GF Adventures

GF in Tanzania

By Michele Wallick

Flying into Tanzania was an unbelievable site as the plane circled around Kilimanjaro Mountain approaching the airport. Kili, as the locals call it, stands 15,100 feet tall straight up from the plains. Climbing Kili had always been a dream and now we were faced with this becoming a reality. My husband and I just laughed at each other as we met people on the flight that had already climbed to the base of Mount Everest and are now going to climb Kili. We had trained for months and were very excited when the day finally arrived.

The language barrier and gluten cross-contamination had already been an issue from day one when we started the climb. My first packed lunch contained a roll, cookies, and some type of rice ball that no one could tell me what it was made from… I knew I was in trouble. My husband and I searched for months to find a tour company that claimed they knew how to deal with a gluten free diet… they were very wrong. They were making me soups from “flavor packages” and telling me they weren’t adding flour. By time I read the soup packages, I had already been sick for days. The first ingredient listed on the flavor package was wheat flour proceeded by the word “gluten” in parenthesis. Most of the staff were unable to read which led to most of the problems. I focused on eating rice, vegetables and fruit. I was able to climb more than half way up the mountain (5 days total) until I hit a point where I was too sick from gluten to continue. Unfortunately, I had to rely on others for my food. This was the first time in two years that I was unable to carry food with me as a back-up plan. This was very difficult for me because of my newly created philosophy of “self-sufficiency” after being diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

However, the following weeks proved to be some of the most enjoyable memories of my life. It just shows you that you have to go through the valleys in life to appreciate the “highs” of the summits. The next phase of our adventures started in Arusha. Arusha is a northern city in Tanzania surrounded by famous landscapes and national parks. Our stay at Ilboru Safari Lodge (www.ilborusafarilodge.com) downtown was wonderful considering Ad Van Beurden , the chef and hotel manager, really understood the gluten issue. Ad was one of those people that you remember for a lifetime. His smiles and attitude just exuded his true character that was full of life. He sat down at every table and shared his life experiences cycling around the world. He truly found joy in talking about my food preferences and found pride in making me meals that I could trust. Changing out the oil for me in the fryer was not an issue if I had a craving for french fries. Ad’s signature dish was a Swahili sampler of 10 different dishes. He only had to switch one of the dishes to ensure a gluten free dinner. From Arusha we visited rice fields and local villages to gain an appreciation for the different tribes in the area.

The most memorable lodging experience was the Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge and Children’s Home (www.rhotiavalley.com). The lodge is owned by Marise Koch and her husband. They are two retired Dutch doctors that feel in love with the people of Tanzania and decided to devote their lives to making a difference for the children in the villages. The overall mission was to supplement the current educational opportunities by building a home for children that would teach them extra-curricular activities and emphasize learning English. All of the profits from the lodge are used directly to support the school and the children’s needs. The lodge itself is an open air family room with the kitchen and dining room for all the guests. It’s situated on top of the hillside looking down onto the gorgeous views of the valley. Faced with my gluten free requests, Marise’s chef created delicious orange zest corn flour crepes for breakfast. The gourmet meals were spectacular in taste, presentation, and all gluten free! All of the safaris could be taken as day trips from the lodge.

The safaris in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and the Tarangire National Park
were spectacular. One of the most amazing experiences was when we were stopped on the road and the animals surrounded our terrain vehicle. There were literally thousands of wildebeests and zebras in every direction. Our lion count was up to 48…including a 10 second mating encounter. There were herds of elephants as far as you could see. However, the most inspiring site was a group of giraffes galloping in the distance against the backdrop of the orange and red sky as the sun was setting. Absolutely amazing!

Traveling throughout Tanzania can be a relatively safe gluten free experience. However, I would highly recommend not traveling with a major tour company. Instead, I would select a gluten free “safe zone” (such as Ilboru Safari Lodge and Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge ) to operate as your home-base. Both of these lodges can recommend trusted and reliable local tour guides for all of your needs. Have fun on planning your gluten free African adventures!

Michele Wallick was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in December 2006. Michele is currently sailing across the south Atlantic with her husband to raise funds for Celiac awareness. All donations will be used to create an educational package for general practitioners. You can follow Michele’s GF adventures on her website.