From Butiama and beyond...

The weather in Moshi

2012-06-03T18:16:00.001+03:00

It is mostly cloudy in Moshi. The temperature is just above 26° Centigrade. There is a slight wind. Mt. Kilimanjaro (in the background) is covered by thick rain clouds, probably as low as 1,500m.posted from Bloggeroid

The weather in Moshi

2012-06-02T07:45:00.001+03:00

It is 27° Centigrade in Moshi and cloudy. It is raining on Mt. Kilimanjaro.posted from Bloggeroid

The weather in Moshi today

2012-05-31T08:42:00.001+03:00

It is cloudy in Moshi. Mt. Kilimanjaro is enveloped by thick rain clouds. The temperature is 28° Centigrade at the Moshi bus stand.posted from Bloggeroid

The weather today

2012-05-30T08:46:00.001+03:00

At Seronera, the headquarters of the Serengeti National Park, it is a sunny morning. The temperature is 27° Centigrade.posted from Bloggeroid

On my way to Kilimanjaro

2012-05-29T14:12:00.001+03:00

I am just about to leave Butiama for yet another rendezvous at the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This time with 12 visitors from Tanzania Development Support in a charity climb to raise money for construction of a library and teachers' documentation center for Nyegina Secondary School. There is no better excuse for wearing a t-shirt from my December 2011 "Kilimanjaro Uhuru Climb." posted from

The weather today

2012-05-29T14:07:00.001+03:00

As I embark on my fifth climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro I will post my observations of the weather every day. Network and weather permitting. At Butiama it is a sunny day with a temperature of 28° Centigrade. posted from Bloggeroid

My version of the year 2011 in review: 21 April

2012-05-28T23:26:00.002+03:00

As the day drew to a close, the aggressive hawks of Mwitongo gathered on the highest branches of a high tree to spend the night. The soft sunlight from the West enhanced the natural colours of the foliage... and the colours of the traditional grain silos. The setting sun produced even more spectacular colours.

Getting ready for June's Kilimanjaro charity climb for Nyegina Secondary School

2012-05-26T21:10:00.001+03:00

A lot of preparation goes into planning climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. For the individual climber pre-climb activity includes regular exercising to prepare for the rigour of hiking up Africa's tallest mountain and the World's highest free standing mountain. One important activity is to use the hiking boots one will wear during the climb prior to the climb. These pair of boots have taken me up to

My version of the year 2011 in review: 20 April

2012-05-26T15:49:00.000+03:00

Driving on my way to Butiama I caught a glimpse of a rare occurrence: two rainbows, over Lake Victoria, near Ryamugasile Island. The second rainbow, fainter, on the left hand side of the photograph.

Public offices in Tanzania

2012-05-24T18:06:00.001+03:00

I have been moving to and from Mwanza for the past few years to visit a public office to sort out a land issue. On my most recent visit to Mwanza, one of the land officers informed me that I should make a request to the head of his department to formalize my request. He told me the application that I previously thought had to go through the ministry in Dar es Salaam would be processed in Mwanza.

Baraka Elias, the tallest Tanzanian, just visited Butiama

2012-05-20T17:02:00.000+03:00

The tallest Tanzanian (until someone proves differently), Baraka Elias, paid a visit to the Butiama Cultural Tourism Enterprise (BCTE) on Friday 18 May 2012. He works with mobile operator, Tigo, and the last time I communicated with him he was 7' 4" tall. He is 22 years old. The photo, below, of a secondary school student standing in the same as spot provides perspective of how tall he is.

My version of the year 2011 in review: 19 April

2012-05-16T17:49:00.001+03:00

The combination of a setting sun... and a dark storm cloud... created the semblance of a raging fire in the horizon and rising smoke.

The Butiama Cultural Tourism Enterprise has a new guide

2012-05-16T12:55:00.001+03:00

Warioba Magige has just joined the tour guiding team at the Butiama Cultural Tourism Enterprise (BCTE) as a trainee guide. He has completed Form VI and expects to join university at the end of this year. Since taking this photo, he has received instructions to smile when guiding visitors around the various attractions within the BCTE area.

My version of the year 2011 in review: 18 April

2012-05-10T19:24:00.000+03:00

I was on my way to Igalagala when I noticed a light plane on a landing approach to Mwanza Airport. I took out my camera and snapped one photograph of the approaching plane. Not near enough, I thought and readied myself to take a better photograph when the plane was close enough. Too late! I only managed to catch the tail section.

