On the road again...
If the first part of the trip was challenging, this part was more so! The roads were bumpier, the car was smaller and we drove for hours...make that 14 hours in one day. We were sooo glad to see the hotel and didn't have any desire to see the car again!
 | | Usambara Mountains |
We drove about four hours from Tanga on the Indian Ocean to the Maramba area to get to one of the zircon mines high up in the beautiful Usambara Mountains. The area is largely unspoiled. We followed a narrow path keeping our arms inside the vehicle since the bushes were covered with thorns! At last we were at the mine...
 | | Happy Mother Camp |
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Zircon is found in alluvial deposits so mining is done in relatively shallow trenches dug with shovels.
 | | Alluvial Zircon Trenching |
Trenches are dug all over an area expected to have zircon. It's like a maze maneuvering around the trenches and not falling in!
 | | Sieving for Zircon |
Everything dug from the trench is put in the homemade sieve. Usually two men shake the sieve for the smaller pieces to fall out. The rest is dumped in a pile at the side of the trench for the sorting to begin.
 | | Roger Sorting Zircon at the Mine |
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