We decided to overnight again next to the Alpha Hotel in Kabanga. We took our dinner and fixed our internet at the shop opposite the hotel. The next day, we drove towards Mwanza, but the road was terrible. It was a 5-hour journey of heavy off-roading through a rough, bumpy dirt road, following the busy construction of the new highway. So, obviously, we did not make it to Mwanza, and after traveling 121 kilometers from Kabanga, we had to stop for the night at a gas station in Lusahunga (🅿️60,000 TZS).
That night, we discovered that we had left the small bag containing our passport, some other documents, and money at the Alpha Hotel. We attempted to call the hotel, but the number listed on the website was not working. Then we tried to call the police station, which is located just next to the hotel, but they refused to take any action. Then we found a friend of a friend of a local motorbike driver, who went to the hotel and met with the manager. The manager confirmed that they had seen the bag but were unable to explain why the hotel staff did not return it to us while we were still parking in front of the hotel that morning. He also refused to confirm that everything was inside, claiming he would not open the bag. He also refused to give it to our motorbike driver, who was able to provide it to the truck driver driving in our direction. He insisted on giving it to the driver he knows and trusts, and asked for 47000 TZS to do so, which is pretty strange after what we spent there before. Anyway, the only options we had were to drive 5 hours back through terrible roads, hire a car for $ 250 (return trip), or send the manager 47000 TZS online and wait to see if the bag would arrive within 5 hours. To make the story short, the bag really arrived, but the truck driver did not even stop and just threw it out of the window at our designated parking spot at the Lusahunga gasoline station. The passport was there, but no money, so the money was stolen by the manager and probably shared with the driver. That’s why the manager refused to confirm to us what was inside the bag, and that’s why the truck driver did not stop to deliver it to us. It was a rather unusual experience and another valuable lesson we learned in Africa.
It appears that this will not be the last bad experience in Tanzania, as we encountered several gasoline stations and motels that charged exorbitant parking fees, ranging from $100 to $200. So it looks like Tanzania will be another country where they will try to rip us off on every corner.
Parking location – Lusahunga: 2.912181S 31.202721E (🚻)