Zanzibar, Tanzania

Traditional dhow sailboat at sunrise
Exploring the east coast of Zanzibar on bicycle
Raffikis - Said and Mau

Bwejuu Beach on Zanzibar island - absolute paradise and the pictures don't even do it justice

Imagine yourself whisked away to an island where the sand is so white that it blinds your eyes, and so fine that it's as if you're walking on baby powder; where the sea is turqoise green and coconut trees line the beach; where every person that you meet greets you with a smile; where the most aromatic spices grow amongst each other and where diversity is as rich as the most precious metals - this is Zanzibar.

We arrived in Stone Town and I was instantly transformed by the diversity and architecture - stepping off of the ferry, it's as if we had stepped back in time. Zanzibar is predominantly a Muslim community and the Arab and Indian influence is outstanding. Buildings and homes are built almost on top of each other, with just small alleyways dividing them. It's no exaggeration to say that you could easily get lost in the alleys and each and every corner that you turn, there is another feast for your eyes. Whether it be a shoe store with a woman fervently creating leather shoes, curio shops, Indian restaurants, a mosque, men pedaling their bicycles and ringing their bells to alert you of their approach, children playing, or women dressed elaborately in their traditional Muslim clothing - anything from a full head dress that exposed only their eyes to colorful skirts and matching head scarves. It was a sensory overload, to say the least. At night, we wandered to the night market where we were treated to more eye candy and introduced to Zanzibar Pizza and fresh sugar cane juice. On one of our days in Stone Town, we took a spice tour which involved visiting one of the many spice farms on Zanzibar where they grow turmeric, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, lemongrass, cinammon - just to name a few. It was very interesting and at the end of the tour, we were served a lunch that was made using many of the delicious spices that we had seen growing on the farm. On the way back to Stone Town, we visited a slave cave and then finished the day with a swim in the magnificent Indian Ocean. We spent two nights in Stone Town which wasn't nearly enough and then headed to the east coast of the island - to a place called Bwejuu. We had only planned to stay there for 3 nights and then to head up north for the remaining 3 nights but once we arrived - we decided to stay - both because of the beauty and tranquility that Bwejuu offered and also because of the hospitality that we received at the Sun and Sea View Resort. As it turned out, the day after we arrived was the beginning of a Muslim holiday in which a 5 day party was to follow. Our newly made raffikis ("friends" in Swahili), Said and Mau, offered to take us to the party with them and after much hesitation, we decided to go. The party was mostly made up of kids and young people - and dancing, food and fireworks. We decided to head to one of the local bars after people watching for an hour or so and there we were entertained by some provocative African dancing - I'm just in awe at how these African women can shake their booties - it's unbelievable. White people (otherwise know as "muzungus" in Africa) were definitely cursed when it came to rhythym. For awhile, Amanda and I were wall flowers - feeling quite intimidated with our dancing skills - however after a few beers and some Kunyagi (local gin), we decided to let loose and embarrass ourselves. We danced until the wee hours of the morning and then made our way back to our humble abode. We had a few nights like these and I felt like I was trying to be 21 years old again - except that i don't recover the same way that