2013 - OCEANIA - DAR ES SALAAM & ZANZIBAR

DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA.

I passed through here last year and it has the most chaotic airport I have ever experienced. Beats Frankfurt even.

Not too much to say about my time here.
We seemed to drive round & round in circles trying to get around the construction that is going on everywhere. That's probably a good sign by not when you are trying to get from A to B.

Did see this in down town though. Not your average supermarket...



And we went to a place where people were making the stuff to sell to tourists...see the pile of wood on the guys head?



Some really great looking artwork

This looks like Stone Town to me..

& we visited a wood carving area .The men sit on the floor holding wood  between their feet while chiseling away. Lots of works goes into all that stuff the tourists try to buy for peanuts. 

The pee stop was at another swanky hotel with a great looking pool

Sat on deck taking in the harbour life &

ferries crossing back & forth. They can certainly pack the passengers on board.

Getting tired now. Two more stops and we get a rest out at sea for 2 days.
Zanzibar up next. I was there last April & stayed around Stone Town & my resort.

ZANZIBAR, TANZANIA

THE SPICE ISLAND

This time Sandy & I are taking a private tour across the island to visit a village & see the ladies farming seaweed with a side trip to see the famous Red Colobus Monkeys in the Jozani forrest.

Our day did not start out too well.

The non-English speaking driver kept driving around Stone Town, stopping at various places, disappearing into buildings or talking on the phone.  We had no idea what he was up to but it was enjoyable just waiting, stationary in the car watching the world go by.
Eventually a guy poked his head in the window & started chatting & then to my surprise, gets in the car. Turns out he's our guide. They had forgotten we had a booking & brought this guy in from retirement to guide us. We stop at a market for him to pick up some food for us & finally start to cross the island.

We stop for the guide to go into the bush to show us something - I forget what.

& then we stop at this place....

where this lady & baby appear & the guide asks for permission to go round her garden.

This looks like an overgrown weed patch to me but turns out to have an amazing assortment of spices & herbs



Close by there were 3 or 4 ladies setting up a little roadside stall with what looked like food so I had the guide take us over for a chat & see what's cooking. Potato stew - I think - too much for me so the driver finished it off. I think Sandy was a little taken aback that I was eating it. Tasted ok to me. Spent a little time with the ladies & their kids & off again only for the guide to realise he had lost his cell phone. So - back to the first stop. No way is he going to find his cell in this jungle but Sandy says it probably dropped out when he reached up into the tree & she suggests he phones his number from another phone & lo & behold, finds his phone.

Back on the road & across the island we get to the beach....


& a visit to the practically devoid of life, Jambiani village

where we visit these two making stuff from coconuts. Mother & daughter. Did not think the old lady would be able to get down on that little stool.


This was being cooked in their place...glad we didn't eat here. A bit too stone age.

A wander around the village which was still strangely empty of people but did have some livestock..



Then a quick chat with the local witch doctor - really - he showed us herbs & such that he uses. I think we woke him up so we did not stay long, just in case - ......


Then back to the beach for the seaweed farming...



The sticks catch the seaweed as the tide goes in & out.

A Japanese guy introduced it a few years ago & the entire crop gets sent off to Japan.

Someone is making cash out of this but I doubt it's the Zanzibaris.

Does look nice though..


 The guide was born in the village so he was saying hi to everyone & they were all smiles to us. We had a meal in a shack with sand for the floor

then came outside where a few kids were shining up the tree to get our coconut desert. 

& we really lucked out with the monkeys as soon as we got to the forest.

and crabs in a mangrove swamp

We also lucked out with the weather. Others who were at the forest got drenched while we never got wet at all. Except when I went walking out to sea to see the seaweed.

Fairly flew back to the ship as the guide wanted to make sure we made the ship in time. I would not like to drive here. Just hold on & trust the driver.

A good trip but Zanzibar is not everyones cup of tea. Hot & not exactly the cleanest place on the planet. Very Muslim. Very exotic. I like it. 
Wonder how my mum would have liked living there for 2 years. Probably would have loved it.
My dad had an offer to come here when I was about 11, but he declined.

Mombasa Kenya tomorrow, except it's been cancelled. Surprised it wasn't cancelled ages ago but the US state department have just issued an advisory. Pirates? Terrorism? who knows - it's a nice break anyway. 

Awfully tiring all this relaxing.