Ninde Odyssey

Ninde is on the shore of Lake Tanganyika. To travel there you either take the weekly ship (MV Liemba) or hire a fishing boat. We traveled from Sumbawanga to Kirando on the lake shore (day 1). Then we traveled onwards by 4wd to Kipili and from there to another small village where we were met by a fishing boat. Then it was an hour or so until Ninde came into view (day 2). As was normal, the most isolated places cost the most to visit as you need to hire boats, rooms, get food cooked for you. Ninde and the next small village (Kasanga) are beautiful, but life is hard. People survive by fishing and a tiny little bit of cultivation (cassava). None the less, people are very friendly and very welcoming on the three days we spent there.

On the day of our onward journey we were to meet the MV Liemba on its run from Kigoma to Kasanga and then onwards to Zambia (Mpulungu). As there is no really schedule, we went to sleep and a few watched out for the ship. At midnight we were woken and we trapsed down to the shore. From there into a small boat (pitch dark) and were rowed out into the lake. Finally the ship came into view and we scrambled (somehow) from the small fishing boat up into the ship. It wasn’t elegant but we got on board. When on board Jonathon managed to find us a cabin (with a shower!) and we settled in for the rest of the night.