July 9, 2014 - Mrefu Mountain Lodge
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| bathroom break, squaters |
We woke up in Arusha this particular morning. We usually have breakfast next door at the Bamboo Inn, but they were remodeling. They brought breakfast to us in the kitchen at the Lutheran Center. We enjoyed juice, coffee, eggs, toast and fruit. After breakfast, the drivers from Nature's Gift Safaris picked us up for our trip to Moshi and the Mrefu Mountain Lodge. We stopped for a quick bathroom break on the way and walked through the bookstore and a souvenir shop.
When we arrive at the Mrefu Mountain Lodge, we were greeted by David Mtui. David is the owner of the lodge and also co-owner of Nature's Gift Safari. His property was amazing! David inherited the land from his father and built a beautiful guesthouse. It can house 12, but we were perfectly comfortable with the 17 of us (Mama Jean didn't go with us). David's dad was a carpenter and David also inherited many of his skills from his father. Much of the woodwork, furniture and structures were built by David and/or his father.
As we gathered in front of the lodge, we were treated to fresh juice! David gave us some background of his family and the property, and proceeded to give us a tour of where we would be staying.
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Ostrich egg lamp, porcupine lamp
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| The boys' room |
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| Our room, bathroom, hot shower |
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| The living room and bar |
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| The kitchen and pantry |
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| Extra bathrooms |
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| Outdoor dining |
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| Welcome patio, beautiful woodwork |
After we all got acquainted, David gave us a tour around the property and his organic farm. On his farm, he grows passion fruit, coffee, bananas, yams, avocados, kwames (local peanuts) kili-raspberry, guava, corn, beans, and a variety of beautiful plants and flowers. He also raises stingless bees and harvests honey on a regular basis.
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| This anthurium was as big as me! |
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| The livestock on the farm |
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David also uses the urine and feces
from the animals to produce
usable gas for his property. |
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| David's uncle lives next door. |
After our hike around, lunch was ready. We were treated to a wonderful salad, hamburgers and homemade French fries. Dessert was a beautiful presentation of fruit wrapped up in a crepe and drizzled with chocolate. Following every meal, the cook came out to thank us for enjoying his food! We were thankful for the cook!
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| David's father is buried on the property |
Following lunch, we all relaxed a bit, and the boys threw the football around. David gave some of us a tour of the museum he started with many of his dad's treasures. The room he shared with us was filled with old tools and memorabilia from his father. It was a great afternoon. Before dinner, David gathered us around to show us how the honey is harvested. Each of us got to try the 'honey beer'. Next, we were introduced to some of the local treats from around the farm.....kwames, kili-raspberry, and a few other fruits, followed by local beers and popcorn. Some us lingered outside until dark while the kids went inside to play cards.
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| Honey! |
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| testing the honey |
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| Dinner is cooking |
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As the temperature started to cool,
David brought out these charcoal type
pots to keep everyone warm. Of course
he made them! |
Dinner was amazing! We started off with an appetizer similar to bruschetta. Dinner was a large portion of tender meat with a very yummy sauce, corn wrapped in banana leaves, rice, and a vegetable skewer. Dessert was a pound cake drizzled in a fruit topping. It was by far the best meal we had. During dinner, we enjoyed some of the music from David's collection of records, including Kenny Rogers. He shared some great stories with us, and it was the most enjoyable evening.
