2009-Jan 10th Tanga, Tanzania

Today we begin our journey to the northern mining areas of the Umba River Valley. Though our final destination is the gem market of Arusha.

Sometimes there would be an impediment to our progress...

We were just happy to have paved roads, since we already had an understanding what it would be like later on.

On the way to Umba, we stop and spend the night in Tanga which is roughly a five-hour drive from Dar. Tanga is known as the major shipping port for southern and eastern Africa. Fortunately, the drive to Tanga was on paved tarmac and so it was comfortable for African standards.