Zanzibar at last

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In the heat of the day, it feels as though my skin is melting off of my body. But I'm not complaining, I know that soon enough I'll be back in NYC shivering, wishing for a good sweat. I'm spending a few days in Stonetown before I head north for some beach time. I arrived here yesterday, exhausted after my early morning balloon ride, rising up with the sun over the Serengeti. (It was spectacular!!) I had a nice rooftop dinner under the stars at my hotel lastnight, and then went to bed nice and early. While I was eating (yummy spicy meatballs soaked in a curry sauce) the power went out all over the city for about 5 minutes...long enough to stare up into the night sky in awe, listening to the hoots and hollers of the city below me. Today I was up early, and I've been wandering around all day, mesmerized by the sights around me. It's really a fascinating city. The labyrinth of streets and alleys, filled with shops and beautifully ornate doors makes getting lost fun. It's not that big of a city, so I've covered a lot of ground so far today, and I'm on my way back out to pick up a pair of sandals that a man is making for me. I popped into the doorway of a shoe shop, where the cobbler was sitting on the floor with his tools and piles of leather,...when I found a pair that I liked and they were not the right size, he said he could make them for me in about three hours. He traced my foot,...took some measurements, all for about $13 bucks. I didn't even try to haggle with him...I felt like I was robbing him! Now I only hope I can find the shop again. Tonight I think I'll go out to the waterfront park, where they have live music and lots of food and entertainment all around...so much to do!

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