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Diary - Zanzibar (5th Oct to 10th Oct)
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After six months on the road we have decided to have a little holiday and give Gweneveer a well deserved rest. So with her safely tucked away at Sunrise Camp just south of Dar-es-Salaam we packed our bags. Giving us an insight to the weird and wild world of backpacking and set off for Zanzibar.
It didn’t take long before the hassle started with everybody following and trying to sell you stuff. Unfortunately at this point we were still on the mainland trying to buy ferry tickets, being followed about by half a dozen touts, all trying to sell you something you can simply walk up to an official kiosk and buy! Once boarded and found what we thought were good seats, until someone sat in the seat in front of Katie, making it fly back into her forehead. Of course this collision of head and seat happened a couple of times as both kept forgetting the chair was knackered.
Our first few days of backpacking were nice and easy as we didn’t need to worry about finding somewhere to sleep. Instead we were made welcome by Luis, a Austrian guy we met during our Gorilla Tracking adventure. This not only did wonders for our budget, as Zanzibar is surprisingly expensive, but provided two really nice evenings. The first was made heavenly by our first Indian Curry House, the Spice Route, since we left home and were joined by some more local workers. It is surprisingly nice to just relax in a home as well, making us think back to Jordan.
It didn’t take long to slip into being proper holiday makers and a trip to Zanzibar would not be complete without the infamous ‘Spice Tour’. Opting for a group tour we clambered into a little mini bus with fourteen other people and headed off on an organised tour. The trip involved travelling to different locations to then wander around and see how the different spices grow and what they actually look like in their raw form. Our knowledgeable guide was excellent; pulling off different leaves, fruits and flowers for us to smell or chew, most looking nothing more than weeds or normal leaves we would have gone straight past. Some were wonderful, giving mouth watering aromas or tastes, while others like Cloves simply turned the stomach and where quickly passed on to the next person. Our favourite was cinnamon, the smell was delightful but when you see that it comes from the bark of the tree you end up a little stunned. Why we don’t think of it at home but when they then go on to say the Cinnamon Sticks are literally that, sticks, you can’t help but laugh. You realise that there are so many things we take for granted and don’t really think of where or how they are grown. Along with a tasty lunch we also got to try all of the locally grown fruits, including Jack Fruit, which has become a favourite.
Stone Town is an amazing town, especially when compared to anything else that Eastern Africa has on offer. In most parts it is in a fairly run down state, but it was great to get back to seeing some interesting buildings and highly elaborate wooden doors. The only thing that lets the town down a bit is the hassle from shop owners as you wind through the narrow alleys through all the buildings. Of course this is also a risky business as you end up being chased by scooters or cyclists flying round the narrow streets beeping frantically.
With nothing holding us in town any longer it was time to head to the beach and see what all the fuss is about with beach holidays. Travelling around the island is limited to two choices when heading to Nungwi at the very north of the island. Either you use the tourist buses, costing 13000 Shillings ($10) or a local bus at the very reasonable cost of 1500 Shillings ($1.20). Safe to say we stuck to the true backpacking style and opted for the local bus. By African standards it was excellent, with 90% of people having a seat to them selves and all four tyres stayed on the ground while going around corners. After an hour and half journey we were dropped off at our turning for Kendwa. Once we had reached the coast and seen some accommodation we decided that we would spoil ourselves and instead of going completely budget we stayed in a nice air conditioned, four poster bedroom with our own balcony. Having settled in and stocked up our fridge we made a mad dash for the beach and jumped straight in. |
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The beaches are picture postcard of pure soft white sand that cups your feet as you sink into its warm depths. As if the beach wasn’t perfect the colours of the water was just breathtaking, giving a kaleidoscope of blues, greens and turquoise. The only let down being slightly disappointing snorkelling as the visibility was not great.
Instead we decided that we would go out on another excursion, this time on board a wooden Dhow to the nearby island of Mnemba. The island is supposedly home to some of the best snorkelling around Zanzibar. As we climbed on board Katie decided we would go on the top part of the boat to give us both the sun and a raised view. The other plan was it gave us a perfect chance to dive into the sea from our exciting elevated position. However Katie shocked herself as she didn’t realise quite how far up it was.
Even though the water is not as clear was other places that we have snorkelled in, but it was still a lovely spot to dive. The quantity of fish was great and the visibility was much better than our beach spot. There were plenty of black and white Zebra fish that seemed far from shy and loved to get within inches of us, acting like they had never seen a human before. We virtually had to try and scare them off by frantically waving our arms so we could see what other treasures lied beneath. Steve did manage to get his own little amusement by watching Katie trying to dive down to see a tiny octopus. Her rather buoyant body is not designed for going under water and for all the effort her toes were always still at the surface. This was the first time we had also used flippers, which made swimming about so easy and meant you could follow effortlessly any schools of fish as they darted around the coral.
We spent three wonderfully relaxed nights at Sunset Beach Resort in Kendwa, which ended up slightly exceeding our daily budget. This just resulted in amusement and confusion for the restaurant staff as we shared lunch and dinner, something that must not happen with many tourists as we would get very strange looks from the staff. The beach had a wonderful West facing position that made for lovely sunsets over the ocean. We even tried to have a romantic sunset walk along the beach, until Katie decided to have an in depth conversation with a Masai Beech Boy about their culture and how it is changing, leaving Steve nothing else to do apart from take photos.
The highlight to Zanzibar was not the beaches, or Stone Town or even the treat of being in a hotel for a few nights but was the amusement you get on public transport. The journey back to Stone Town was even better than before as this time we bravely took a Dala-dala (local minibus). In affect the minibus was nothing more than a pickup truck with a bench each side and a roof. The idea is simple, cram as many people in as possible and the entire luggage or fish. We were so tightly packed in that you could feel the pulse of the person sat next to you through your legs. When you think that it must be full, the driver pulls to a halt and in jumps someone else. This after all is Africa, a country that is so laid back until it comes to transport where is becomes a death deifying race to be there quickly. So rather than waiting another minute for the next Dala-dala, an old lady climb up when there was literally no space. Determined and with a cheeky grin she stuck her bum out started to reverse and just wiggle from side to side until she was happily wedged in! Of course this still meant that she was suspended in mid air, about 3 inches from the seat. No one seems to mind the chaos and everyone is very friendly and accommodating, making room for others whilst helping people in and out.
After another quick look around Stone Town we decided to return home to Gweneveer. Unfortunately this meant climbing aboard a Catamaran Ferry, during rough seas. It was only twenty minutes before people were starting to be ill and dragged outside by the staff. In fact it was odd that Katie was the one suffering a little, whilst Steve was fit as a fiddle (normally Steve gets sea sick easily).
It is odd when we are so far from Gloucester that we get the exact same happy feeling returning to our tent as we would do after any time away before. |
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