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.