Our accommodation here had advertised free WiFi, but it turns out that's not entirely true. Yes, there is a WiFi signal in the house, but it's coming from a cellular router. Because there is no telephone line infrastructure, everything is done via cellular, including household internet. So our internet here is limited by the size of the bundle purchased.
It's relatively cheap though, and I did offer to contribute to a larger package that will last us for our time here. So we should have no problem staying in touch with you.
We have a bit of a fun time communicating with the staff here. Our host is in the U.S., and the listing had said that breakfast was included and supplied. Eggs, bread, and fresh local fruit, coffee and tea. So that's fine, we don't eat the bread, but some eggs and fruit would be fine. But we're not sure the staff had been told any of this. And nothing happens fast in Tanzania. Admittedly we got a late start, and then we were late asking for it... but it was almost lunchtime before we had some food.
Eggs with onions and peppers, with watermelon and mangoes.
After that, we went out for our first exploratory walk. We only did about 4 kms (2.5 miles), but there is a lot to see in that short distance!
First, I wanted to show you some more photos of the property where we are staying...
The entrance gate.
It's difficult to get a decent shot of the house because of all the vegetation.
A pretty West Indian Lantana.
The flowers on an Arsenic/Senna bush.
There are tons of these dirt roads all around Lushoto.
We will have no problem wandering around for days.
Ruth, and the scenery.
Mexican sunflowers.
In the photo above, we though that big building must be some kind of fancy hotel. It turns out it's the municipal offices!
This little Variable/Yellow-bellied sunbird would not come out and show himself!
There are lot of birds around... but getting them to come out and show themselves for a photo isn't that easy!
The road we took.
There are some pretty butterflies, this on is a Dark blue pansy.
Another Dark blue pansy butterfly.
Scenery along the way.
A Dead-leaf toad.
We see the locals carrying stuff on their heads all the time.
Sometimes we are amazed by how much they can carry. Other times we are amazed by how they can balance oddly shaped items.
We made it back home and then it started to rain. It came down fairly hard at times. "When it rains, it pours" as the saying goes.
For Valentines Day, we decided to go out for dinner. But the restaurant choices are kind of slim in this town! We decided on a place called Babu's Fast Point Kaya.
This was what I got for the Chicken Stir Fry.
And this was Ruth's Fish Stir Fry.
But, it filled out stomachs. I had two beer, and Ruth had a Sprite. With tip included, the bill came to 26,000 shillings ($14.25 CAD, $11.25 USD).
Afterwards, we wandered through the market area. It had been much busier on Sunday compared to when we arrived on Saturday, so maybe Sunday is the official market day. Again, we will find out more as time goes on.
Walking through the market.
The fish guy.
This area was a mess.
As I said earlier, it had poured with rain at one point in the afternoon, and there was a lot of mud!
Scenery along the way.
We bought a bottle of local wine for 10,000 shillings ($5.50 CAD, $4.35 USD).
It looks like the rain has finished for now, and they are calling for mostly blue skies and sunshine for the next few days.
I'll close today with a comment about the ads on this site. I was doing some experimenting to "optimize" both the experience and the income, and it didn't work out. It was supposed to test things for a week, but we never got that far. Part of the problem is that advertising is very localized, and so the ads people see and experience in locations around the world can be very different. So I could not see the same things here in Tanzania that you are seeing half way across the world. Anyhow, I tried it, and it didn't work out so I have put things back the way they were. It may take a day or two to revert back.
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And in Canada...
Just caught up and I feel like I ran a marathon! Well done on the climb, it's something I know I will never do so it was fantastic seeing what it was like. You're new spot is definitely different but you guys always seem to find the best spots for living like locals (most of the time, LOL). I'm looking forward to your hikes in the area. When the sun is out I bet it will be beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Judi! It was definitely a hard climb and not one that the majority of people would choose to do, so you are not alone in not wanting to do it.
DeleteOur "new" home for the next couple of weeks is definitely interesting and it a very nice location. There will certainly be lots of hiking on the agenda over the next little while and yes, the sun has come out and it is quite hot, despite being up in the mountains.
Thanks for stopping the advertisements. They were annoying.
ReplyDeleteThere will still be ads showing but we have reverted back to what they were like over the past year or two. :-)
DeleteI had concerns with the ads also but for some reason my blog was removed. I was just being truthful.
ReplyDeleteThank you to all the others who mentioned their concerns, power in numbers I guess.
Still the ads over time have become bigger, brighter, blinkers and very hard on ones eyes too the point of soreness. The bold red colours in and out. The ads that follow you down the page like a stalker.LOL!
Worst case scenario is not read the blog or I may have to use a ad blocker but only as a last resort.
Just so you know, it was by total accident that your post got removed the other day. There were two posts exactly the same and both Kevin and I were in the system at the same time and we each wanted to delete one of the two comments and we just happened to do it at the same time not knowing that the other was doing the same thing and unfortunately they were both deleted rather than just one of them, sorry about that.
DeleteAnyways, the experimenting that Kevin was doing on a trial basis didn't work out to be worth our while so he reverted the ads back to the way they were before he started. We have no control over how the ads come out or what they are advertising, it is all dependent on everyone's location and on the algorithms. I have just learned to blank them out and focus on the text and the pictures, so I rarely even notice them now.
Yep, it is everyone's choice as to whether to read our blog or not but the ads will be there.
I went I to my settings and was able to block all the ads in your site, they just came up as empty boxes. But I did notice new ones (that are now gone). You guys gotta make a buck too, so I understand completely.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your understanding. It does take a lot of work and it is nice to make a bit of income from it, that can help keep us on the road just a little longer. :-)
DeleteJust thinking again!