i used to - how unfortunate - it must be a sign of getting older. Another night, we ventured to another place for their Saturday night beach party where the DJ played some great music - and once again, we practiced our dance moves. I've never witnessed such unbelievable male behavior in my entire life. The men were swarming us in hordes and it was hard work to keep them away - it became quite a game for me to create some open space around us and I got to practice the old scissors move - if you aren't sure what this is - it goes something like this - you move your arms up and down in a scissors motion and you just go right in between to break it up. After doing this one repeatedly - I was able to scare away even the Masai warriors. There were lots of Masai people dressed in their traditional dress on Zanzibar and wow, they were like flies on a pile of #$%@ on the dance floor! Anyway, i wish that i had a hidden camera for that night because it was pretty unbelievable. But again, thanks to our friends, Said and Mau - we were safe from harm - they really took care of us and made sure that we were always okay. Besides our few nights of letting loose, our time was spent lying on the beach reading, taking walks, eating (which is quite an event on Zanzibar - taking a minimum of one and a half hours to get your meal after ordering - but on Zanzibar, what's the hurry?), eating fresh coconuts from the tree , and being delivered the most fragrant smelling tropical flowers on the planet while napping on the beach. I felt like a tropical queen in Bwejuu. One day, we rented bikes and rode them all along the beach, which was an awesome experience because the sand is so fine and packed down that you can ride on it as easy as riding on the road. We rode for quite a ways and then went back to Bwejuu on the road and through the village. Towards the end of our ride, it started to pour and we just rode in the rain until we were soaked and people laughed at us and pointed saying "Muzungu, Muzungu!" Another day, we went snorkeling on the reef just beyond the beach where we were staying and we saw an amazing array of tropical fish along with enormous blue sponges. I also spent one morning swimming with dolphins which was like a dream come true. I got to swim with many of them with the most spectacular moment being when i was swimming with a group of 11 bottlenose dolphins who were so close that I could have touched them. I will never forget that experience. Our last night on Zanzibar was Christmas Eve and it was spectacular. I watched the full moon rise over the Indian Ocean while sipping a Konyagi and juice, followed by a delicious dinner of fresh tuna and some fantastic company and conversation. It will definitely be a Christmas to remember for all of my life and I am counting down the days until I can return to Zanzibar - it's a place that is embedded deep into my heart and speaks to my soul. They speak Swahili there and Amanda and I got some good practice and I am really inspired to learn this language - it's beautiful, as are the people. On Christmas day, I sadly made my way back to Stone Town to catch the ferry back to Dar es Salaam. Said came back to Stone Town with us and took us to the home of his family where we got to meet his mom, aunt, brother, sister and her newborn daughter. It was very special. It was sad to say goodbye but like I said, i am counting down the days until I can return and the wheels in my head are spinning. Now we are in Arusha where we are getting ready to spend our last 4 days in Africa doing safaris in the Serengetti and Ngorongoro Crater. On January 1st, we will be heading up to Nairobi, Kenya to catch our flight to India. It will be hard to say goodbye to mama Africa and I mourn my departure as one chapter closes and another begins.

