Friday, March 23, 2007

Chillin' and cookin' on a Zanzibar beach: That's a wrap.

January 2007, Kendwa, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Do you want to go for a walk down the beach?”

“No, it’s too hot.”

“Hungry?”

“No, you?”

“Nope. Pass the sunscreen please sweetie.”

“How’s your book?”

“O.K. I guess. It’s too hot to concentrate.”

“In a few minutes when I get the energy, I’m going to go get a cold Tusker from the bar, want one?”

“Now you’re talking.”

Our final five days in Tanzania were passed in this desultory fashion, on Kendwa Beach, Zanzibar. We swam in the impossibly turquoise Indian Ocean, walked the kilometre down the snow-white beach to the next village (once), had henna designs painted on us by Muslim women walking up and down the beach (yes, even the guys got tattoo-like motifs), read books, and marked our days by moving our chairs to follow the shade under the thatched palapas.

The biggest excitements were rushing after breakfast to bag our favourite palapa near the bar, and betting at dinner whether the meal would arrive in under two hours. It never did. Nor did it matter.

After our safari we had taken a kamikaze bus ride from Arusha to Dar Es Salaam. There we celebrated New Years Eve in the midst of the bigger Muslim holiday Eid-Al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice at the end of Hajj). I discovered the house I had lived in as a teenager is now the parking lot for the new British High Commission. A fine fenced parking lot, with peacocks in it. But still.

We spent a couple of days exploring the spicy historic lane maze which is Zanzibar's Stone Town. It felt more like an Arab Souk than sub-Sahara Africa.


Finally we washed up on Kendwa Beach, and barely moved. After all our adventures, we were just too tired. And it was. just. too. hot.



{This is the last installment of my posts about our 2006 / 2007 trip to Tanzania. Here you can see all of them together. And if you want more info and gorgeous photos, check out our friends and fellow adventurers'web sites about the trip:
G. Vandegriend's web site. The first three photos in this post are his, thanks Hound.
Indra's blog}

8 comments:

robkroese said...

Wow, cool pics.

Voyager said...

Thanks Diesel. Easy to get cool pics in a way cool place!
V.

Alda said...

It sounds utterly perfect. Vacations where the biggest stress is deciding where to go for dinner that night are the best.

Ah. Now I'm dreaming of sand and sun.

Ian Lidster said...

What a fabulous journey and wonderful pictures. Thank you for visiting my blog, and I am grateful that I have found yours and shall come back to call regularly.
Cheers,
Ian

Voyager said...

Alda, I'm dreaming of sun too. Even though these pics were taken only 2 1/2 months ago, it feels like I have not seen sun for years. This is the dreariest, rainiest winter I remember. From your weather reports I see that even Iceland has had better weather than us this winter.

Ian, fellow wet coaster, glad you dropped in. Welcome any time!

V.

Diana said...

Now THAT is the way to end a fabulous vacation! I wish Charles liked warm places and such, but he wilts like an alpine flower. Good thing I get to hear of your travels.

ps: I'm off to email you!

CS said...

We did this trip in May - the safari then four days on Zanzibar. I had a preference for the Sernegeti, just for the sheer amazement of being that close to so many big animals. Looks like you landed on a better beach than I did, where I was often conspicously the only woman in a bathing suit. But it was nice to lounge around and do little but eat great local food.

theOffender said...

brilliant writing. so joyous and colourful. i just remembered why i felt in love with africa first time.