Well, by some sort of miracle, construction on the cafe site started this week AND the espresso machine was successfully installed in the liquoring room so the past two days I have actually been able to do some barista training with Mageche, the cafe manager, and Denis, the lead roaster. Of course, we don't have the hopper for our espresso grinder. Nor all the milk that was requested and budgeted for. And I wasn't given any of the requested equipment for viewing training films like Espresso 101. And people have been constantly coming in asking for cappuccino, or dragging my students away to take care of other matters. But I've actually been able to do what I came here to do, which is pretty incredible. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, but somehow, probably due to a latte, I ended up on the right side.
Mageche had previous experience as a barista, and has spent the past few months reading everything he can, and the past month training in South Africa, so he is pretty competent. He also seems to be a good teacher, very comfortable explaining things as well as serving demanding and impatient KNCU employees. I feel very comfortable leaving the cafe in Mageche's hands. Denis was a bit tired and overwhelmed, having spent most of yesterday roasting and cupping before training started, but he was a good student, picking things up quickly and doing well. I think he has a lot of potential as a barista. So despite all the continued frustrations, it's been a pretty good and rewarding couple days and I feel better about the state things will be in when I leave, and about what I have contributed.
Tomorrow I leave for a week in Zanzibar, coaching the national barista champion to prepare for the World Barista Championship, to be held next month in London. Then back to Moshi for two days before returning the the US.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Wazungu Overload
Upon my return to Moshi I got to spend a couple days with a delegation organized by Just Coffee, a worker-owned coffee roasting cooperative based in Madison, Wisconsin. Apparently I really like people from Wisconsin because I thought they were great. We talked about coffee and coops and cafes. It was energizing and I felt I could openly discuss with them my frustrations and criticisms of KNCU and Equal Exchange, while they honestly shared their feelings about Just Coffee and the farmer coops they’d been visiting. I’m very curious to learn more about Just Coffee’s worker-owner model, particularly as it relates to non-owner employees. They are 1/10th the size of EE and it sounds like far from perfect, but the coops could probably learn a few things from each other. And I’m sure have. The group was only in Moshi for a few days but they had spent a week in Ethiopia, a week in Uganda, and were ending with a week in Tanzania. They may have just been a bunch of coffee tourists, but they were my kind of people: curious and community-minded, taking advantage of an opportunity to learn more deeply about the world and the industry in which they are a part.
On Saturday I met another group of wazungu visiting KNCU, from Café Direct in the UK. I didn’t get to spend as much time with them but they seemed pretty cool as well. The two groups had very similar itineraries at KNCU, but on different days so their paths didn’t cross. I made an effort to bring them together on Saturday night.
Being introduced to these groups as a representative of Equal Exchange, spending two weeks talking about Equal Exchange Café with Kate, and then discussing EE and coops with the Just Coffee group has gotten the gears moving in my head again. I’m thinking about EE cafes, and with the same passion and angst I had in Boston. Kate jokes that it’s only in body that I don’t work there anymore, and in a way it’s true. I’m constantly trying to stay updated on the café’s goings-on, and thinking of ways to help it. Both the EE and KNCU café projects are so rich with potential that it’s all the more frustrating when they fall short.
On Saturday I met another group of wazungu visiting KNCU, from Café Direct in the UK. I didn’t get to spend as much time with them but they seemed pretty cool as well. The two groups had very similar itineraries at KNCU, but on different days so their paths didn’t cross. I made an effort to bring them together on Saturday night.
Being introduced to these groups as a representative of Equal Exchange, spending two weeks talking about Equal Exchange Café with Kate, and then discussing EE and coops with the Just Coffee group has gotten the gears moving in my head again. I’m thinking about EE cafes, and with the same passion and angst I had in Boston. Kate jokes that it’s only in body that I don’t work there anymore, and in a way it’s true. I’m constantly trying to stay updated on the café’s goings-on, and thinking of ways to help it. Both the EE and KNCU café projects are so rich with potential that it’s all the more frustrating when they fall short.
Monday, May 10, 2010
You can't get there in a car
Kate was sick on Thursday night but by then we had already arranged to leave the next day so at 7 am on Friday a dhow (with a motor and, sadly, no sail) picked us up from the beach in front of our hotel. It was a wet and choppy ride to Zanzibar that I somehow imagine would have been more pleasant if we had been sailing (and certainly if Kate had been feeling better). But it was finally a clear and sunny day and I discovered I had a knack for telling time by the sun, though it certainly helped that we were practically on the equator. 