Livingstone, Zambia to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Kande Beach, Malawi

Children in the village at Kande Beach - she's got a bowl full of very large cicadas

Fisherman at Kande Beach, Malawi

My local escorts at Kande Beach, Malawi

Jane, Amanda and I in the pickup truck on the day of the minibus strike - this is only about half the amount of people that we had on the truck at once.

Women carrying water at Kande Beach

Fisher boyz at Kande Beach, Malawi

All smiles in Lake Malawi!

The view from our deck at Mayoka Village in Nkhata Bay

I've covered some serious ground since the last time that I wrote and have experienced a lot more of the "real" Africa in the last few weeks. Since the overland tour ended in Vic Falls, we have now had to rely on public transport - which has been an adrenalin experience in itself. I am very used to using public transport in third world countries but Africa truly takes the cake as far as absolute fear in a moving vehicle goes. Our first mission after leaving Livingstone, Zambia was to make it to Lake Malawi. In order to get there - we first had to take an overnight bus from Livingstone to Lusaka. Thanks to both the darkness and my being overly tired - I didn't notice the driving too much. From Lusaka, we then hopped on another bus to Chipata - which is the city just before the Malawi border. It was a large, proper bus and it was completely full. Amanda and I were traveling with a friend whom we had met through our overland trip - Alex from Austria. About halfway into our trip, the bus driver starting going completely mad and driving like a lunatic on extremely curvy, mountainous roads and we honestly thought that we were going to die. Little kids were throwing up all over themselves and the other locals (we were the only white people on the bus) were also showing fear and saying that it was not normal to be driving so fast. We guessed that the driver was either drunk or on some sort of drugs and we contemplated just getting off of the bus and trying to hitch hike. This also didn't seem to be a safe alternative - considering that we were in the middle of nowhere in Zambia. We resorted to begging Alex to go and ask the driver to slow down. Being the nice guy that he is, he went up and told the driver that people were puking all over the place but it didn't seem to help - he noticed that the speedomter was at 130 km/ and the driver seemed to be completely spaced out. Thankfully, soon after that, the roads turned to crap and he had no choice but to slow down. I've never been so happy in my entire life for bad roads but I think it may have saved our lives in this case. After that, it was several taxi rides, minibus taxis and finally, a short boat ride to a place called Nkhata Bay on Lake Malawi. After 2 1/2 days of hair raising bus rides, taxis and minibus taxis (they literally pack up to 25 people and sometimes more into a minivan), we were on cloud 9 when we reached this place. We stayed at an amazing placed called Mayoka which is built all along the side of the cliff going down into the lake. As soon as we arrived, we knew that we made the right choice - Amanda and I got a great little cottage with its own balcony overlooking the cliff and took some serious time for relaxing. We stayed there for 3 nights and gorged ourselves on the all u can eat buffets that they offered every night - and joined up with a few friends from our overland trip. We took some trips into the village which was always entertaining - the people of Malawi are the friendliest people that I've ever met. Every single person says hello and shakes your hand - they want to know your name and they want you to know theirs and they always have a huge smile on their face. It was so refreshing to be there. There are always those few special places when you are traveling that stand out and shine amongst the others - for me, that was Malawi. Thus far, it is my favorite country in Africa. The lake is absolutely gorgeous - it's so gigantic that when you're staring out over it, you are convinced that you're sitting on the sea. You can only barely make out the mountains of Mozambique and Tanzania on the other side. They also have quite a sense of humour - they make up names for themselves that the travelers will remember them by - during the course of a week, I met: Mel Gibson, Julius Caesar, Cheese & Toast, Giraffe, Tom Cruise, and Precious - just to name a few. After our 3 days of relaxing by the lake, we decided to take an adventure to a beach town just a few hours south of Nkhata Bay - called Kande Beach. It had been recommended to us by several people. It was a bit of a challenge to get there with our backpacks - requiring a 2 mile walk along a dirt road in the midday heat but it was well worth the effort. As we walked along the road to the beach, we were escorted by an entire entourage of children who insisted on holding our hands while we walked and sung African songs for us. In Kande Beach, this was the norm. Kande Beach was much more mellow than Nkhata Bay and had a beautiful beach, which Nkhata Bay lacked. We spent our days there eating fresh mangos from the trees, drinking Malawi Gin, swimming and mingling with the locals. One day, we ventured out to an island that sat just a little ways out from the beach - on a blow up raft. And then one night, we ate dinner in the village - at the house of Julius Caesar. They cooked us a proper Malawian meal and had some kids from the village come to sing and dance for us - very entertaining. After a few days there, we felt quite relaxed and ready to move on and our mission was to head north and into the mountains of Malawi - to a placed called Livingstonia. On the day of departure, we (along with 3 other friends that we've been traveling with) hitched a ride up to the junction where the minibus taxis run. When we got there, the street was bustling with activity and there were LOTS of people around - presumably waiting for the minibus taxis also. After about an hour, we started to wonder what was going on - I jokingly said to Amanda, "What, are the minibus taxis on strike?" Well, don't you know - the minibus taxis were indeed