The Coffee Break

The weekend after our first week here came as a welcome break, and we decided a wee bit of culture was required, so we took a trip to Tengeru, a cultural tourism programme on the southern slopes of Mount Meru. These CTP’s run throughout Tanzania and aim to keep age-old tradition alive by educating locals and tourists alike on cultures and traditions of the cariety of tribes in order to keep them very much alive. Here at Tengeru we were hosted by the Meru tribe and looked after by our guide Noel (he was born on Easter Sunday, I checked!).  Mamma Gladness gave us a great warm welcome and served homemade ginger and lemongrass tea in the garden.

Afterwards were introduced to the community’s biogas factory – 2 fresians, and 2 jerseys imported from the UK, whose excrement is harnessed to produce some invaluable methane gas, which is used for cooking on in the house... Dad I took plenty of notes, I’m pretty sure this system could be implemented at Culbae!

 

Noel then led us through the banana trees to the coffee plantation. Coffee Arabica grew here, although we were near the end of its season and so gathering the beans was a wee bit tricky. They are picked when they are ripe, and red in colour.

OK, so the truth is that we only  found two and had to be supplemented when we got back.

On our way back to the village, we were joined by Sabrina and Rita, two local girls, eager to hold the Mzungu hands, and when they caught hold of two mzungu which soon turned into a game of swing...

Back at the village it was time to put the kettle on, and brew up some coffee...

SABRINA

RITA WITH THE FRUIT OF THE SAUSAGE TREE

 

DE-SHELLING THE COFFEE BEANS

THE DE-SHELLED COFFEE BEAN

REMOVING THE HUSKS

GRINDING THE COFFEE BEANS

DRY ROASTING THE BEANS

SIEVING THE GROUND BEANS

 

 

 LUNCH AS PREPARED BY MAMMA GLADNESS

The afternoon was filled with a walk to the waterfall, which should be rebranded a hike, I genuinely thought we were nearing the top of mount Meru, when we began a steep decline down towards a stream, through jungly terrain. It was a great adventure, although not all of us were entirely equipped wardrobe wise... To be honest, while Verity’s hiking shoes were entirely apt, her frock was not entirely ladylike at some points during the cliff climb. Sadly her blushes will be spared as the photos are a little x-rated for this blog. Verity held Noel’s hand the whole way down the cliff face, and triumphantly declared at the bottom (no pun intended) that she had been exercising her nursing duty and was helping poor Noel through a sudden acute outburst of vertigo.

 When we got down to the waterfall, which was a little underwhelming after the treck to get there, we were all keen to spend a little time admiring it’s picturesque ness when we became aware we weren’t entirely alone. Up on the hillside above us were 5 wee monkeys, a little perturbed by this unwelcome gaggle of humans in their playground. With great alarm we were soon pelted with a barrage of sticks and stones, and thinking that the monkeys were aptly named, we were unaware of the 3 local children a little higher on the hillside, the true little monkeys!

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The day was wrapped up with a trip to Tengeru market. The Meru community’s market which draws the local community every Wednesday and Saturday to buy everything from clothing to fruit and vegetables, and the odd electrical gadget. Tengeru is a very local market and the sight of the slightly dishevelled group of Mzungu proved far too much for many locals, as they keeled over in hysterics at the “Mzungu legs” (OK so I am working on the tan!) and their funny hair (for this I have no comeback!). Pleased to have caused so much excitement amongst the Tengeru community it was time for home, where we sampled some more of our fine, handmade coffee.