Blogs from Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa - page 14

I take back every bad word I ever said, and every bad thought I ever had, about Stone Town. Well, not every single one, but most of them. It's not a bad old place, really. We went back there today and we had a couple of hours to kill before catching the ferry to the mainland. I had resolutely decided to stay inside and catch up on some blogging and banking, more to avoid being assaulted/groped/offered drugs than because my to-do list was particularly urgent. But in the end I headed out with Sarah and Rebecca to explore the Stone Town labyrinth some more and give it a second chance. We found ourselves in the shopping district, where men and women wove at looms inside dimly lit rooms, and the shop doorways were awash with colourful ... read more

It takes less than three minutes to form an opinion about someone you have just met. I believe that something similar must be true for places as well, because it didn't take long for me to decide that I didn't like Stone Town. I'm not sure what, exactly, made me decide this. It might have been the anti-tourist man who shouldered into me so violently, and deliberately, that at home he'd be arrested for common assault. It might have been the eight year old girl who ran up to me and Rebecca and groped us. It might have been the cockroach in our room. It might have been the smell of old fish and sewage that roiled through the streets and choked me when the breeze picked up. Or, I don't know, but it might even ... read more

First, a few housekeeping notes. Digestive functions all ok (sorry to disappoint you Gordon); malaria meds' side effects - none to speak of to date; except for one tee shirt lost somewhere on Zanzibar, all items still in hand. Attempts to tone down the blond hair have rather failed - sun too strong and hot; upside is a nice tan (already). Am still in awe of the heat; consistent mid-thirties temps and have finally become accustomed to always sweating (although the many pools and ocean we have encountered so far have helped immensely). On to Zanzibar. We flew to the island with our safari companions - Mon's sister Carol, her husband Christian and daughter Calista (all currently living in Dar), Christian's sister Christine (visiting from Paris) and Joanne, an Ottawa friend of Carol's. Our happy little ... read more

Stone Town is one of the most amazing places and we couldn’t get enough of it. The old town takes you back in history at least a few hundred years. Nothing has changed since it is now a world heritage site and for good reason. Stone Town is the heart of Zanzibar and is surrounded by the clear blue/green sea, narrow streets, high buildings and multicultural people which gives it an own charm to this place. We were walking through a maze to find the right exit and every wrong turn is leading to something fantastic – awesome spices paradise, colorful cloths’ shop, tasty restaurants, an interesting and crowded night food market and absolutely amazing view towards the crystal clear sea. Of course it is quite touristic and especially around Christmas but it is possible to ... read more

Hi folks. Just a quick update from the stunning island of Zanzibar. Clear blue seas and sunshine. Possibly my favourite beaches ever. Anyway, we have been travelling down from nairobi overland. Can't quite believe how many different kinds of scenery there have been. First we travelled down to arusha in Tanznia. By the sounds of it, a good time to get out of Kenya following the troubles with Somalia. We went on safari to the Ngoro Goro crater; a caldera with its own ecosystem. Then we went to the serengetti and saw the big five in one day. Inlcuding lions in trees and leapard cubs. Unfortunatley wrong time for the wilderbeast migration. Can't really complain. We then travelled down through dar es salaam to the ferry and then accross to Zanzibar. For anyone thinking about it, ... read more