on strike. The government is trying to enforce a law that doesn't allow the drivers to jam so many people into the buses because it's very unsafe and accidents are very common. So, they went on strike. Initially, we didn't believe it and we refused to get on the back of the pickup trucks that were pulling up to the roadside - filled with close to 20 people in them. However, after watching a few pull away, we realized that we had very little choice in the matter and reluctantly, we loaded ourselves and all of our gear into the back of a pickup. Our highest head count during that trip was 30 people - you wouldn't believe that way that we were piled on top of each other - at one point, i lost complete feeling of the left hand side of my body from my waist down. Every single leg of this journey that we make - we can't believe that we're still alive. After enduring close to two hours of traveling like that - we decided that heading north wasn't in our cards. There was no way that we could drive another several hours in that position - not to mention the extreme safety hazard. So, we ended up back in Nkhata Bay - which is probably one of the best places to get stuck. We spent one more night there - which didn't come without another African element. It's the beginning of the rainy season in Malawi and every single day, it rains - accompanied by lots of thunder and lightning. One night in Mayoka, it just sat over us for hours and both Amanda and I agreed - it was the loudest, most intense thunder we've ever heard. I thoroughly enjoyed the storms. However, on this particular night - the rain came down intensly in the middle of the night and both Amanda and I, along with our other dorm mate - all got woken up simultaneously when all of a sudden, it was raining cats and dogs on us. The grass roof was not leak proof and in an instant, everything was soaked. We pulled our beds across the room where it seemed that at least one half of the roof was working. I then slept with my feet getting slightly sprinkled with rain and the sound of rain hitting puddles on the floor. There is NEVER a dull moment here in Africa. Okay, so finally - the next day - we decided that we needed to try to move on and we weren't sure if the minibus taxis were running. We got a taxi ride to the city of Mzuzu and from there, we hopped on a minibus with 2 other people and headed up towards the border of Tanzania. We decided to skip out on going to Livingstonia and stick with the 2 other people who were heading up to Dar es Salaam and try to catch the train from Mbeya. After another intense minibus taxi - where we repeatedly asked the driver to slow down - we arrived in a town just before the Malawi border at 5 p.m. The border closed at 6 p.m. and we jumped into a taxi and headed to the border. We just made it through as it was getting dark and realized that there were no taxis to be found anywhere. The customs official advised us not to go anywhere during the night and that to arrive in Mbeya at dark was unsafe. So, he shuttled us to a place called the Immigration Social Club which is where all of the immigration officials stay. It turned out to be great and a perfect place for us to spend the night. No worries - there was a bit of adventure involved here as well. The owner of the hotel walked with us to the restaurant because we were all absolutely starving and it was dark, and on the way, he suddenly yelled at all of us to stop. We had almost stepped on a snake. After arriving at the restaurant, I asked him what the name of the snake was and he calmly said "Cobra." We clarified that it was the same kind of cobra that we were thinking - and sure enough, it was. Then, as we sat waiting for dinner, some sort of crazy bug landed on my hand and stung me - just to add another element of excitement. The next morning, we awoke at 4 a.m. and made our way up the road to try and catch the minibus taxi to Mbeya - which is where we were planning to catch the train to Dar es Salaam. Thankfully, we had a reasonably safe bus ride to Mbeya and arrived at the train station just before it opened. It was highly recommended to have reservations for the train and none of us had. Amanda and I were dead set against going on another bus - we were ready to stay in Mbeya - as dodgy as it was - for several days if we needed to wait for the next train. We lucked out and got ourselves a first class ticket on the train which was leaving in the afternoon. There were four of us so we got our own compartment which had four beds and a small table. The ride was close to 24 hours and very delightful. We saw wild buffalo and impala right from our room on the train and never once did I have to think that I might not make it alive. Just when i was feeling good about things however, we went to the dining cart to escape the breathtaking heat in our room and I was trying to get the window open next to our table. The screen was stuck and I was working to get it up, the glass window came slamming down and I barely got my hand out in time - it got my thumb and my first two fingers. The good news is that I got my hand out and nothing is broken but at the moment, my thumb is getting quite swollen and I can't really use it. Just some more excitement on a typical African day. We are now in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and have bought our tickets to take the ferry over to the island of Zanzibar tommorrow morning. I am really looking forward to it because it's supposed to be very beautiful and I'm excited to take a dip in the Indian ocean. We are a few days earlier than we originally expected which is good considering that the Christmas holiday is just around the corner. We want to make sure that we have a place to stay during that time. At the moment, it looks like we'll be spending Christmas on Zanzibar but we'll have to see how expensive it is and if there's availability. After Zanzibar, we will make our way to Arusha, which is the gateway to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Serengetti. It's hard to believe that my time in Africa is quickly coming to an end. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year! Love to all!

