Inaugurations, Italians and Indulgent Idleness

---

Question: How many times does one need to go to Zanzibar? Well…… when you are invited along to attend the official opening of the luxurious Italian resort in Kendwa, the answer would be = at least three.

The troublesome trio of Alex, Jessica and myself flew to Zanzibar a few hours before the inauguration to do some shopping in Stonetown. It was Jessica’s first time in Zanzibar but sadly, she only became very familiar with the shopping district of Stonetown (Kenyatta Road), where the touts sneak up and sing “Jambo, jambo bwana, habari, nzuri sana…” in an attempt to convince you to by their CD wares. Alas, while you may not have the musical tracks to blast in your stereo, the noxious noise/song does not quickly leave your brain.

After a few hours of shopping, the difference between male and female was illuminated. Alex was able to buy a variety of different things at the first shop we visited, while Jessica and I spent over an hour selecting colourful kikoys (of course after checking out every major shop). Armed with two hefty bags each (one filled with lovely fragrant spices), we piled into the van headed for Kendwa. One of Alex’s colleagues, Micaela, was so kind to be our tour guide, and provided us with useful information: ”On the left, Zanzibar…… On the right, Zanzibar…… any questions?”

We arrived at Gemma del Este just in time to gorge on the delicious array of foods. Now the combination of Jessica, Alex and myself sometimes have communication issues… that day was no exception. Although the bread and dessert area of the buffet are admittedly very close to each other, I do not understand how Alex confused the ciabatta bread that I recommended he try to be a dessert item fit to be doused in creamy custard sauce??? As payback, we had another miscommunication with the samosa that most definitely was not “vegetarian.”

The inauguration of the resort was attended by the President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, the Honourable President Karume. As far as inaugurations go, it was fairly enjoyable as at least it was in English and surprisingly short. Jessica and I also had some entertainment watching Alex snooze……and so began the sleeping-picture war……

After indulging in some cocktails after the inauguration and exploring the resort, we were back in the dining area for another sumptuous meal. This time we joined a group of Italians and were highly entertained all night by their rather irreverent conversation ( “the one in the blue pyjama, he was sleeping next to the President, the one in the green pyjama”). I think the consensus was that anything said with an Italian accent is far more interesting and amusing…

The next day was all about outdoor activities. I woke up early to swim laps in the deserted upper pool while Jessica went for a run, then in the afternoon, I went catara-ma-ning (say it with an Italian accent, it’s fun). There was a fairly intense beach volleyball tournament going on throughout the day, and I must admit, a few gin & tonics were ordered and consumed at the swim-up bar in the bottom pool. And, of course, there was some lounging on the fabulous beach chairs…… all in all, a very grueling day.

The evening was spent relaxing in the sheesha lounge, which is built on the water, complete with soft Arabic carpets, strong coffee and Moroccan lamps. AND……I finally got that pizza I’ve been craving since May (mmmm....very exciting!). We were also treated to an acrobatic performance (I think the guys had 12 pack abs - crazy strong) and were further diverted by the profound thoughts of ”there are more whys than becauses” and ”there are more little fish than big fish.”

We left the wonderful resort on Sunday morning, feeling very rejuvenated, and headed back to Stonetown to start our tour of the Jozani Rainforest. This is the home of the endangered Red Colabus Monkey (they have no thumbs!!), who are very nimble and photogenic, content to go about their business and ignore the many tourists snapping close-ups. After spending some time trying to capture the quick creatures (blurs, mostly), we visited the boardwalk in the mangroves, and also went on a short hike in the forest. Now our guide was also an herbalist and bombarded us with information on the many, many uses of each and every single shrub/bush/tree within sight. Alex captured his wealth of knowledge succinctly, ”you’ll live to be 100 if you stay in Zanzibar with this guy.”

Avoiding the ever-present touts, we did another quick tour of the shopping district in Stonetown before heading to the airport. Sadly, Jessica’s mission to find kuku a ku paka (don’t ask, I have no idea… and nor do most locals) was not successful, but we did find some good Italian gelato, thus continuing our Italian themed weekend. Arriving back in Dar, we decided to forego any further Italian food and dined instead on yummy giant prawns at the Fishmonger restaurant at Seacliff Village.

As always, the spice islands do not disappoint… I think it is likely that there may be a fourth visit in the works for August??? One can never have too much of Paradise, right?

---