Day 22 - Kendwa, Zanzibar

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After breakfast (toast again and fruit) I boarded a large dhow to go snorkelling!! I sat near the bow and lappd up the weak rays (it was cloudy), Soon we were gliding along not far from the short with a breeze in my hair. we stopped to pick up flippers and a mask and then headed to the island, Mnemba, which we would be snorkelling off. All 11 we arrived at what looked like paradise - white sandy beaches and lush forest. However we could not set foot on the island because it was private (apparently it belongs to Bill Gates). Instead we anchored just off it was jumped into the Indian Ocean. It was heaven - so cool and resfreshing! Underneath the sand was white and dappled with sunshine. In fact it was even more beautiful underwater than above it! Rising away was the coral reef. It was dark green or browny with occasional pink or purple "flowers" or tips. One had red tissue like flowers that maved in the current like they were being tousled by a breeze. I spotted a very large siky black sea urchin and a lrage floppy five legged thing (starfish?) .

As if the coral was not amazing enough - the fish were gorgeous! The most numerous were humbugs - black and white stripy fish that would swim all around you, even pausing to look straight at you before flurrying away! I spotted a beautiful parrot fish which was either green or purple depending on how the light was shining on it. They eat coral and I could see it's big rubbery lips pecking bits off! There were shoals of silver fish with vertical yellow stripes, which looked like darts of light.

I also spied a Dori fih (Finding Nemo) beautiful royal blue and yellow "plumage". They are so thin and almost dissapear when the turn face on! The black and white angel fish were about the size of a dinner plate wih trailing fins - so striking, like handsome waiters in tuxes! There were some long green fish that were really ugly. They could bend in the middle like an eel, and seemed to have no flippers.

As well as these oddities there were huge shoals of little blue, silver and red fish turning this way and that like some sort of large creature, twinkling in the light. I could have stayed all day and watched but my flippers were not behaving and I kept tangling my feet up! Also poeple were getting back into the boat so I went to see why - it was lunch soon!

The trip to the mainland took about 10 minutes to a deserted white beach, with no footprintts. It really felt like we were the first people to step foot on a deserted island! We had tuna with rice and fruit and salad. I did try the tuna, but I don't like fish that much. The rice was deleicous and I stuffed myself with fruit. I was so tired afterwards that I fell asleep on the boach and getting up getting a bit burnt.

We then sailed back to Sunset Bungalows, under sail this time, and I fell asleep in the shadow on the canvas. I woke up just as we rounded the corner to our beach, tingling from the sun. I then jumped straight into the shower to cool off. stayed in for half an hour, loving it, before having a snooze before dinner!

I ate with Michelle - stri fry noodles in a soy sauce (delicious) and had a drink with Vanessa, emily and an Irish chap from our snorkelling. I headed back to my room later, pausing to admire the starts before doing my diary and falling asleep. During the night I had a shower (I was stinging) and went to bed without drying and slept in wet cotton blankets to cool off. I looked like a lobster!

Sunburnt Silly Sally

xxx

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