Originally I had no plans to go to Bukoba, a small lake town in northwest Tanzania, close to the Ugandan border, but when Mr. Kyabukoba insisted I had to visit his village, there was no way I was turning him down. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. Here's a short clip and some pics to show off its fertile beauty.
The banana is a fundamental part of the Bukoba diet.
Constitine Mutalemwa's father. If I remember correctly, he's in his early 90s. He speaks English and is a former physician. Luckily we caught him before he went to bed (6 p.m., when it got dark).
Bukoba bricks. Made from soil, compacted, then fired. You can find these across the villages in TZ but not in the same color. Bukoba has deep red soil.
Me and my man Edwin. Constitine's associate. He's an advocate (lawyer), future bar owner, and my friend. He looked after me while in his hometown of Bukoba.
At one of the sixteen national parks in Tanzania. Yea, we're those guys...
Samkai soup (fish soup). The simplest, but most flavorful soup I've ever had.
The red soil of Bukoba. It reminded me of driving to Myrtle Beach as a kid. The soil changes from brown to red once you hit the Carolinas.
Fish market. No fish, right? The majority of the fish are small, bundled in potato sacks and sold as feed.
A monument to MV Bukoba. A Lake Victoria ferry that carried passengers between ports of Bukoba and Mwanza. It capsized in 1996, killing over 1,000 passengers.
On the banks of Lake Victoria (second-largest freshwater lake in the world). Samkai, banana, and white bean soup. Ingredients that you can only find locally. Edwin and I didn't have to look too far for his favorite dish.
Pool. The preferred game of locals. Unfortunately for this local, home table advantage didn't work. JG 2, Edwin 1.
Mount Kilimanjaro. Morning, outside my guesthouse. One day I would like to climb the highest peak in Africa. Unfortunately I'll have to wait till next time.
Picture courtesy of Jenny Vigue. A quiet and brave French girl who I met at the guesthouse. She has loved Africa ever since she was little and read about it in books. She particularly is fond of Namibia, a country I've heard so many good things about.