It’s a Good Thing We Are Not Too Close to the Game Park

Before leaving Morogoro, I spent the day finalizing some vegetable cost of production data with some farmers in the mountain-top village of Mgeta. I was again caught off-guard with colder temperatures upon arriving to speak with district officials. However, the real surprise occurred on the return down the mountain.

As we came down a steeper, unpaved stretch, the car stopped. Engine died. Deo turned the key and it would start, but not kick over. Although he quickly identified this as an electrical problem, there was no quick solution. This happened around 1:30PM.

With the car hood raised, blocking traffic along the narrow passageway, we attracted attention. As daladalas and open trucks passed by with Tanzanians barely holding on or packed in like sardines, each car would pause to check on the status of our mishap. Occasionally a small crowd of men would hop off, give the proverbial “stare” at the serpentine arrangement of wires and parts surrounding the engine, and wish us luck.

Around 3PM, I fell asleep in the front seat. I woke up around 5PM with no improvement in situation. As the sky started to signal the transition towards evening, our options started to narrow. With darkness falling before 6:30PM, I started to think we might want to get in the next daladala to return to town – or, even prepare to sleep in the car. At this point, I was also about to breach the 12 hour mark past breakfast, my only other meal of the day. Deo, the driver, and Mr. Kapera, the district extension officer who accompanied us on our trip, started to show signs of frustration.

However, at 6:10PM help arrived! Another TNS staff member and a fundi gari (car repair man) came by truck to assess the situation. As the fundi got to work, I learned more about the other TNS employee, my hero of-the-moment. As we spoke, he continued to cut and chew portions of a long piece of sugar cane. Tanzanian sugar cane is fibrous, has a stringy interior and you chew like gum. I had not yet tried it and decided to ease my hunger.

Apparently, my asking for some sugar cane is the equivalent of a girl asking for a wad of Copenhagen chewing tobacco to place inside her lip. The look of surprise and confusion faded to acquiescence and amusement as the small crowd and TNS staff watched as I tore off a portion to try.

In short, it’s not good.

At this point, darkness was falling. The spark plug had been identified as the main culprit of car failure, but we were not yet in the clear. At this point, I was still chewing my way through poor-tasting sugar cane when the TNS team member remarked, “Well, at least we are far enough away from the game parks, because its dinner time!”

Before long, the fuse was replaced and we resumed our slow crawl down the steep mountain. While being stranded on the road is usually frustrating, often creates the opportunity for adventure, and always happens when you do not expect it, it’s not often you might be confused as an unsuspecting appetizer or meal for game park animals!