Zanzibar Archipelago

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Trying to describe the beauty that is Zanzibar is a fruitless exercise in wasted energy. So, I will have to refer you to the pictures…

We flew directly from Entebbe, Uganda to Zanzibar on Air Uganda. Overall, the flight experience was extremely positive and I would recommend taking this route rather then overland by bus. Especially, considering the fact that at the same time my friend Emerald’s bus from Kigali to Dar es Salaam was stuck in a ditch with a broken ball bearing and a detached wheel. After spending the night in a field they ended up having to catch rides across the rest of Tanzania. On the other hand I was twenty thousand feet in the air enjoying my in-flight meal of chicken salad sandwich and lemon cake. From the air we got a spectacular view of the Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro. But the best view, however, was the approach into Zbar. At first we saw sandbanks surrounded by all shades of torques to dark blue. Then, we flew over Stones Town and the rest of the Zanzibar Town. After landing we made our way to Pyramid Hotel were Amanda had stayed last time she was here. The hotel is full of character and in a central location close to Big Tree. The view from the rooftop breakfast area is also spectacular affording the guest a great lookout over the rest of the city. That night we set out to find the fish market. Normally in the waterfront park in front of the Old Fort, the fish market has been relegated to the alley between the Old Fort and Zanzibar Cultural Center. Apparently, once a dinner place for all including locals, it now seems to cater primarily to the tourist. Still, it’s a wonderful place to grab relatively inexpensive seafood, a smorgasbord of smells, taste and visual stimulation. After being in Zbar for more then a week, people watching at the fish market remained one of my favorite activities. If you ever get the chance to go, grab a Zanzibar Pizza, you wont regret it. The next day we explored a bit, hung out on the Stones Town beach and organized our plans for the next few days. The following day we rented Vespas to drive around the island. Never having ridden one before, it took some practice to get it down. Luckily, the Vespa rental operator took us to a football field where we could practices shift gears without the fear of crashing into a souvenir table on the street. After a little practice and minimal damage to Amanda’s Vespa we took off heading north. Without realy setting any plans we just followed the road, seeing where it would take us. We figured it is an island after all, we are bound to find a beach at some point as long as we just keep driving. We ended up at Matewme on the Northeast coast of Zbar. Somehow we managed to find the most beautiful beach on the island, and the best part is that we found it completely deserted. Just as everywhere else around Zbar the color of the water is truly remarkable but the sand underneath our feet was close to the texture of flour. After a few hours of lounging and swimming we hopped back on our Vespas and this time took a more direct route back to town. It was an enormously fun day and the whole time I couldn’t help but think how much my friend Anna would have enjoyed zipping around the island on the Italian bikes. The next day we were going to do an island tour on a private boat but that night it started pouring and didn’t stop. Instead we swam in the rain in Stone Town and then watched movies in our hotel room. There was a slight pang of guilt for spending time in our hotel room but we both chalked it up to the fact that it was our vacation and we could do what we wanted. Plus, it was nice to get a little rest from all the sun on the previous day. Next we headed up North to Kendwa for a few days in the Northwest part of the island. After spending a few hours walking between beach resorts we settled on Whitesands. The room was nice with the ultimate luxury of air conditioning but rate was much higher then expected. The following three days were spent in total relaxation. I got the chance to become intimately familiar with the hotel hammocks by the water. I also took the opportunity to get an hour-long beachside message from literally my head to my toes. It was insanely relaxing, and all for less then $8US. After three days we headed south again so that Amanda could catch her flight back to Uganda. Back in Stones Town we found AJ a cab to the airport and then I spent the rest of the day exploring Stones Town’s endless maze of alleys and side streets. They say you having really been to Zanzibar until you have gotten lost among the streets of Stones Town, which I successfully completed. The old city is just chalk full of its unique personality that isn’t Arabian, isn’t Indian, and isn’t African but an intermingled mixture of all of these and more. I am pretty sure it would take months to find all of Zanzibar Town’s hidden treasures. As if it were a schedule routine for changing of the guard, Emerald and her friend Julia came in on the ferry a few hours after Amanda flew out. They regaled me with their hellish travel stories across Tanzania as I showed them to our hotel. We dropped off their bags and then proceeded straight to the fish market for more seafood. The next morning we went down to the beach and hired a private boat to take us on the islands tour. Rather then going to the normal four islands we opted for just the sandbank and snorkeling, leaving Prison Island and Bird Island out of our plans. We purposely got up early and set out before any of the other boats had left so that we would get to the sandbank first. Overnight the waves wash over the sandbank erasing all the footprints from the day before leaving the tiny island in a pristine untouched state. We were excited to be the first to leave our mark. As it turned out we pretty much had the sandbank to ourselves the entire time we were there, but we were still thrilled to stick our flag (a towel on a branch) into the sand at the highest point of the sandbar, claiming it ours, if only for a day. When we had our fill of sunbathing, swimming, and goofing off on the boat, we pulled up the anchor and headed off to a good reef for snorkeling. The Coral was beautiful and we saw a good number of fish but I wasn’t blown away but the quality of snorkeling either, perhaps I’ve just become too spoiled by my trips to Kauai. When we tired of snorkeling we warmed up on the bow of the boat and dried off until the sun started to fall and it was time to head back to Stones Town. Back at the hotel we searched through our travel bags looking for the best possible costume we could create with the few things we had, it was Halloween after all. I dressed as an American tourist complete with a safari shirt, binoculars around the neck, video camera in hand and fanny pack around the waist (for the record it was a money belt, because I would never have a fanny pack with me…) Emmy was a superhero to be named. Julia piled on whatever scarf’s she could find to make her gypsy costume. I was a little apprehensive about going into town with costumes thinking we might be the only one who follow this western tradition. Down the street we bumped into a big group of bizungus who were also adorned in various hastily thrown-together costumes as well. Then when we arrived at the tourist bar we found the whole place was with filled with people who had the same idea. We stayed for a little while dancing in the bar. Overheating, we relocated to the beach with our beers to enjoy the warm night under the stars but instead couldn’t help but watch the drunken study aboard students falling over themselves. Feeling old and exhausted from the heavy dose of sun that day we turned in early for a good night sleep. Plans for the next day were foiled again by rain. That evening we caught the overnight ferry to Dar so Emmy could be at the American Embassy first thing Monday morning. Note to travelers; avoid the overnight ferry at all cost. My trip to Zbar was simply an amazing experience and I will always recommend to anyone who is willing to listen. A week and a half is a long time in one place but I still wish I had a few more days to experience everything the island has to offer. Surely, one day I will be back…

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Photos

Zanzibar Town
Flying over Stones Town

Kendwa
Kendwa at night with the stars above

Sandbank
Our boat at anchor on the sandbank

Playing In the Water
Local boy playing with friends in the water up North

Halloween
Our costumes

Dhow
Fishermen dropping off their days catch on the beach for market

Stones Town
Classic Stones Town alley with a shop