Four hours later we arrived at Kendwa, which, with five people on the beach, seemed crowded and overrun to us. Still, there were pristine white beaches and warm, clear, calm turquoise water. We stayed at Kendwa Rocks, which Kara had warned me was a bit spring break-y, and I instantly knew what she meant and that I would probably hate it in the high season. But it was low season and had nice and affordable bandas (we ended up with one with a hammock in front) and a nice bar and restaurant and nightly beach bonfires. It was quite lovely really, though the first night the mosquitoes were ravenous. We happened to be there for their monthly full moon party, which we stopped by for a little bit, but found ourselves falling asleep so we left early.
Friday was the only really sunny day we had at Kendwa, though we didn’t really mind the rain. When it rained it rarely poured, and when it’s so hot the rain is never that unpleasant. We had kind of turned into beach bums at Pangani and that trend continued at Kendwa. We didn’t do much of anything though our one must-do activity was to visit the turtle aquarium at the tip of the island. At first I thought we would walk up the beach but by the time we got our act together the tide was high and we would have to cut through an exclusive resort and then through the bush on the coral cliff. I thought with two of us we would be fine on the trail, but Kate was more sensible and cautious so we turned back. Instead we made elephants and turtles in the sand and went swimming.
The next day, though the tide was low, it was raining, so we took a taxi to the aquarium to see the green turtles. They have about 20 turtles that they keep until they are about 20 years old so that they have a better chance of survival and the endangered population can recover. We got to feed seaweed to some of the bigger ones (they are called green turtles because the seaweed they eat makes their fat green) and we got to hold little 4-day-old ones!
After three days luxuriating in paradise, we finally returned to the real world beyond the gates of the resort and went to Stone Town (which is still in Vacationland). Our first stop was the Zanzibar Coffee House, which is closed for renovations for the month of May. However, as I will be returning there at the end of the month to help coach the national barista champion for the World Barista Competition, I got in touch with the café manager, with whom we had lunch at another café and talked about coffee. She directed us to a lovely hotel run by a friend of hers, where we had two double beds, air conditioning, en suite toilet and shower with hot water, a private porch, free internet access, a free welcome drink on the roof, and delicious breakfast.
Monday evening we walked along the shore to Forodhani Gardens, a beautiful and clean park along the water where we bought some fresh and delicious seafood street food for dinner, as well as fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice. We watched the sun set as the park filled with hungry families and hungry tourists. We spent Tuesday wandering around town, getting lost and found, telling guides we weren’t interested, exploring the market, avoiding getting run over by bikes and scooters, eating passionfruit gelato and drinking passion juice. Stone Town is definitely my kind of city – small, cute, and old, with plenty of fresh seafood and great ocean views and breezes. After a sundowner at Mercury’s (named for Freddie Mercury, who was born in Zanzibar), we returned to the Gardens for dinner, where we learned how to say “Obama” in sign language.
Wednesday morning we wandered around a bit more before our ferry to Dar. Kate had a final bottle of Bitter Lemon and a final glass of passion juice, while I did some research into signature drinks. Then we had a short but bumpy boat ride to big, hot, muggy Dar. We checked me into the YWCA, got some food and my bus ticket for the next day, and a few hours later Kate flew back to America. The next day I boarded a bus and returned to Moshi.
Four hours later we arrived at Kendwa, which, with five people on the beach, seemed crowded and overrun to us. Still, there were pristine white beaches and warm, clear, calm turquoise water. We stayed at Kendwa Rocks, which Kara had warned me was a bit spring break-y, and I instantly knew what she meant and that I would probably hate it in the high season. But it was low season and had nice and affordable bandas (we ended up with one with a hammock in front) and a nice bar and restaurant and nightly beach bonfires. It was quite lovely really, though the first night the mosquitoes were ravenous. We happened to be there for their monthly full moon party, which we stopped by for a little bit, but found ourselves falling asleep so we left early.Friday was the only really sunny day we had at Kendwa, though we didn’t really mind the rain. When it rained it rarely poured, and when it’s so hot the rain is never that unpleasant. We had kind of turned into beach bums at Pangani and that trend continued at Kendwa. We didn’t do much of anything though our one must-do activity was to visit the turtle aquarium at the tip of the island. At first I thought we would walk up the beach but by the time we got our act together the tide was high and we would have to cut through an exclusive resort and then through the bush on the coral cliff. I thought with two of us we would be fine on the trail, but Kate was more sensible and cautious so we turned back. Instead we made elephants and turtles in the sand and went swimming.
