Arusha (Tanzania)

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Arusha City

***** Location: Tanzania
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Earth

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Explanation

Arusha
Arusha is a city of northern Tanzania surrounded by some of Africa's most famous landscapes and national parks. Beautifully situated below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, it has a pleasant climate and is close to Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as having its own Arusha National Park on Mount Meru.

Arusha is the capital of the Arusha Region and has a population of 270,485 (2002 census).

Modern history
Official documents ceding independence to Tanzania were signed by the United Kingdom at Arusha in 1961.

The Arusha Declarations for Self Reliance in Tanzania were signed in 1967 in Arusha.

In 1994 the UN security council decided by its Resolution 955 of 8 November 1994 that Arusha should host the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. The establishment of the tribunal with its employees has influenced the local economy of Arusha. The tribunal is expected to end its normal work in 2008 with two more subsequent years for appeals handling.


A towering pillar within the city of Arusha
　Photo © DEMOSH

Culture
Arusha is reputed as being one of the most pleasant cities in the world, due its exquisite weather, location, beautiful countryside and lively music scene, notably Tanzanian hip-hop.

Arusha is home to many of Tanzania's vivid festivals, the yearly fiesta is hosted by a few Tanzanian corporate sponsors, that attract various artists from around the world. Artists like Shaggy, Ja rule are just a few of one of the world's most popular artists to perform in the wonderous city of Arusha.

Arusha also hosts the annual Arusha nane nane Agricultural show. Nane Nane is one of the many vibrant public holidays in Tanzania, held on August 8th (the 8th of the 8th month, nane nane means "eight eight" in Swahili). Nane Nane is marked on August 8th every year where farmers and other stakeholders exchange knowledge and business. it attracts up to a half million people every year.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Mount Meru

Mount Meru is an active volcano located 70 kilometres (44 miles) west of Mount Kilimanjaro. It reaches 4,566 metres (14,980 feet) in height but has lost much of its bulk due to an eastward volcanic blast about 8,000 years ago. Mount Meru most recently had a minor eruption about a century ago. The several small cones and craters seen in the vicinity probably reflect numerous episodes of volcanic activity.

Mount Meru is the topographic centerpiece of Arusha National Park. Its fertile slopes rise above the surrounding savanna and support a forest that hosts diverse wildlife, including nearly 400 species of birds, and also monkeys and leopards.

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Arusha with a view of Mount Meru
Photo © Patrick Wafula

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The volcanic Mount Meru is shadowed by his big and famous neighbour Kilimanjaro. For most of the visitors Meru is just noticed as the exercising area to acclimatise before climbing Africa's highest mountain. But this does not come up to its real value. Meru is not only Africa's 5th highest mountain, it delights the walker by its fabulous flora and fauna.

Walkers will meet buffalos, giraffes, warthogs, elephants and antilopes. Ascending to Saddle Hut (3570m) a tropical wood of laurel trees is crossed. The path to the top is varied, offers short stretches of easy scrambling and breathtaking views from the crater edge.

The tour should be planned with 3 overnight stays. There is too much to be seen. The ground of the crater is worth a visit, also the minor top Little Meru (3801m).

Much more here, with great photos of an ascent to the top of Mount Meru :
... //www.uli-sauer.de/


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Worldwide use

India

Mount Meru
(Sanskrit: मेरु)
(confused with Sumeru by some ancient and modern authors) is a sacred mountain in Hindu, Buddhist cosmology, and Jain mythology considered to be the center of all real and mythological universes. It is believed to be the abode of Brahma and other deities. The mountain is said to be 80,000 yojanas or leagues (450,000 km) high and located in Jambudvipa, one of the continents on earth in Hindu mythology. Many Hindu temples, including Angkor Wat, the principal temple of Angkor in Cambodia, have been built as symbolic representations of the mountain.



© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

Patrick Wafula’s haiku journey to Arusha

Arusha town is located at the foot of Mount Meru in Northern Tanzania. Mount Meru is a jutting, bluish-grey giant cone. The town is beautifully shrouded in green trees with plenty of fresh air and space.

tree-shrouded town
at the foot of Mount Meru --
Arusha town

greying-blue giant
towering above us --
Mount Meru

Thursday 27 September 2007 was my second day in Arusha. On this day, I visited Arusha International Conference Centre, which is the headquarters for the East African Community. The most important features here are:

The three Executive Wings housing the Offices of the member countries that form the Union: Kilimanjaro Wing: Kenya; Serengeti Wing: Uganda; Morogoro Wing: Tanzania. A.I.C.C.C is also currently hosting the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which is trying those who were involved in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 in which more than 800,000 people were brutally murdered. The UN forces guard every corner of this building.

I visited the Headquarters of Arusha's Regional Commissioner (equivalent to the Provincial Commissioner in Kenya); Regional Police Headquarters and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) Party Headquarters.

I also took an enjoyable tour of the Arusha Declaration Museum. Here I saw quite a bit of Tanzania's political history: Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere's, Abeid Karume (Zanzibar) and even Chief Mkwawa's statues and portraits were all on display here. Tanzanzia became independent in 1961 after undergoing colonization first by the Germans, then by the British. I learnt more about the fierce 1979 resistance by the Tanzania forces against the invasion of western Tanzania by Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, and I visited the Gardens where the troops were welcomed back home after this war. In this museum, there is also the Uhuru Torch which is passed around the country once a year to commemorate independence.

My next stop was at Arusha International Conference Centre Hospital, where my host used to work. Then, we were due for lunch and went downtown to a small but decent hotel for a meal :

ndizi for lunch --
smiling waiters in white
hover around us
(ndizi is Swahili for banana)

delicious scent
of pilau oozing from hotels --
Ramadhan is here too

ndizi for lunch --
a ragged beggar
asks me for a coin



Plenty of bananas at Kilombero Market



I learnt from the implements on display in the Arusha Declaration Museum that the Arusha Maasai circumcise their girls. There was a Female Genital Mutilation implement. As the curator was explaining some facts about these old traditional tools, one of the female tourists in our group demanded to know why only the FGM tools were displayed : "Where are the male circumcision tools?" she asked earnestly. The curator answered that male circumcision tools were not on display because male circumcision was normal as compared to FGM which was outlawed by the authorities :

female tourist asks
where male circumcision tools are --
FGM tool

We later visited Kilombero Market, where green and ripe bananas were the abundant commodities on display :

stack upon stack
of green and ripe bananas --
Kilombero Market

Next was a stop over at Soko Kuu, where all varieties of fruits are on display:

water melons
cucumbers, coconuts and all --
sweet scent of spices


A trader a Soko Kuu, Arusha


Saturday 30th was the most exciting day. I attended a Garden Party at one of the former Ministers' homes on Mount Meru. It was such a lovely evening as we met and interracted with the Who’s Who in Arusha Province starting with the Regional Commissioner, District Commissioner, Divisional Commissioner and all the local leaders in the area.

I witnessed one of the rare Arusha Maasai rites called identifying the heir. The Former Minister was identifying the heir to his throne, his two-year old grandson :

the old stand
and dance zizilozopendwa --
breezy evening

roast goat
served to guests --
smell of beer

little throne
at the centre of the garden --
heir apparent

Text, haiku and photos © Patrick Wafula

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I lived in Arusha working for UN in 1997 and would share the beautful sight of the mountain. More than it I enjoined going to Serengti the protected forest park. I travelled to almost 11 African countries and wrote haiku there.

Africa is the oldest world and most close to the primordial vision.

Prof NK Singh


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Patrick Wafula
August 2010

. My 5th Arusha Trip: End of Winter in Arusha


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SPRING 2010

I have just come back to Nairobi after a wonderful four day stay in Arusha. I have a nice haibun to share with you.

. Spring in Arusha / TEXT 　




Clouded Mt. Meru.


. 2010 Spring trip to Arusha
PHOTO ALBUM 　


. . . . .


shorter queues—
yellow fever vaccination at
Namanga border

. Arusha Diaries: April 2011


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. Arusha Diary February 2011 　


. Arusha Diary June 2011 　
Mt Meru, Mt Longido
Namanga Hills
Isinya


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assorted bird songs
through the open window--
humid morning

sombre initiates--
the rising crescendo
of Moranic chants

Arusha Diary December 2013



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Related words

***** Rift Valley

***** . Brick making in Arusha 　


***** . Mount Kilimanjaro .


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