Kyimbila Tea Estate.
We stopped at a collective tea plantation on our way out of Tukuyu. The rolling hills and acres of green tea plants were beautiful. We were shown how the tea is grown, how the leaves are picked both by hand and using shears, how it is sorted, and then shipped. All the green tea leaves are sent to Dar es Salam for curing and auction. We were given tea to drink – dark and sweet with great flavour.
Picking tea.
Sorting tea leaves.
Bagging tea to be weighed.
Tea farmer.
Kids from the tea estate.
Eron and Ebron on the road to the Farmhouse Camp.
The ride to the Farmhouse in the Tanzanian highlands was another bum-numbing experience. During this drive we were introduced to “Traffic Court, the Tanzanian Way”. Will was stopped at several police road blocks and hassled at most of them because of Malaika’s non-local plates. He received a speeding ticket at one while local drivers sped past our truck and at another he was stopped for not obeying a speed-change sign that didn’t even exist – at this stop, the policeman blatantly asked Will, “How much are you prepared to pay for no receipt?”
How much are you prepared to pay….
We spent all day on Malaika, arriving at the Farmhouse Camp (http://www.kisolanza.com/index.html) at dusk just in time for a sundowner. Amit needed a hair cut, so we broke out the clippers and had a bush-barber session as the sun set.
Dusk over the Farmhouse Camp.
Bush-Barber at work.
Will relaxing after a long, expensive day of driving. NOTE: look at how he is dressed … and they kept telling me Africa was going to be hot….
The air was chilly due to the elevation, and we had a 5:00 AM start time the next morning, so Roger and I decided to forgo the tents and get a room.
Our room was in a little building with several others. It was completely constructed from red brick, with a bed and mosquito net in the centre. The only other piece of furniture was an antique hardwood chest which had a vase of fresh flowers. We hung our clothes on pegs hammered into the door, and settled into the most comfortable bed we have experienced in weeks.
Cottage room at Farmhouse Camp.
Outhouses and wood-fired showers.
Rustic bar at Farmhouse Camp.
East to Hedon
East to Hedon 
Tea as it should be…excellent…yes in travelling we really dont know how great our police services are till we go somewhere else!…I absolutley love the farm house !!!
Tanzania toll booths,,,, exact change not required.
Between your entertaining running commentary and these amazing pics, I can almost taste the red dirt and smell the woodsmoke! My craving for Africa increases exponentially with each of your postings. Thanks sooooo much.
My turn next September….
We can’t wait to get together with you, maybe over dinner? We have so much we want to tell you about. We will send you an email when we get home and plan something.
Great pictures. I’m enjoying the blog. Thanks for sharing this.
Kelly