Tanzania 2008 bike tour - África

TANZANIA, 'CHARATE´S HOME'

Talking about Sub-saharan Africa is talking about Juan Carlos 'Charate'. The best and the most loyal lover of this forgotten continent I have ever met. I have always heard from him that he was happier in Africa than in his native Molina de Segura, that he felt much more alive in some dusty street of one Afican village than in the great Avenue of Murcia, that he preferred speaking to an African person than to anyone of his folks.

Charate was like that, a natural person and quite atypical in many things. He enjoyed his African trips bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

'Taking advantage of Trini', Charate´s couple in those days and until the end, who was working as a volunteer for a Canadian NGO in the city of Bagamoyo, we decided that our next trip would be Tanzania.

We spent our first week on Mafia island, dream destination for underwater swimmers. Charate had the brilliant idea of the interchange of working for accommodation and maintenance and owners agreed. So we spent our first seven days in Tanzania diving in Rufiji-Mafia-Kilwa Marine Reserve and painting the walls of 'The Blue House', name we gave to that humble touristic enterprise.

After those unforgettable days we went back to continental Tanzania. We arrived at Bagamoyo out of the blue, where Trini was about to finish her three month volunteering. We have four lovely days, strongly emotive because the reunion, night parties with local musicians and artists and, a timetable full of engagements completely inappropiate for a bike trip.

From that moment it was a three people journey, a wonderful trip that always will make me smile ear to ear and long for old times. THANK YOU MY FRIEND.

Valid passport for six months at least since the entry in the country. It is necessary a visa, which you can obtain at Julius Nyerere´s Airport in Dar es Salaam. From 15 September in 2005, ordinary visa or touristic one, valid for 90 days, costs 50 Euros. In the following link: Ministry of foreign affairs and cooperation (Spain), It is offered travel advices on Tanzania.

Regarding hydration and diet you must extreme precautions. Drink always bottling water, check bottles have not been refilled and, never do have drinks with ice cubes.

In case you take a piece of fruit, check the skin is in good conditions, wash it and peel it by yourself.

To avoid mosquito bites apply on all exposed areas of your skin anti mosquito repellent. The repellent must include DEET (N-N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide).

Wear light colour clothes, if possible not shorts and, long sleeves. Avoid perfumes, aftershaves and use mosquito net with repellent.

Use antiseptics and hand disinfectants regularly, so as sunscreen.

In any other previous travel I had required so much and varied vaccination, so that international vaccination card showes it. Most noticeable side effects appeared few days later of receiving yellow fever vaccine, high temperatures forced me to go to the hospital.