The next day, though the tide was low, it was raining, so we took a taxi to the aquarium to see the green turtles. They have about 20 turtles that they keep until they are about 20 years old so that they have a better chance of survival and the endangered population can recover. We got to feed seaweed to some of the bigger ones (they are called green turtles because the seaweed they eat makes their fat green) and we got to hold little 4-day-old ones!After three days luxuriating in paradise, we finally returned to the real world beyond the gates of the resort and went to Stone Town (which is still in Vacationland). Our first stop was the Zanzibar Coffee House, which is closed for renovations for the month of May. However, as I will be returning there at the end of the month to help coach the national barista champion for the World Barista Competition, I got in touch with the café manager, with whom we had lunch at another café and talked about coffee. She directed us to a lovely hotel run by a friend of hers, where we had two double beds, air conditioning, en suite toilet and shower with hot water, a private porch, free internet access, a free welcome drink on the roof, and delicious breakfast.Monday evening we walked along the shore to Forodhani Gardens, a beautiful and clean park along the water where we bought some fresh and delicious seafood street food for dinner, as well as fresh-squeezed sugar cane juice. We watched the sun set as the park filled with hungry families and hungry tourists. We spent Tuesday wandering around town, getting lost and found, telling guides we weren’t interested, exploring the market, avoiding getting run over by bikes and scooters, eating passionfruit gelato and drinking passion juice. Stone Town is definitely my kind of city – small, cute, and old, with plenty of fresh seafood and great ocean views and breezes. After a sundowner at Mercury’s (named for Freddie Mercury, who was born in Zanzibar), we returned to the Gardens for dinner, where we learned how to say “Obama” in sign language.
Wednesday morning we wandered around a bit more before our ferry to Dar. Kate had a final bottle of Bitter Lemon and a final glass of passion juice, while I did some research into signature drinks. Then we had a short but bumpy boat ride to big, hot, muggy Dar. We checked me into the YWCA, got some food and my bus ticket for the next day, and a few hours later Kate flew back to America. The next day I boarded a bus and returned to Moshi.
Almost paradise
From Mombo we hopped on a bus to Tanga, a small, flat, quiet city on the coast. My first priority in Tanga after checking in to the hotel was to see the ocean. Unfortunately the main part of Tanga faces a bay, so I would have to wait a day to see the open ocean. Most of our brief time in Tanga was spent in the company of a young “guide” who called himself Mr. Africa. He was friendly and helpful and never led us astray or asked for money but he was quietly persistent and we had trouble shaking him off. We considered spending a day in Tanga, renting bikes and perhaps going to visit some caves, but we were sore and tired from climbing down the mountain and Monday was rainy so after sleeping in and taking the opportunity to check our email and visit the ATM we headed to Pangani. With Mr. Africa, of course. I had mentioned that we were hoping to arrange a dhow to take us from Pangani to Zanzibar, something I knew we could organize through our hotel, but he took us to the Pangani Cultural Tourism Office. For the sake of convenience and because Mr. Africa had been helpful and would probably get a commission, we booked our boat there, after some careful negotiation on my part. Then we hopped on the ferry across the Pangani River and headed to the Beach Crab Resort, another German-run place where we were the only guests.
We stayed at Beach Crab for three nights. It was gray and rainy most of our time there, but still warm and incredibly quiet and relaxing. We went for walks on the beach and read and napped and sang songs and drank gin and tonics and had delicious 3-course dinners. I tried swimming once and the water was warm but there was too much seaweed and sand being brought up by the waves. The worst part was the tap water which made our skin feel waxy and tasted terrible for brushing our teeth. Still it was beautiful and except for some cute and friendly kids who were amused by our coconut horse, there was absolutely no hassle. We could have stayed longer, but Zanzibar was calling.
We stayed at Beach Crab for three nights. It was gray and rainy most of our time there, but still warm and incredibly quiet and relaxing. We went for walks on the beach and read and napped and sang songs and drank gin and tonics and had delicious 3-course dinners. I tried swimming once and the water was warm but there was too much seaweed and sand being brought up by the waves. The worst part was the tap water which made our skin feel waxy and tasted terrible for brushing our teeth. Still it was beautiful and except for some cute and friendly kids who were amused by our coconut horse, there was absolutely no hassle. We could have stayed longer, but Zanzibar was calling.
Defying gravity
After a few days of anxiously waiting for the planes to fly again because some volcano in Iceland decided to erupt, Kate arrived on schedule on Wednesday, April 21. The subsequent two weeks were spent traveling through northeastern Tanzania to Zanzibar. But first, of course, Kate had to learn all about coffee, since she is a barista traveling to an origin country. First stop on Thursday – Kahawa Shamba. It wasn’t much different from last time I was there – we even had the same guide – but we went to a different farm, brewed coffee through a sieve, and got to see a couple red cherries, though still not enough to pick and depulp. After returning from the farm tour, I showed Kate to KNCU and around town, stopping at the Coffee Shop and the market and running into many people I may or may not have known who wanted to talk to me. That night we made dinner and I introduced Kate to Konyagi (local gin) and Bitter Lemon, her new favorite soda.
