January 30, 2006: Springlands hotel

After the dusty ride from the airport to Moshi, we arrived at Springlands hotel situated approximately one mile south of the town. Springlands is the base of operation for ZARA Travel. When they open the iron gate to admit the minibus, it feels as if you are arriving at an oasis in a desert, especially at night. The rooms surround a beautiful courtyard containing colorful tropical flowers. Lit gravel paths lead to the various buildings that house the rooms. The quality of a lodging is certainly an individual's opinion. In general, my idea of a good room is indoor plumbing, private bathrooms, and sleeping arrangements that don't involve a sleeping pad and sleeping bag. By those standards, Springlands is luxurious. Hot water, swimming pool, internet access, outdoor bar... is anything else necessary?!

We were tired after close to 20 hours of travel, but we were able to sit in the courtyard and enjoy our first Kilimanjaro beer while soaking in the reality that we were finally in Africa.