Wednesday, September 21, 2005





Zanzibar!

I took the 2 hours ferry from Dar on Friday and met up with Laura in the early evening in Stone Town at a bar called Mercury’s, named after Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen who was born on Zanzibar. We were driven out to Janbiani Beach and the Blue Oyster Hotel on the southeast part of the island. The drive was about an hour, and with Zanzibar style driving is enough time to have about 6 major heart palpitations because there are no street lines and you’re sure he’s either going to hit the bicyclist on the road or the oncoming car. That night we caught up on each other’s lives and ate at the restaurant (kingfish breaded with coconut).

The next morning we were amazing at the beach before us. It was beautiful to be able to look out upon the vast and calm Indian Ocean. The tide was out and the women were harvesting seaweed patches. After finishing breakfast, we headed out on a dhow boat to the barrier reef. A dhow boat is a traditional East African boat made from mango tree wood. We sailed for about 20 minutes and then they dropped anchor. “Okay, you can swim here, over there and up to that boat”, Captain Zappy said. We snorkeled for about an hour looking at all the beautiful coral and tropical fish. My favorite was the angelfish with the long appendage on the dorsal fin. The rest of the afternoon we sat in chairs facing the ocean, watched the tide come in, and read our books. Finally read Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”, which is dark.

The next day we did a tour of the spice plantations on the island. A driver took us to the interior of the island, which used to be a major center for producing many of the spices we use for cooking. In fact, Zanzibar is still nicknamed ‘the spice island’. The tour was fantastic and we saw the trees and plants for a great number of spices, many of them appear to be part of the natural ecosystem. Tumeric, lemongrass, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, red and black pepper, coffee, etc. My favorite was the cinnamon tree. The guide took a big slice from the trunk and then passed it around, and it was fantastic. The root, which they cut up, was even more aromatic. It was also a great walk in the countryside and through some local villages. In all, it was a good tour and would have been a really great trip, if it hadn’t been for the tropical rains we encountered after the first half hour. We were soaked and muddy until we returned to the hotel.

That night i had my first taste of Amarula cream, called ‘the spirit of Africa’. This is an after dinner drink that looks and tastes similar to Baileys. However, Amarula is made from a fruit tree that grows in southern and eastern Africa, and is a bit sweet and fruity. Very tasty by itself, but i imagine it would also be delicious with some vanilla ice cream. I again had some tasty fish and a glass of wine for dinner.

Then, on Monday, i was dropped off at the ferry to catch the morning boat back to Dar Es Salaam. There was no time on this trip to walk around Stone Town, so i’ll have to save that for next time - certainly there will be a next time. Arrived back in Dar without problems and had a meeting to discuss HIV research in the afternoon. It's always a challenge to transition from the relaxation imposed by the island. Suppose i’m still transitioning, or perhaps, holding on to a bit of the Zanzibari lifestyle and relaxation.

Really a great, very relaxing weekend. Thanks to Laura for organizing and being such an enjoyable travel companion.

Paul

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