The first thing we do is to get some breakfast going and pack up the tents. The taxi picks us up at 08:20 only. The driver does manage to squeeze four people’s luggage into his car (no mean feat). Back across the ferry, driving on the sidewalk for some whiles, as taxis do.
This time we are quite prepared for the papasi when we arrive at the Zanzibar ferry offices. They still don’t take no for an answer and tempers flare. We are lead into the Sea Star’s offices behind a gate and manage to buy tickets. Having some time to kill, Mattie and I venture out to try and exchange some Kenyan Shillings to Tanzanian shillings. Would you believe that NO bank (and we tried several) would do the exchange?? Even when the counter is clearly marked “beraue de change”? We do eventually locate a small shop that would exchange the currency and complain about all the banks.
Back at the offices in time for boarding. We cast off just before 12:00 and make our 2 hour journey to Zanzibar.
Finally, at around 14:30 we dock in Stone Town. Customs and immigration (I thought Zanzibar was part of Tanzania??) is a joke, but we go through the paces. By 15:00 we’re roaming the streets. Lots of activity around a park area. Turns out we arrived on the official opening of the newly rehabilitated (????) Park. Lots of people and security and official convoys (which almost succeed in running me over. Twice). Walk past Mercury’s on the right, named after Freddie Mercury since he was born and raised on the island. Think his family moved to India and then Britain after that. Very nice place, right on the beach and overlooking the ferry docks, lots of dhow’s and other boats in the water. The water itself is stunning, just light blues and turquoise with white sands, palm trees everywhere. Everything you imagine a tropical island to be, basically :)
The strategy is to locate a hotel and we aim for the Clove hotel first. No luck, it’s full. So instead of lugging these heavy bags around town looking for rooms we take a breather at a restaurant across the hotel and have some lunch. Mattie and Annelie head off in two different directions to find us lodgings while Marietta and I stay with the bags. They eventually return with their findings and after some deliberation we decide on a new place called the Asmimi hotel. Winding through small corridors and old, multi-storey buildings we kind of make our way there with all our gear.
Checkin, shower, relax! What a mission. Not really, it’s just that it’s so damn hot! Good thing the room has aircon.
About Stone Town: it’s a weird place. Many, many many alleys and tight spots winding into each other, lots of activity in the form of people, beggars, scooters, bikes, little Muslim kids returning or going to mosque, prayer calls, the smell of garbage and fish, tourists, papasi, a few cars and taxis, rental shops, more markets. Beyond the din of people is the ocean with it’s perfect colour and fishing boats etc. I’m failing to see its charm though. Many folks we spoke to mentioned that it’s their favourite part of Zanzibar. So far, it’s a ghetto, dotted with upscale 4 and 5 star bars and restaurants where the locals can NEVER afford to go. I’m weird like that, but it feels a bit... wrong. Not unsafe, just, I dunno. Maybe I was expecting something else. It’s early days, it could grow on me.
Before dinner Annelie and I explore some more and have ice cream and one Italian place. Kids playing soccer on the beach, sunset spoiling us rotten. We also find out about motorbike rentals, $20 pp, per day. On the way back we happen past many top, top hotels including Africa House. I pass the manager’s office which was open and call Annelie over. There, on the lady’s desk is a tiny little colobus monkey playing with papers and jumping from table to chair. Annelie effectively melts. After intros (the monkey’s name is Lady) Annelie and the monkey play a bit while we make chit chat with the manager. She happens to be South African also, married to a local man (which I guess was the guy sitting in the office behind her. I have to drag Annelie away from Lady before making our way back to Asmimi.
Had dinner at Livingstone’s, RIGHT on the beach. We where there earlier but now 2 ferries seemed to have docked there (no, there isn’t a slipway) and a big road grader (those massive road working vehicles) is beached in the sand. More trucks are unloading from the ferry and they charge at great speed up the hill, some even make it. So it was dinner and a show! The managed to dislodge the grader at one point, only to discover they don’t have fuel left to even start the thing. Heh heh heh, crazy Zanzibarians. All the drama was over by the time we finish our meal. I had the crab, by the way. I needed a manual to eat the damn thing. I think I may have wasted good crab.
Highlights: Zanzibar! Although Stone Town hasn’t charmed me yet.
[G & A], out
Poa kichizi kama ndizi = cool like a green banana
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