Zanzibar to Malawi

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At the moment I am by Lake Malawi (Kande Beach) after some hefty days of travelling. Lots has happened since my last blog and seeing as I didn't write much then I have a lot to tell you!

We arrived on Zanzibar on the 8th August after spending one night by the beach in Dar es Salaam. It was a beautiful white sand beach with a cool campsite with hot showers - something of a luxury here. The ferry across to Zanzibar takes about 2 hours, during which about half the passengers become very sea sick and wonder why on earth they are putting themselves through this. It was very hot on the ferry and even though I dont get sea sick usually I felt terrible and spent most of the journey on the top deck with my head in my lap and a towel over it because the sun was so hot and I thought I might faint. Finally it was over and we were in Zanzibar and I felt a lot better. We stayed for one night in the capital, Stone Town and in the evening visited the fish market by the sea front for dinner where they have every kind if fish imaginable and cook it right in front of you very cheaply. The next day we were taken on a spice tour of the island where we visited the spice plantations and saw how all the spices we use are grown, many of which I didn't know. For example, vanilla actually comes from the pods of a leafy green vine and black pepper grows in little green balls on a bush like plant.

In the afternoon some of the group went to the north of the island, where we would be staying for the restof our time on Zanzibar but me and some others went to spot some dolphins. We were driven south and arrived at a beautiful beach where the water was so blue everyone went 'ahhhh' when they saw it. We took a boat out and after abou half an hour could spot the dolphins swimming along and jumping out of the waves. Then it was a frantic dash to get all the snorkel gear in order and leap out of the boat and try and get a look at them under the water. The sea was a little choppy and this was harder than you might think because when you are in the water you have no idea where they are. These are proper wild dolphins, not in a sectioned off area. After 2 attempts I still hadnt seen them and was getting a little frustrated but the thrid time we saw them I jumped in just at the right time and when I looked underwater I could see them all swimming beneath me....about 20 dolphins. I swam along with them for about a minute before they out swam me and dashed off...very fast animals! Everyone was really hyped up after that and we managed to do one more successful jump which was fantastic. After this we were driven north to the beaches to rejoin our group which took about 3 hours, more than usual because we got a flat tyre on the way due to the appalling roads. Luckily our driver was quite capable and we had it changed in no time.

The next day I saw the beach next to where we were staying and it was just stunning. Amazing white sand and clear blue water. I chilled out for the rest of the day, played some beach volleyball and sorted out my laundry....all of it was going in so I had to live in my sarong for a couple of days.

On the Saturday of our stay we decided to go snorkelling near to another island just off zanzibar. It was a private island and we weren't allowed to go ashore but could snorkel in the reefs. The island itself was amazing....the most gorgeous one I have ever seen and pretty much perfect. It had the clearest possible water and a long stretch of sand surrounded by coral rich in marine life. We were so close tothe fish and I saw some I never knew existed as well as starfish and some very strange looking coral formations. To top it off we were given a delicious meal of freshly caught tuna before we could do some more snorkelling.

Sunday was our last day in Zanzibar and I decided to visit a nearby island called Prison Island which was originally intended to be used as a prison but ended up vbeing used as a quarentine centre for people travelling from asia to africa to prevent the spread of diseases. Nowadays it has been converted into a resort which is a shame but it is still interested. It is also home to some huge tortoises second only to the Galapagos and one there was 173 years old. These were imported from the Seychelles centuries ago. We did some more snorkelling offthis island which was excellent...the water was a lot deeper here than the previous island we went to and we were able to explore around the reefs.

Later that afternoon we got the ferry back to Dar es Salaam which wasn't nearly as bad as the one on the way our because it was air conditioned. Even so, some people still had a rough time. We stayed for one night at the same campsite in Dar before departing early the next day for a long drive day through Mikumi National Park where we saw some elephants to a lovely campsite which served us a delicious meal and had chocolate brownies for dessert! The day after (15th) we crossed the border from Tanzania to Malawi and drove to Chitimba Beach and then the next day on to Kande beach which is where I am now. On the way we stopped off at a market where they were selling the most beautiful carved wooden items and the famous Malawi chairs, all hand made. I bought the most beautiful table and some other things (dont worry mum, I will be able to carry it as hand luggage or if not, ill send it home!) It was all incredibly cheap.

Today I went on a walk to a nearby village and visited the school and hospital. The hospital can hardly be called that because it doesn't even have one qualified doctor there, only a 4th year medical student, and lacks basic medication such as antibiotics. They have free HIV/AIDS testing here though and the staff do the best they can. The nearest proper hospital is 70K away.

Tomorrow we are crossing the border to Zambia so our stay in Malawi has only been short which is sad because the people here are so nice and it is very laid back. Hopefully Zambia will be just as nice!

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