara Mountains in a village called Lushoto. After departing Arusha at 5AM, we crammed into a minibus and drove for 8 1/2 hours. We stopped one time for a bathroom break on the side of the road and many times to pick up passengers. Overall, the bus system in Tanzania is very unorganized and hectic--ticket prices fluctuate depending on the passenger, departures are never on time, vendors desperately try to sell biscuits, water, and random trinkets, and fruit at every stop, and many times there are 3 if not 4 people sharing seats designed for 2 people. As we approached Lushoto, the contrast of colors amazed me; mamas sold fresh plums and guava, palm trees were planted at the base of the rocky mountains while lush farmlands surrounded the bus route. The road leading up to Lushoto is crevessed in the mountains and is a steep uphill climb into town.

Upon arrival, we were instantly greeted by tourist workers and asked to visit the Cultural Tourism Center. Lushoto's tourism industry was developed in the 1990s and has been a blossoming industry ever since. There are many tourist options, including cycling, hiking, tasting cheese and rye bread from a farm, etc. Mary Ellen and I decided to arrange a 3-day hike to a small village called Mtae which is on the western side of the Usambara Mountains.

We began our hike from Lushoto to Rangwi. We hiked uphill and through a forest to a road. Due to the scorching heat, we waited for a bus to take us to the village. In Rangwi, we explored and spoke to villagers. The majority of people here are farmers and rely on harvesting cabbage, corn, and beans for income and survival. Along with Rangwi villagers, 60 percent of the Usambara region is Muslim while 40 percent are Catholic. On the first day of hiking, it was the Islamic New Year! Muslim men, women, and children happily danced and paraded and sang and celebrated their holiday in the streets of Rangwi. What a vibrant time!

The second day of hiking was spent in many different terrains but my favorite time was hiking through a pine tree forest. We spoke to lumberers and children who balanced and carried bundles of timber on their heads. Adults and children sell, transport, carry, and chop timber and export the wood to Dar, Mtae and other Usambara villages. As we left the forest, many children carrying timber on their heads approached me with curiosity. I taught them a song called "Boom chicka boom" and we chanted it together while trekking down the path. There are so many colors in Mtae between the landscape and bright kongas found on mamas and children.

On this day, we also visited a traditional healer. The healer deals with minor illnesses such as stomach pains and malaria. I asked him many questions about his abilities and his opinions about Western medicine (which he supports). He also informed us about witch doctors who are similar to healers but curse those they come in contact with. The healer performed a spiritual ritual for Mary Ellen. He smeared black coal on her body and repeated prayers and chants. He believed that these acts would protect her from bad spirits. It was a mystical experience and I would have loved to spend more time at his home to witness traditional healings.