After I finished my Mt Kilimanjaro hike, I met Gabie in Moshi where we camped for one night. And the next day we were off to the Usambara Mts... just enough time to do laundry, shower, and get a bowl of ice cream in town :)
We were off to do a cultural tour in the Usambara Mts that included a 3 day hike from the town of Lushoto to Mtae with our 1st female guide Christina. We headed out of Lushoto on small foot paths, and once again it was great to have a guide to help navigate through the network of paths. On this first day we hiked through the Magamba Forest Reserve through dense forest. Christina was great in pointing out the indigenous plants used by traditional healers for medicinal purposes.
Towards the end of our first day, we passed through a village where there was a group of women singing and dancing. Our guide asked the women if we could join and take photos. The women were very welcoming and allowed us to take photos. It was such a spontaneous, warm and wonderful experience!
Here the women are trying to teach me to dance...my efforts made them laugh.
That evening we stayed at a Catholic Convent in a beautiful, peaceful valley outside the village of Emao. The sisters made us tea and shared there homemade bread with us.
The next day we hiked through the Shagoyu Forest Reserve and saw more 2 story homes - these are more prevalent in this area, than the other places we have visited in Tanzania. Near the village of Shunga we visited a local pottery that is run by the women of the village. They demonstrated the whole process of make in the cooking pots - from pounding the clay, forming the shape of the pot in which the maker walks around the pot instead of having the clay on a rotating wheel, to baking in the sun. These pots are then sold in the local markets.
After we left the pottery we continued on to the village of Mtae. This village is located on the side of the Usumbara Mts. with incredible views to the west of the Tsavo Plains and the Pare Mountains. 
On the last night we camped at the Irente Campground - a wonderful site that probably has the best views! Sitting on the edge of Irente Viewpoint:
