Day 14. Fri 4th October
Udzungwa National Park
Today we are taken for a walk in the Udzungwa National Park by a very nice
local guide called Frank. It is a stiff walk up and down hill, nearly as
hard as Gombe, but we stop more often. We see colobus monkeys in the distance
and blue monkeys in the trees quite close.
The river flows down through the park over three maginificent waterfalls,
and we climb to the bottom of the topmost fall to have our lunch and swim
(we are safe here, the snail that causes bilharzia cannot live in running
water). The view over the flood plain is breathtaking.
Frank finds a pygmy chameleon, the only species that doesn't change
colour, and brings it to show us.
After lunch we walk down to the bottom of the lowest and biggest waterfall,
admire the view and swim again. We are able swim right under the rocks
where the river pours down and lie in the churning water, it is like a
jacuzzi and wonderfully relaxing.
At the bottom of the mountain where the path comes out of the park is a
small village with the usual crowd of busy women and grubby kids. There
are a number of coconut palms growing between the huts, and Pete suggests
that we buy coconuts. I have wanted to try a fresh coconut on several occasions,
but been unsure how I would get into it once I had bought it - my swiss
army knife doesn't quite seem up to the job. As Pete and Auxies do not
speak good Swahili, Frank the guide agrees to arrange it, and quickly comes
to an agreement with one of the villagers, who shins up the nearest palm
and begins to hack off ripe coconuts. He wants 100TS per coconut, but when
we ask if we can photograph him up the tree, he demands another 500TS for
the privilege. It's only a few pence in English money, but we decline on
principle.
The man chops off several large coconuts, one of which all but demolishes
the hut beneath the tree. A girl strips of the husk and knocks a hole in
the top of each nut and we drink the milk which is delicious. She then
hacks them open and we cut out chunks of the meat, which is much moister
and less sweet than I remember from the last time I ate fresh cocnut, which
must be 30 years ago. I offer the clamouring children pieces of coconut
which they accept with alacrity, surprisingly as the nuts are growing in
their own back yard. Perhaps, as trade goods, they are out of bounds.
Next on the agenda should be a visit to the local witch doctor, but
unfortunately when we call she is out. We are told that she is in the hospital,
which seems a little ironic, but it turns out that she is not sick herself,
but visiting or possibly healing.
We return to the lodge, and Ken, who has not accompanied us to the
forest, takes on a short ramble in the woods near the hotel, where he has
seen Sykes monkeys. We see several, and hear their distinctive
call.