Swakopmund, Namibia to Livingstone, Zambia

Cheesy picture of me in front of Victoria Falls - you get the idea, they are spectacular.

Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe - one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

This is how we went through the delta - all of our gear in the mokoro and our poler pushing us through the lagoons.

Amanda and I in our mokoro before starting our journey into the Okavanga Delta

A pose after our hike in the Waterburg Plateau, Namibia

The ultimate tourist on Thanksgiving Day - I realized that I had a head lamp on my head, binoculars around my neck, a folding backpackers cup, my backpack and my sunglasses on my head - all at the same time. Definitely worth a picture.

Etosha National Park, Namibia. All together we saw springbok (in the foregound), ostrich, zebra, elephants and oryx (not pictured here).

Etosha National Park, Namibia

It's been quite a while since I've had internet and time to write. The past couple of weeks have presented some amazing experiences. When I last wrote, I was getting ready to hit the sand dunes for some four-wheeling and sand-boarding but unfortunately, the wind was too strong and there was too much sand blowing around so the trip got canceled. I left Swakopmund regretting that I did not go sky diving - so I now I know that I must do it. We'll see when the opportunity presents itself again. After leaving Swakopmund, we headed to Etosha National Park for a few days of game driving and wildlife encounters. It proved to be a rewarding stop. We stayed in a campground within the park which had a waterhole that was floodlit all night long. You could just sit on the benches around the hole and watch the animals come in to drink. It was absolutely amazing. I spent Thanksgiving sitting on a bench with a bottle of wine as I watched a mother rhino nurser her baby and giraffes drinking from the hole. The giraffes looked just like what you would see on National Geographic - with their legs spread wide so that they could reach their long necks and head down to the water. It was interesting as we watched the rhino come in and chase the giraffes away before they would drink. They are very protective animals. The next night at the watering hole, a herd of elephants came in to drink and at one time, there were elephants, rhino, and zebras at the hole at the same time, with the silhouette of giraffes in the distance. I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was really there and not just dreaming. The most spectacular part of that experience was when the elephants came right up to the wall and were pulling grass ou of the ground. They were literally an arm's length away from us. The only thing separating us from them was a very thin fence and a stone wall that the elephants could easily get over if they wanted. At one point, an elephant with her baby between her legs reached out her trunk and took a big sniff of me. I was in complete awe as I sat three feet from a wild African elephant. On the first night, just after we went to bed, a lion came to the hole to drink and then the next night - a springbok got killed by a jackal and some hyenas at the hole. I missed both of them. During the days, we drove around the park and got to see so many animals. We watched a huge herd of elephants come to the water hole and bathe themselves alongside ostriches, oryx, and zebras ( I attached a picture). We even go to see a hyena - another highlight for me since I did not get to see any during my last trip to Africa. During our evening game drive, we saw a female lion just lying near the road - belly up and taking a nap. She was either completely full from a recent kill or pregnant. Either way - she looked just like Rambo (our cat) as she lay there on her back with her legs spread and basking in the sun. On the final day, as we left the park - we saw a lion and his lioness just chilling out underneath a tree in the shade. This made my day and the entire trip to the park - as all I really wanted to see was a male lion. He was so beautiful and majestic - he absolutely demanded respect. What powerful creatures they are. From Etosha, we headed to Botswana and to the Okavanga Delta. I took a scenic flight over the delta which was stunning. We saw lots of wildlife from the plane - it was really neat after just being on game drives to actually fly over the animals and see them from above. We saw giraffes, zebras, hippos and a large herd of wild buffalo form the plane. The pilot did some crazy tricks which I wasn't very fond of - such as turning the plane almost sideways and then going straight up and then leveling out the plane which made us drop a bit. I felt quite queasy after that ride. The next day, we made our way to the delta for our 2-day, 2-night canoe trip in the mokoros (traditional wooden carved canoes). Each boat had a poler - he stood in the back and used a very long stick to push the canoes along as we kicked back and enjoyed to trip throught the Delta. Our guide's name was Daze and we had lots of fun with him trying to sing songs together and tell each other jokes. We went a few hours into the delta and then set up camp in the bush for 2 nights. The bathroom consisted of a two-foot hole back in the woods and a shovel. The Okavanga Delta is a Big 