All good things must come to an end and I was very sorry to have to leave Zanzibar for my next destination of Arusha, Tanzania's safari capital. I have a week or so in Arusha and had already arranged a three day safari trip whilst I was in the UK. I had no idea what I was going to do with the rest of the time.

The ferry from Stone Town to Dar Es Salaam was much quicker this time around, but Arusha is still an exhausting 11 hour coach journey away. I was lucky that I had booked a luxury coach for this leg of the trip.

First morning in Arusha I decide to explore, however I am stopped in my tracks by a tout trying to sell me a Kilimanjaro trek or a safari. I don't have time for a Kili trek (minimum duration is 5 days) but we discuss a 3 day Mount Meru trek. Mount Meru is Tanzania's second largest peak at 4566m and dominates the Arusha skyline. I am tempted by this possibility so we agree a price of $575 (after much haggling - which I am growing accustomed to but find quite tedious) and arrange to meet later in the day to fit me out with some trekking gear as I have no sleeping bag, coat, walking boots etc - you get the picture!

I take lunch at a place called Via Via (very good) and eat with an interpreter from Cameroon working at the Rwandan war crimes tribunal which sits in Arusha. This was more than coincidence as I was on my way to the tribunal anyway. There are three courts, one is adjourned, the second is handing down a judgement (I tried to get in but the public gallery was full!) and the third has some evidence in chief from a prosecution witness which I observe for a couple of hours. It was very interesting, but I can't help thinking that the billions of dollars it has cost could have been better spent elsewhere, leaving the unanswered question "what price justice?".

I head back to meet with my Mount Meru contact and get fitted out for the climb. I am given a load of tatty, fourth-hand trekking gear (yuck!), hand over a $300 deposit and am told to report next day for the trek. God only knows if I'll see this guy again or get up any mountain!!

Back at the hostel I meet 3 good northern guys, Richard, James and George who have just returned from climbing Kili. We grab some dinner, down some beers and head to a local bar (it is karaoke night!) to watch some champions league action. Sorted!