The ibuprofen and rest at Weru Weru Lodge were doing me good and though the nights were still difficult I was feeling better each day. By the weekend I was getting restless and felt well enough for a little outing. Emmanuel arranged a day trip for me and Amos to the nearby Materuni village and waterfalls. The small hamlet of Materuni is situated on the lower slopes of Kilimanjara at an elevation of 1800 meters. The area is inhabited by the Chagga who have developed a rather sophisticated and sustainable agriculture system that takes advantage of the rich soil and abundant rainfall in the region. In addition to a hike to the waterfalls, our visit to Materuni included an opportunity to experience the local cuisine and coffee-making traditions of the Chagga.
It was about an hour drive from the lodge up to Materuni where Amos and I were met by Oliver, our local guide for the day. The 45 minute hike to the falls took us on a well-worn path through a dense rain forest replete with plants and trees bearing arabica coffee beans, mangos, avocados, and bananas - to name a few. The trail wound past small commercial enterprises, across streams, and past a small number of vendors and buskers enticing visitors with local wares and lively songs. It began to mist as we neared the falls - a result not only of water cascading from a height of 150 m but also the onset of an impending rain storm.
We did not linger at the falls, stopping only long enough for a few photos. As the drops increased in size and intensity, I donned my raincoat and we gingerly made our back, taking great care not to fall on the slippery rocks. I took full advantage of my guides as they lent support and kept me upright on the increasingly slick clay-like path, arriving safely but soggy at our lunch stop.
Oliver, our local Chagga guide to the Materuni Waterfalls
Bill ShaneyfeltLuck you! Two horned chameleon has a very limited distribution...
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/32949-Kinyongia-tavetana Reply to this comment 3 days ago
Susan CarpenterLucky me is right! I only spotted it because a small group young girls along the trail were showing them to the passers-by. Reply to this comment 3 days ago
Houses along the trail were traditionally made of organic matter, which attracted insects and vermin. This house is now being rebuilt with masonry, as indicated by the pile of blocks at the rear
We joined a small group of other tourists for a delicious buffet lunch that highlighted local cuisine. Bananas topped the list of the daily specials (banana soup and stewed bananas) but there were several grains, the ever-present red beans served at most every meal I had in Tanzania, and a lovely dessert of mangos and avocados.
We arrived back at Materuni village just in time for lunch
The buffet featured local products harvested from the tropical forest. First up was banana soup, followed by stewed bananas - yes, they were both good and did taste a little different
As lunch wound down, the rest of the guests departed for their hike to the falls and I was left to enjoy a private demonstration of the Chagga tradition of coffee production. The Germans introduced arabica coffee to the Kilimanjaro region, transferring not only the plants from Ethiopia but also methods of coffee production. The climate along the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro provide is ideal for production of arabica beans and the Chagga in this region have established a local cooperative to produce and sell their coffee. They engage visitors with a hands-on demonstration of most every step of production, from harvesting beans to the final brewing and sipping, each accompanied with song, dance and lots of camaraderie. I share it all in pictures.
The stages of coffee production - from right to left: leaves from the arabica plant; a ripe arabica bean, which is encased in three protected layers. The next few images show various forms of the bean following removal of the three protective layers.Then, the fully hulled beans are shown before and after roasting after which they are ground using a mortar and pestle
Beans following removal of the outer protective layer. The next two layers are removed using a mortar and pestle carved from the trunk and limb, respectively, of a tree growing in the local forest.
The mortar and pestle song and dance, where we all took turns pounding the beans while others clapped and sang. It may not have been the best for my rib, but the infectious joy erased all pain.
Another round at the mortar and pestle to grind the roasted beans. In reality, these were not the beans we just roasted but some roasted earlier in the week
