Sunday, February 17, 2013

Tanzania - Zanzibar (days 10-14)

Our hotel transfer was waiting for us at arrivals (phew) and the drive to Breezes on the SE side of the island took an hour.  We passed a lot of shanty-towns, cows and “dalla dallas” (overcrowded pick-up trucks that provide a means of local transport).  The island is predominately Muslim as well, so long robes and headscarves was the norm.  



We finally made it to the hotel and it was beer-thirty!  After a quick shower and change we all met up in the pool’s bar and enjoyed the sea breeze and view of the Indian Ocean.  Here, low tide is good for long walks all the way to the outer reef and swimming is only possible at high tide.  The beach was nice for strolling or bike riding at any time.  I must say, it was very pretty, but I was somewhat underwhelmed.  I was hoping for pristine, white sand beaches but the seaweed (which they harvest here) was more abundant than I expected.  It was definitely relaxing though and a perfect way to wind-down after the safari!




We mainly chilled out poolside or down at the beach under thatched umbrellas during the day, met up for drinks in the evening, gorged ourselves at dinner and then went to bed – rinse and repeat!   You’re basically pretty stuck at the resort as there’s nothing nearby except other hotels.  A different type of live entertainment was provided each night, from various bands to a “chill out party” to acrobats (somewhat cheesy, but older couples danced on the band nights, which was cute).  It catered to all types, from newlyweds to families with small children and everything in between (this was one of the bigger resorts with 70 rooms).
 





One day we went into Stone Town (the old part of Zanzibar City) which is on the other side of the island near the airport.  We were sure to take a picture of our taxi’s license plate, who was going to meet us in the same sport at the fish market at promptly 3:00 PM.  Can’t be too careful here!  The architecture in Stone Town is a fusion of Arabic, African, European, Indian influences and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It’s a labyrinth of little winding alleys and the carved wooden doors are its true gem.  It was dirty and pretty crumbly, but also interesting and diverse.  We bought some souvenirs, enjoyed a snack on the beachfront, wandered through the alleys and ended with coffee/tea at the Serena Inn.  Everyone was actually really friendly and we had to ask for directions a few times.  The alleys didn’t have street signs or anything!  By some stroke of luck or magic, we made it back through the unmarked alleys to the fish market where we started, to meet up with the taxi.  

 






We also went snorkeling one morning and the German guy we met on safari was there too, small world!  The lagoon was approximately 8 KM up from the hotel.  The snorkeling gear was a bit unwieldy for me (didn’t fit so great) but we did see a lot of fish and the water was like bath water, so warm.


On our last afternoon Matt and I took a final stroll up the beach at low tide.  Upon returning, there was a message waiting for us.  Apparently, our flight was delayed and we had to get on an earlier flight in order to make our connection in Dar es Salaam to Zurich.  They gave us 15 minutes to shower and change!  Luckily we were ready, but being so rushed was no fun at all.  And then on the way to the airport, our taxi driver stopped first for gas and then for some fruit!  Guess we weren’t in too much of a hurry.  Upon arrival at the airport, the airline was confused but issued us a handwritten ticket.  Good enough for me!  The fine print on our initial booking form said “flight times are estimates and may vary depending on routes”.  I guess “Air Excel” isn’t so excellent after all!  It was fine, but when we arrived in Dar es Salaam we walked down a sketchy corridor with hanging wires and then couldn’t check in for our Swiss flight since the airport has only a few counters to use.  Ugh, and the waiting area was *outside*!  So random.  Molly and Shaun didn’t have any better luck when they left the following day.  Their flight was delayed as well and they were stuck sitting at the teeny tiny airport in Zanzibar for several hours.  Oh, the joys of traveling in developing countries – patience is required.  We heard horror stories of lost luggage too, but we all got our luggage, phew.


Upon our arrival in Basel (where it was snowing - brrrrr), Matt took our luggage home and I went straight to my German class!  Fun stuff. 

All in all, it was an absolutely amazing experience!   We’re so glad we had the opportunity to go to Africa – all the research/planning/coordination it took as well as the vaccinations and meds we loaded up on was well worth it!

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