This morning we drove from the hotel to the city of Moshi. The city has a population of 200,000 and most of the buildings are concrete construction of 2 to3 stories. The road from the hotel to the city is a dirt road. Since the rainy season begins in October, it is very dry and dusty. We saw several goat herds along the road. Many of the homes along the road were mud brick and wood.
In the city the roads are paved. There was a large market where people spread vegetables or whatever they were selling in the ground. Once in the city we went to Union Coffee for a mid-morning cup of coffee. Coffee prices are fairly low. A 1 kg (2 pounds) of coffee is $11:00 US. After the climb a souvenir bag will be purchased.
There is the smell of wood smoke throughout the area. There were lots of small fires along the road and people cook on wood fires. The Springlands Hotel is gated for security and has outdoor eating and sitting areas in a garden setting. Rooms are small and have few amenities. Our room has three single beds with mosquito netting. I tried to get a picture, but the room is so small I could not get the room in the view finder.
All the people at the hotel are helpful and very polite. Simon has gone to the airport to see what he can find out about my missing bag. Hopefully I will get some good news this afternoon. In the meantime, I have looked into renting a sleeping bag and other gear if my bag does not get here. Also, several in the group have offered extra clothing and gear they brought.
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