2012-05-10T18:27:00.000+03:00

Kilimanjaro Club member Le Huynh, a native of Vietnam, is a globetrotter and has traveled to the farthest corners of Earth. He normally sends reports of his travels, this time from Reunion in the Seychelles. ****************************************************** Mentioning La Reunion to a non-French person and you'll either get a blank stare or something like "what meeting point are you

The curriculum vitae of Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim

2012-05-09T16:07:00.000+03:00

My blog statistics reveal that readers are particularly interested in curriculum vitaes. Proof of this is the high ranking that the page on Prof. Sospeter Muhongo CV has received (my popular posts on the right column). Prof. Muhongo has recently been appointed minister for Energy and Minerals. So, I present the CV of Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, former prime minister of Tanzania: http://

My version of the year 2011 in review: 17 April

2012-05-08T23:12:00.000+03:00

In Mwanza, I noticed two flags of the political party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) towering way above the billboard advertising a popular beer brand, Kilimanjaro Lager. There city of Mwanza is a CHADEMA stronghold.

Visitors to Butiama

2012-05-08T22:38:00.000+03:00

The tour guide's narrative to visitors to the Butiama Cultural Tourism Enterprise (BCTE) at the gazebo next to the residence of Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere says: "This is where Mwalimu Nyerere preferred to spend some of his free time playing bao [a local board game] with his friends from around Butiama village." Occasionally, a visitor will ask where exactly Mwalimu Nyerere preferred to sit. The

My version of the year 2011 in review: 7 April

2012-05-08T17:04:00.000+03:00

I was invited to Zanzibar to attend the 39th death anniversary of Zanzibar's founding president, Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume. The desk at the CCM Headquarters at Kisiwandui where Karume was assassinated while playing dominoes with Sheikh Thabit Kombo. The annual commemorations are held at the CCM headquarters at Kisiwandui, where Karume was assassinated in a room where I was informed he was

The Cultural Tourism Program nurtures cultural expressions

2012-05-07T16:35:00.000+03:00

The basic purpose of the Cultural Tourism Program (CTP) which is supervised by the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB) is to encourage tourists to enjoy the rich cultural heritage that Tanzania offers. Tanzania is not only about Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater, and Zanzibar (to mention only a few of the stupendous attractions offered by Tanzania). Also on offer

My version of the year 2011 in review: 5 April

2012-05-06T21:53:00.000+03:00

I drove to Mwanza and at the outskirts of the city I found myself behind a passenger bus whose owner is probably a fan of English Premier League side Arsenal. The rear of the bus had the image of Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger. Wenger has an asteroid named after him: 33719 arsenewenger.

My version of the year 2011 in review: 3 April

2012-05-05T16:50:00.000+03:00

The teachers from Canada's Queen's University visited Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's library and found my book: A day in the life of Canada. Later that evening, at dinner, Mosses who had cooked for the visitors during their stay had a special parting gift: a cake. After dinner, I had a feeling that Mosses got a disproportionate share of the evening's hugs.

My version of the year 2011 in review: 2 April

2012-05-05T14:18:00.001+03:00

The teachers from Canada's Queen's University held a farewell party prior to their return to Canada and invited everyone they knew at Butiama. Before long David Liu, and one of the invitees, hit the dance floor and unleashed a series of the latest Canadian dance moves. The invited Tanzanian host made a few equally commendable moves. And David, unperturbed, came out with yet unseen moves

Kibo and Mawenzi

2012-05-05T07:24:00.000+03:00

When one gets over the initial challenge of climbing a mountain, there are two possible outcomes: one either becomes engulfed and takes interest in mountains wherever they appear, or one becomes totally repulsed by the initial experience and does not want to come close to even an anthill. Mt. Kilimanjaro with Kibo, on the left, and Mawenzi, on the right as seen from Moshi. I believe I am one

My version of the year 2011 in review: 1 April

2012-05-04T22:09:00.000+03:00

On April Fool's day, there was no fooling around when the Egumba Ngoma group performed for the year's visiting teachers' group from Queen's University in Canada. In an hour-long performance, the dancers performed a number of traditional dances from the Mara region and from selected regions of Tanzania.