Je Dois Partir

(These blog entries run in chronological order from the bottom of the page. Different months can be accessed from the links to the right hand side.)

The next day, we head back to Tanzania. I sit by the driver. The sky is blue and the sun is high. Women walk at the edge of the roadside in brightly coloured attire. Boys stack fruit, ready to sell to passersby. Rich vegetation grows at either side of the road. A tiny chicken runs along the road for a little while, in front of us. The driver laughs and over takes it. The road is wide and doesn't appear to have any lanes established. People, cyclists, animals and vehicles move wherever they like. Carts are pulled by oxen. We overtake motorbikes. The air is scented with spices. We get the ferry back to Dar Es Salaam. A couple of days later I fly home. It has been an incredible adventure.

Zanzibar

The next morning, we sail to a marine conservation area about an hour and a half off the coast of Zanzibar. I've never seen so many fish in my life. It's spectacular. The zebra fish are particularly inquisitive. On the way back, we stop off at a deserted beach. Wading in to shore, the water is shallow and is much hotter than I've experienced so far. It's exactly like the temperature you would take a bath at. I eat fresh pineapple, mango and rice.

White Sands and Turquoise Seas

We leave Stone Town early. We pass by Dr. Livingstone's house. In the 19th century, Zanzibar had a bustling slave and spice trade. The slave trade was eventually abolished in 1873. We travel to a spice farm. We taste many different leaves, fruit and roots - many of which go on to form well known spices. We taste turmeric, lemon grass/ citronella, annatto, papaya, cardamon, ginger, guava and more. I love the mimosa plants. When you poke their leaves, they close suddenly. It's as if they're more than just plants and have feelings or something. They don't like being poked. One of the spice farm workers scales a coconut tree and throws down fresh coconuts. Another man cuts these open with a machete. We drink from these. Delicious. I notice that the milk and flesh taste much nicer from the more ripe coconuts. Chewing on fresh cinnamon bark is amazing also. We taste different exotic fruits and teas in the shade at the top of a hill at the spice farm. Masala tea, Lemongrass tea and ginger tea. The views around us are full of tropical trees and rich greenery.

We eat lunch in a traditional Zanzibar home. We take off our shoes when entering. The lady who owns it appears to have a tailoring business also... scraps of material are piled high at the edge of the room. We sit in a circle on the floor and large bowls of food is served. The main course consists of octopus stew. I have the vegetables which are infused with many different spices. After lunch, we travel to the north eastern shores of Zanzibar. We do see poverty a long the way. It makes me very grateful for what I have back home. The shores which we reach are truly paradise. The sands are snow white and the water is warm and is a surreal shade of turquoise. I sleep in a carved wooden four poster bed that night, with sheets which are the same bright colour as the water.

Stone Town

The next morning, we travel on a commuter ferry across an inlet in Dar Es Salaam. At the other side, there's a long walk to the ferry port where we need to depart from to get to Zanzibar. The ferry ride to Zanzibar takes around two hours. I spend most of the journey outside. There's very few people here. I sit near the bowsprit and there's a strong breeze. Along the way, I see many flying fish. They're incredible and can stay out of the water for quite some time, as they skim along just above it. Dolphins pass the port side of the boat. As we get closer to Zanzibar's capital, Stone Town, tiny tropical islands emerge along the horizon. Turquoise seas and snow white sands greet us. We're here. Stone Town is also known as Mji Mkongwe (which is swahili for 'old town').

We wander down the ancient winding narrow streets, which are full of carved wooden doors and colourful walls. Zanzibar is a mixture of Middle Eastern and African culture and architecture. Later that evening, we watch the sunset at Mercury's along the sea front (a bar named in honour of Freddie Mercury, who was born in Stone Town). It's lit by candles and a warm breeze blows in from the sea. The night markets down town are alive and eclectic. I get to help making pizza and I taste freshly made sugar cane juice for the first time. It tastes like lime and ginger mixed together. I like it. Lanterns light the night market. Zanzibar does not have electricity right now, so the dark alleyways can be dangerous places. After another drink at Mercury's, a small group of us make our way back to the hotel along the winding narrow dark streets. The night is clear and the stars shine brightly. The hotel's generator is working so I catch up on news of the outside world through the television in my room. A landslide in Uganda has killed hundreds and an earthquake has happened in Chile. Tomorrow we have an early start as we head to to the north eastern shores.

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Today, we leave for Dar es Salaam. It's an eight hour drive away. We stop at a shopping centre on the edge of the city. It's the first piece of modern civilization we've seen in weeks.

Soon we see the Indian Ocean. It's a contrast to the plains of the Masai Mara and Serengeti. We stay at a beach camp tonight. I choose to upgrade from my tent, to a beach hut for a few dollars. No more tent assembling on this trip!. Something which I'll both miss and enjoy. The beach camp is pretty, with white sand and it has coconut trees at the edge. I go for a swim in the ocean. The water is warm. Amazing. While I write this, I'm now outside at the candlelit bar with my sketch book beneath a starry sky. Led Zeppelin's Rock n' Roll plays in the background. I make my way across the sands to the beach hut. I see a man holding a large gun. Phew, he's just there for our protection. His dark skin blends in with the night. I briefly got a fright when I saw him first in the moonlight. I find a huge millipede in the beach hut. I carefully coax it into the waste paper basket. I take it away from my hut. JUST as I'm giving it it's new found freedom, away from my bed, a couple return to their beach hut... and they see me outside their hut with a bin and a giant millipede (which is now casting an even larger shadow thanks to the beach camp's outdoor lighting) all looking very suspicious indead. I wish them good night and make a quick get away. Tomorrow we leave for Zanzibar.