Zanzibar

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Linan and I got our open water certification in Malawi in 2 1/2 days. It usually takes 4. It was great to get it out of the way because it was a lot cheaper than doing it in the ocean but we spent all of our time at Kande Beach getting through everything. After leaving, we spent one night in Chipata (spelling?) before heading into Tanzania. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with Malawi. It didn't really live up to its reputation of being the "warm heart of Africa." I guess it's all circumstantial but, for me, the Tanzanians have been much more welcoming.

Tanzania had a hefty and unexpected $100 visa fee (the US state department's website says it's $50). We had two consecutive days of over 10 hours of driving. In between, we stayed at an awesome campsite on the beach on the Indian Ocean. After day two of endless hours in the truck, we reached the capital, Dar es Salaam. Rural Africa is amazing but it felt refreshing to get into a bustling city once again. My tourmate Steve and I went to the US Embassy (the one that was bombed a few years back) for more passport pages while the rest of the group ferried over to Zanzibar.

We later made our own way over to Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar. It's like an Arab version of Venice. Winding, mazelike pedestrian streets. Impossible to not get lost. We ate at the renowned fish market and chatted with more of the countless Canadians found everywhere in Africa. The fish market had plenty of options and it was good, but a little expensive for the standards we've gotten used to (still cheap by home's standards though).

We're checking out of our hotel in Stone Town this afternoon and renting motorbikes to drive up to the north shore to a town called Nungwi. Supposedly there is a bigger backpacker scene there and hopefully more to do at night. Your nightlife options are pretty limited when you're in a place with a 90% muslim population.

Tomorrow, we're going to motorbike down south to do some diving and who knows what else. Our tour is coming to an end and for me, it's only a week left until I get to Kilimanjaro! After that, I'll be in Egypt on August 15th.

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