We arrived in Arusha in the darkness. As we've experienced
before, we couldn't get oriented during the our transfer in the dark from the airport to
the hotel, the Mount Meru Hotel. There
was lots of traffic, chaotic traffic in the dark, and it didn't help that they drive on the left
side of the road, and the main road was under construction.
We woke to a little fog, but as the sun broke through, Mount
Meru became clearly visible from our room. Mount Meru is just outside of the
city. She is a dormant volcanic caldron 4500 meters high that last erupted in
1910.
Arusha is a city of a million people, parts appearing
prosperous and modern, but others left behind and struggling to survive. The
city is the stepping stone and staging area for safaris to several locations and a departure point for those
climbing Mount Meru or Mount Kilamanjero.
There were motorcycles, trucks and dalidalis everywhere, but
few personal cars. The dalidali are the minivans used for public transit. They
were often plugged with people and added passengers hanging out the door.
After spending a couple of hours walking in the chaos of
Arusha and not being city people, we were ready and anxious to head
for the outback to see what else the wilds of Africa had to offer.
Click here for the next story in this series: http://travellingwithsteveandmarlene.blogspot.ca/2016/10/on-safaris-in-ngoronogoro-crater.html
