The Sacred in the Natural World

Some Sunday morning visitors at the TEMBO Guesthouse.

While there are other guesthouses opening up in Longido now that the District Government is located here and the road between Nairobi and Arusha is completed, none compares with the TEMBO Guesthouse. Not by a long shot.

All the others are located on the highway, so welcome to noise and busyness. The TGH sits at the foot of Mt Longido, surrounded by lots of open space, trees, and so many different kinds of colourful birds that you quickly lose count. Welcome to tranquillity.

I sat outside early this morning with my press pot of hot strong Tanzania coffee, partially facing the mountain where the mist was still rising to reveal more and more of the mountain top; and partially facing the land on the other side of the dry river bed, where Maasai cattle were slowing making their way to the water trough for a morning drink.

So many sounds filled the air: roosters announcing that the morning had arrived; the rattle of cow bells in the distance; donkeys making their donkey sound; and the distant songs of the Sunday morning choir coming from the Lutheran Chruch. But it was the near songs of more than a dozen different birds in the trees surrounding me that provided the constant backdrop to every other sound.

A lot of these beauties are
frequent visitors to TEMBO.

I did not have my camera with me, or a bird book, and this was good. I could focus on what I saw and take it all in without being distracted by composing a picture or applying a name. Bursts of colour shot up everywhere then disappeared: teal blue, fluorescent blue, French’s Mustard yellow, oranges, muted reds, rich blacks and dusty blacks, and soft browns streaked with white.

I watched a weaver bird make numerous trips to the TGH garden to pick up one piece of straw at a time and take it to the nest.

In another spot the birds made their way over to the dripping tap coming from the large underground water tank that supplies mountain water to the TGH. A metal tray catches the drops so precious water is not lost.

The TGH is situated off the road
and is surrounded by the natural world.

Inside the guesthouse Carolyne is preparing soft chapattis for the guests and Ashura is passing a wet mop over the floors she has just swept. Oyaya has just come on duty as the daytime watchman replacing Sanjoy who was the night watchman. Here the staff are like family to each other and those who stay here are invited into that warm comfortable circle.

There are so many places in the world to experience the sacred this morning. I am glad I am experiencing it in Longido at the TEMBO Guesthouse. What a gift it is to be here.