ReplyDeleteHave you considered a monthly subscription format. With the number of viewers on your site, a small monthly fee would be substantially more revenue effective than the $500 or $600 you had mentioned in an earlier blog.
It would alleviate the numerous ads and it would be a very small price to pay to see the world through your blog.
We have thought of it but we honestly don't think it would work. Not everyone would be willing to pay and it wouldn't really be fair for some to pay and for others to not but to see see the blog without ads and if we made it so that you couldn't read the blog with out contributing something than we wouldn't be able to grow our readership because nobody would pay for something that they can't see first.
DeleteThe ads don't bother me at all. I just don't read them!
ReplyDeleteWe also have learned to just tune the ads out and concentrate on the pictures and the text.
DeleteI simply ignore the Ads. I focus on what the Blog Writer is saying and showing.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
Thank you, we appreciate that! :-)
DeleteI totally ignore all ads here and on TV.
ReplyDeleteSo do we, although we don't watch TV!
DeleteHow do you eat that fish? Is it hot or cold? I don't think I could eat something looking at me
ReplyDeleteThe fish was hot and you just pull the meat off the bones, it is a little messy because you sometimes have to pick the bones out of the meat but we are used to eating fish like that when we are in Mexico as well.
DeleteWell, that meal didn't look like the best you've had, but for dinner, the price was right! I would not have liked the muddy market. I hate walking in mud! Glad to hear the weather is going to improve there. We've suffered from lots of rain over the past few months in NC too, and are ready for some sunshine. I think the first flower pic in this post is lantana, one of my very favorites and much loved by butterflies.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't necessarily look so good but it was very tasty, although Kevin had to fight to find much meat on his chicken. He said next time he would order the fish.
DeleteWe didn't head into the part of the market because of the mud. We noticed yesterday that they got a load of stones and dirt delivered and dumped in that section and they were busy spreading it all around. For the moment the rains seem to have stopped for a few days anyways.
Yes, that is exactly what that first flower is, thank you for saving me the time of searching for the name. :-)
We hope that the rain will let up for you and that you will get a chance to see the sunshine soon.
I agree that the ads don't affect me. I enjoy following the blog but doubt that I would pay to read it. It's like Kevin says about tipping. It should not be compulsory nor should a fee be levied to read a travel blog. Just my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear and we think that many people would feel the same way about paying. This way everyone is free to read the post and we get a bit of money from the ads, if people don't like the ads then they are free to stop reading the blog. I do agree that when Kevin started experimenting with the placement of the ads, then it did get to be a bit much.
DeleteLet us know how the wine is. I think you are in a cool Airbnb. Enjoy the walks. As for the ads, not an issue for us.
ReplyDeleteThe wine was actually not bad, a bit expensive by our standards but we wouldn't hesitate to buy another bottle while we are here.
DeleteThe area is beautiful for hiking around, we are really going to enjoy the scenery here.
Glad to hear that the ads aren't an issue for you either. :-)
Love your blogs!! You don’t “candy- coat” what you experience. I appreciate your pictures & honest commentary. The adds do not bother me. I focus on your pictures & comments. Keep up the good work!! Lots of rain where you are. Are you getting “water logged” yet? That is the rain forest for you. The Airbnb looks nice! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Larry and Nancy! Nope we certainly don't "candy coat" our experiences, we like to tell it like it is.
DeleteHappy to hear that the ads don't both you either. I have got really good at tuning them out and just focusing on the blog itself.
Actually when it rains it only rains for an hour or two but when it rains, it really rains. We are also surprised at how quickly the water seems to get absorbed into the ground or in general how quickly things dry up. We are now in for a few days of dry weather. :-)
I would caption your lead photo, "Some beautiful scenery. And, yeah, there's some trees and mountains and stuff, too."
ReplyDeleteLol, yep that would have worked! The scenery really is beautiful here and we are looking forward to hiking on as many of these backroads and paths as we can in the area. Definitely lots to see here! :-)
DeleteIf it makes some money, why not? I see the Ads but I don't respond unless I'm interested in something. The place your staying at looks interesting. Keep on with the pictures, I can watch from our bedroom! Take care, Rawn&Joann&PeanutJoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rawn, we appreciate that and we do make a bit of money that helps to keep us on the road a little longer. It certainly isn't enough to make us rich but every little penny helps. :-)
DeleteIt is very interesting and I know that we will enjoy our next couple of weeks here.
I have no concern about the ads I have next to none I dont know why but I am not complaining. Stay safe and enjoy life is too short.
ReplyDeleteThank you Momo!
DeleteHow cool is the temperature at night there? The grounds of the property really look pretty and well maintained. Are there birds in the area? What’s making the dirt that orange- red color? I can’t imagine what it must be like to shop in the mud in that busy market...
ReplyDeleteThe temperature at night is about 16 C (61 F), perfect for sleeping.
DeleteYes, the grounds are well taken care of but the house could use some TLC and sprucing up, it is definitely getting a little run down.
Yes, there are birds in the area but they don't make it easy to get nice shots of them, they stay hidden well or they flit around to much!
The dirt is probably that color from minerals and organic matter that are present in the soil, just like the dirt in certain areas of Texas, Utah, Prince Edward Island and many other places.
Wow what a great place to stay and explore on your own. I always envy you the way you use public transport and “just do it” wish my husband would agree to this type of travel. Had to laugh at your pretty wild flower as this is Lantana and a terrible noxious weed in Queensland Australia
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed the Lushoto area and we will definitely miss the beautiful hiking there but we are also looking forward to seeing a different area of Tanzania.
DeleteIt is always an interesting taking the local transportation. It isn't always comfortable but it is definitely cheap and we really do get the local experience this way. :-)
Lol, Kevin's grandmother used to say the same thing about heather, I thought is was pretty and she looked at it as a weed!