Friday we headed out of Moshi (finally!) and into the Usambara Mountains. On the bus we sat next to a nice teacher from Lushoto, the town we were going to. In Lushoto we stayed at Muller’s Mountain Lodge, a nice German-run place where the only other guest was an American volunteer-teaching at the local university. We were very welcomed by the friendly staff. After dinner we played cards by the fire while our new friends Stephan and Ramadan watched curiously.
On Saturday we hiked to Irente Viewpoint, stopping en route at Irente Farm for a picnic lunch of farm-made cheese, quark, jam, and rye bread. Kate played with chameleons along the way. At the farm we read a bit about the history of coffee cultivation in the Usambaras. The Germans had tried to grow Coffea Liberica, without much luck, but there are still many coffee trees left in the area for me to have fun spotting and identifying. We spent another night at Muller’s.
On Sunday Mr. Muller dropped us off at the Cultural Tourism Office, where we arranged a guided overnight hike to Carter’s Point, where an American who liked paragliding had built a little cottage at a point at the edge of the mountains overlooking the plains and sisal plantations. After exploring the Lushoto market and eating lunch, we hiked out of town, through ridiculously steep farmland, and before long arrived at the point.
After checking out the view, we napped, and then enjoyed a cup of tea on the porch of our hut as the sun set. After tea we enjoyed a warm shower in a place with no running water or electricity. Rustic luxury. Then we gazed at the stars while waiting for dinner. Unfortunately I was starting to feel ill, probably from something I ate at lunch or the tea water. Kate reports that the food on the top of the mountain was probably the best on the trip, but I only ate a few bites and then went to bed, while Kate stayed up talking to our guide and reading. I was sick in the night but by the morning I felt much better, though not completely. I managed to eat a chapati and drink some smokey water before we started our hike down the mountain. It had rained a bit in the night so the steep slopes we descended were slippery. I basically slid down the mountain.
After hours of walking through beautiful farmland with friendly farmers we finally arrived in Mombo, the town on the main road where we’d be getting the bus. I’ve never been so grateful for flat land, or bottled water. Kate thought the hike was probably the highlight of the trip.
Friday we headed out of Moshi (finally!) and into the Usambara Mountains. On the bus we sat next to a nice teacher from Lushoto, the town we were going to. In Lushoto we stayed at Muller’s Mountain Lodge, a nice German-run place where the only other guest was an American volunteer-teaching at the local university. We were very welcomed by the friendly staff. After dinner we played cards by the fire while our new friends Stephan and Ramadan watched curiously.
On Saturday we hiked to Irente Viewpoint, stopping en route at Irente Farm for a picnic lunch of farm-made cheese, quark, jam, and rye bread. Kate played with chameleons along the way. At the farm we read a bit about the history of coffee cultivation in the Usambaras. The Germans had tried to grow Coffea Liberica, without much luck, but there are still many coffee trees left in the area for me to have fun spotting and identifying. We spent another night at Muller’s.
On Sunday Mr. Muller dropped us off at the Cultural Tourism Office, where we arranged a guided overnight hike to Carter’s Point, where an American who liked paragliding had built a little cottage at a point at the edge of the mountains overlooking the plains and sisal plantations. After exploring the Lushoto market and eating lunch, we hiked out of town, through ridiculously steep farmland, and before long arrived at the point.
After checking out the view, we napped, and then enjoyed a cup of tea on the porch of our hut as the sun set. After tea we enjoyed a warm shower in a place with no running water or electricity. Rustic luxury. Then we gazed at the stars while waiting for dinner. Unfortunately I was starting to feel ill, probably from something I ate at lunch or the tea water. Kate reports that the food on the top of the mountain was probably the best on the trip, but I only ate a few bites and then went to bed, while Kate stayed up talking to our guide and reading. I was sick in the night but by the morning I felt much better, though not completely. I managed to eat a chapati and drink some smokey water before we started our hike down the mountain. It had rained a bit in the night so the steep slopes we descended were slippery. I basically slid down the mountain. After hours of walking through beautiful farmland with friendly farmers we finally arrived in Mombo, the town on the main road where we’d be getting the bus. I’ve never been so grateful for flat land, or bottled water. Kate thought the hike was probably the highlight of the trip.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
