Zanzibar

Oldest Church in Africa, built where the Slave Market was

Fishing Boats

Allyways of Stonetown

On the Spice Tour

Street Food by Night

My Hammock

The fierce breeze off the ocean kept me cool in the hot equatorial sun. One leg dangles off the edge of the hammock, my big toe pushing a little so I swung back and forth to the rythm of the surf crashing in the distance. The tide goes out for hundreds of meters, leaving behind pools of turqouis water and stranded old fishing boats. Wooden pegs dot the choral patterns, and fishermen and women glide through them, their colorful kangas and dark skin a stark contrast to the blinding white sand.

I have found Paradise.

The Indian ocean is like bath water, startlingly warm in the late afternoon. Beach days spent reading, relaxing, riding bikes down the long stretch of sand, and eating food infused with exotic new flavours. It took awhile to make it to the beach, with four nights spent in Dar Es Salaam and another five in Stonetown, the capital city of Zanzibar. Christmas was special, spent with a wonderful Tanzanian family who welcomed us with uncontested hospitality. We ate traditional foods and learned how to cook them, too: a cultural exchange worth the sleepless hot sticky nights in Dar. Stonetown was absolutely magical. Winding streets filled with the influence of Portugeuse, Arabic, African and German pasts. Calls from the mosques echoed through the narrow allyways as vendors with a wide selection of treasures called out “looking is free!”. The history and blend of cultures pulsated through the city. To be honest, it was nice to have other tourists around as I got to be more annonymous again. The highlight was street food, a medly of cooking stalls and drinks in the dark night on a road filled with people and a carnival-like atmostphere. The Zanzibar pancakes alone would be worth going back for.

But the best was the beach. We stayed at Paradise Beach Bungalows on the southeast coast – a quieter stretch of beach than the north where I spent New Years at an all night beach party (after some fun daladala rides to get up there). At one point I lay in the sand completely alone in my own patch of tranquility. Masaii played Bow with me and I enjoyed the hammocks strung between rustling tall palm trees. Long walks down the seashell filled beach in the light of the cresent moon were peaceful and beautiful. Zanzibar was all the magic I heard it would be.

It was lonely, though. Christmas just wasn't the same without my family. I am trying to get better at enjoying experiences for and with myself, but so far it just hasn't been as wonderful as sharing it with loved ones. Many times throughout the trip I caught myself thinking “so and so would love this!” or “I wish ___ was here”. Now I know I'm capable of doing it on my own, and in the future I'll choose together. It's just more fun that way. Until then, I'll keep sharing my experiences through words and pictures and soaking them up while I can.