5 game park and this was our opportunity to camp completely in the wild with no fences with the animals roaming freely around us. All other camps were enclosed by fences. We went for a morning game walk in the delta to try and spot animals and then for an evening canoe in the mokoros but got cut short by a wicked lightning storm. The evenings were spent around the fire with the locals - they sung and danced for us and taught us some games. The women spent the day weaving palm leaves into bracelets and baskets. It was a unique experience. The days were extremely hot and I spent a good bit of it just hanging out in the river which gave me a nice sunburn on my shoulders and nose. The lightning was spectacular as were the sunsets. From there, we headed to Chobe National Park in Botswana. We stayed just on the border of Botswana and Zimbabwe, in a town called Kasane, which is near the Chobe River. We had a sunset river cruise on the Chobe River where we watched four elephants cross the river, along with loads of hippos - both in the water and out on the grass feeding. Hippos are the most dangerous animals in Africa - killing more people than any other animal here. Their size is impressive - from a distance, you can mistake them for elephants. We also saw some crocodiles along the river banks but most were quite small. From there, we made our way into Zimbabwe and to Victoria Falls - which is where the overland trip ended. The falls were absolutely breathtaking. The second day, we went white-water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River, which separates Zimbabwe from Zambia. I was a bit reluctant to do it but since I chickened 0ut of the last white-water rafting trip in Alaska, I felt that I had to do it. When else would I get the chance to raft the Zambezi River? I knew it was pretty intense but I don't think I really knew what was in store. The thought of bailing out crossed my mind several times in the morning while they were giving us the briefing, especially when they told us that there were crocodiles in the river. I fought the fear, pushed it aside and got in the raft anyway. Having never rafted before, I opted for the "chicken" boat which was the boat where you didn't need to paddle - my only job was to hold on for dear life and shift my weight when necessary to keep the boat from flipping. There were 20 rapids to go through and at least 5 of them were Class 5 - a few of them were Class 5 plus. For those of you who aren't familiar with rafting - Class 5 is the highest ranking (with Class 6 being suicidal) in rapids and the hardes and most intense - recommended for experienced rafters. Me - none of the above. It all went well and I lucked out with having an amazing guide - Sean - who got us through all of the rapids without flipping the boat once. All of the other boats flippede AT LEAST once and it looked absolutely terrifying. I can't describe these rapids - one of them was an actual drop into a huge rapid and wall of water. There were many times that the boat was completely horizontal and we came very near flipping a few times. It's a bit unnerving when just before you're heading into the rapids, the guide says, "The name of this rapid is Devil's Toilet, it's a class five plus rapid, there's a good chance that we'll flip - if we do, you could be under the water for 10 seconds or more - which will feel like a really long time." Then you get in the "ready" position, which is squatting down and holding on with a death grip as you watch yourself head into the most deadly looking wall of wild and violent water you've ever seen. Another time, we were heading into one that he called the Washing Machine - I'll leave that to your imagination. He said, I will try to avoid it but if we are going in, I am going to tell you all to jump off the boat and you must jump. If you go into the washing machine, it's not good. YOu can get the idea of how terrified I was and the adrnalin that is pumping through your body. It was a great experience and good fun - I'm not sure I'd do it again but glad I did it. Being in Zimbabwe was interesting and very saddening - due to the political situation there. The inflation rate is like 15% and 85% unemployment. The people living there cannot even afford the most basic neccessities. It's a very sad situation - it was interesting to talk to our guides, both Zimbabweans, about the situation. However, as bad as the situation is, everyone has a smile on their face and they are such warm, welcoming people. If the situation were different there, I know that I would love to spend more time in Zimbabwe. Yesterday, I made my way across the border into Zambia - where I am now. I am in Livingstone and passing some time before I board a bus tonight to start making my way to Malawi. The journey shall be long - I'm guessing that it wil take 2 days minimum and many forms of transportation before I reach there. I am ready to get there and truly kick back for several days with no real big plans. Ready for a little rest and relaxation along Lake Malawi. We are planning to jump on the ferry boat which takes several days or more to go up the lake. From there, we will make our way to Tanzania. I look forward to updating you on the journey from Malawi - "the warm heart of Africa." Until next time.........