Zanzibar Island

the boat that I snorkeled from anchored off Prison Island

   Zanzibar was the final stop on my vacation, and I didn't have any real plans other than take the ferry over from Dar es Salaam and find somewhere to stay, since a lot of what I wanted to do on the island was dependent on how much money was left in my budget at the end of the trip. I managed to be pretty frugal throughout my travels so I was able to have a really nice time in Zanzibar instead of just sitting in the airport waiting to go home like I feared would happen. I left Dar es Salaam at noon on June 2nd for what was supposed to be a 3 hour ferry ride. Four and a half hours later I arrived in Stone Town, and immediately 

Neighbor fish in their sea-anemone home

began winding my way through the narrow streets looking for the nearest dala dala stand. I had plans to stay at the Zanzibari on the north end of the island thanks to the generosity of Mike, my fellow climber on Kilimanjaro who had paid for 5 nights but could only stay for three. The 60 kilometer ride to the north end on the island on the dala (truck cab with a long open bed that is crammed with people) only cost me $2, as opposed to $45 for a taxi, but it made frequent stops and took about two and a half hours and by the time I arrived in Nungwe it was dark. My plan had been to either walk to the hotel if it was close to the bus stop or negotiate a cheap taxi or motorcycle ride, but all of that went out the window when the dala reached the end of the line; a dead-end dirt road in an impoverished residential area with no resorts, taxis or tourists in sight. With no other choice I hoisted my baggage onto my head african-style and began walking, reasoning that as long as I was moving I wasn't lost. I got vague directions from a man at a shop who insisted it was "very far," but with no vehicles in sight my only option was to try and walk there. Stumbling over uneven dirt roads in the pitch dark with 40 pounds of luggage (remember, I still had all my Kili gear) with absolutely no idea how far it was to my destination reduced me to tears pretty quickly as I imagined bandits and murderers around every corner. Finally, an hour later a local guy took pity on me and led me right to the hotel, and I arrived sobbing, sweaty and scared out of my mind at the most amazing place I have ever stayed in my life, making the whole ordeal totally worth it. After a glorious shower with real water pressure and variable temperature and a 3 course dinner that included free drinks thanks to a sympathetic bartender I collapsed into my enormous canopy bed for the most amazing sleep of my life.

Snorkeling at the reef off of Prison Island

The next morning I woke up early, ate an amazing breakfast and hiked back out to the road to catch another dala dala back to Stone Town. In the daylight the walk was short and actually quite pleasant, and everyone was so friendly that I felt a little bit embarrassed about my freak out the night before. Living in Senegal has really destroyed my trust in people and I realized that next morning that although it is important to be wary, there aren't murderers and thieves hiding around every corner in Zanzibar. Other than that one night, I never once felt like I was in an unsafe situation on my trip, and the majority of Tanzanians are extremely friendly and really just want to get to know you (more on that later).

Just in case you were tempted to ride the 185 year old tortoise

In Stone Town I rented a room on the third floor of an old house right outside the Darajani market. I mostly stuck to the Old City and spent the week exploring the narrow streets and alleyways, looking at the shops and marveling at the intricately carved doorways and architecture that was a a mix of Swahili, Arab, Persian and Indian architecture thanks to its ancient role as a center of trade. The maze-like streets aren't wide enough for cars so wandering around them sort of feels like stepping back in time, especially as I came across historical buildings like the former Sultan's Palace, the Hamamni Baths, the Old Fort, and several cathedrals, mosques and sites associated with the slave trade. The is a lot of culture and history to be soaked in on the island  and I tried to make the most of it.

A plethora of freshly caught and grilled seafood at Forodhani
Gardens night market

On my second day in town I stepped into an excursion office on a whim and ended up joining a group that was going out to Prison Island to snorkel. Our boat, the Gladiator, took us out at 1pm to a coral reef just off the north side of the island and we spent about an hour just skimming along the surface admiring all of the beautiful underwater flora and fauna. The weather turned a bit stormy but since we were already wet it didn't matter, and by the time we went to the island to visit the tortoise sanctuary the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining again. After feeding spinach a 185 year old tortoise and taking a short walk around the island we headed back to the mainland for a drink at the sunset bar. Around 8pm I walked down the waterfront to Forodhani Gardens where every night the fishermen set up tables with white linen cloths and oil lamps and grill up whatever they caught for the day. Kebabs of lobster, octopus, shrimp, mussels and various types of fish are served with freshly baked chapattis and breads for just a dollar each. I chose a warm garlic pita and two skewers of reef shark and vegetables and was not disappointed.

Dolphin watching off the southern tip of the island

I returned the next night alone for an encore, and shortly after sitting down with my plate I was approached by a young Tanzanian man in his early twenties who wanted to sit and chat. In Senegal, anyone who wants to talk with you ultimately wants something, and especially men will usually ask to marry you within the first 3 minutes of the conversation, so I was a bit wary. Still I was in a good mood and stuffed with seafood so I politely answered his questions in what turned out to be perfect English. When he found out I had never tasted freshly squeezed sugar cane juice he disappeared and returned 5 minutes later with a cool glass and two straws. We sat and chatted about Senegal and Tanzania and traded Swahili and Seereer vocabulary until almost midnight when the vendors began dismantling their tables, and then he walked me home. He never once asked me to marry him, or for a visa, or made any indication that he wanted anything from me other than pleasant conversation. It was actually one of the nicest "dates" I've ever been on, and when he kissed me on the cheek and asked if he could see me the next day I agreed and we made plans to meet in the park. We met the next morning and spent the day sitting on a bench talking about everything from science to politics until well after lunchtime, and when we parted ways I was actually a bit disappointed that I wouldn't be seeing him again

Red Colubus Monkey in Jozani Forest

On my. last day on the island I signed up for a tour to swim with dolphins off the southern end of the island and met at 8am for the tour. It was windy and the seas were extremely rough (prompting several passengers to go "chumming" over the side of the boat), and it was actually better to see the dolphins from the boat than to jump in the water every time they swam past since none of them seemed inclined to stay and visit. After a couple of hours of battling the swells we returned to shore, but not before the tide went out, forcing us to wade100 yards through thigh deep, jellyfish infested waters alternately getting stung and stumbling on hidden rocks. After squeezing lemon juice on our stings (none of us were very inclined to pee on ourselves) we had a nice lunch on the beach before heading over to Jozani forest to see Red Colubus Monkeys, a species native only to Zanzibar that evolved without a thumb. After my tour I returned to my room to pack up my things and had street food in the Darajani night market for dinner before heading to the airport to wait for my 3:30am flight to Addis Ababa. I spent a miserable, mosquito infested night sleeping in a chair in the open-air waiting area before checking in at midnight and finally boarding my plane at 3am.