days in the life of a
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Tanzania Safari - Part 9
February/March 2010
April 3, 2010
EXOTIC ZANZIBAR

























After hugs and good-byes with our TseTse Warrior friends, Kim and I checked in at the Arusha airport for our flight to the island of Zanzibar.  We waited in this airport lounge...as you can see, security is extremely tight (not!).

Just a side note here...we had to reluctantly downsize our luggage considerably for the Zanzibar leg.  For the safari, we were each allowed a dufflebag of 33 lbs. plus a carry-on backpack.  My backpack alone weighed about 15 lbs. since it had all my camera equipment in it.  As we were ending our safari, we looked at the Zanzibar tickets that John had given us and, reading the fine print, noticed that the luggage weight per person for the Zanzibar flight was 33 lbs. TOTAL...our dufflebag PLUS our carry-on could not exceed 33 lbs.!  Panic set in briefly...we ended up filling Kim's backpack with clothing and things we wouldn't need and left it with John in Tanzania to give to whoever he wanted, repacked all our necessities into one dufflebag, and filled the other with souvenirs and sent it home with Sascha (bless her little heart!) who mailed it to our home.  With my camera equipment and our repacked duffle, we were under the 33 lb. limit.  I'm so glad we did all that...they actually did weigh everything in the airport and are quite strict about the weight requirements.  The reason they are so strict???.....


























I thought the plane out of Serengeti was tiny, but this one was teeny-weeny!  We were filled to capacity with 12 passengers and 1 pilot, crammed in about as close as you can get.

If I was a little nervous about the Serengeti flight, I was down-right scared during this one.  We felt every little bump of air and once I was even afraid that the pilot had lost control of the plane, so I was in continual conversation with God throughout the flight!


























And I know He heard and answered my prayers, because just as we were getting ready to land, He gave me the "thumbs up" signal in the clouds and I instantly felt a huge wave of relief that we were going to be okay after all.


























Welcome to Zanzibar!


























Our tour driver met us at the gate and whisked us through yet another tiny but bustling airport...

























...we climbed into his nice AIR-CONDITIONED (yes!  Zanzibar is VERY HOT!!!  Little did we know then how rare and precious cool air would be in the next several days....) van and we were driving across the island of Zanzibar.


























Zanzibar is very different from mainland Tanzania in that it is 95% Muslim and we were asked to be very discreet with our photography, as most Muslims prefer not to be photographed.  Most of these photos are some I snapped through the van windows as we traveled through the towns and villages.


























Handcarved wooden dhow boats in the Indian Ocean...


























Seaside village....


























Schoolboys...





































Our guide asked permission to photograph this darling little girl....

























...as well as these young men and their cart.




































Pathway into a village...


























Precious Zanzibar toddler...


























Lunch break...


























I don't remember what in the heck the guide said this building was, but it has some important historical significance and he stopped the van and insisted I must take a photo of it, so here it is...




































Just a quick introduction to the unique, exotic island of Zanzibar...much more to come!
April 5, 2010
RAS NUNGWI
























Rest and relaxation were the only agenda we had for our three days and nights on Zanzibar's northernmost tip, the peninsula of Ras Nungwi.


























After the hectic 12-day safari schedule, it was wonderful just to soak up the sunshine and stare at the Indian Ocean.


























I would say it was fun just to "chill," but I'd be lying.  There is no "chilling" to be done on Zanzibar...it is HOT there!!!  (Trust me, you will read much more about how HOT it was in Zanzibar later...)  And humid as well...but at Ras Nungwi we had the constant ocean breezes and an air-conditioned room, so we were comfortable most of the time.  And we didn't dare complain about tropical weather after escaping the endless Indiana winter!


























We stayed in a charming cottage...



























...with the biggest bed I have ever slept in, handcarved from native mahogany.



























Every evening while we were at dinner, the staff would come in and turn down our bed and let down the mosquito netting.  And spray the room with Raid.

I don't know about the "fragrance" of Raid, but it is fun and romantic sleeping and canoodling under the mosquito netting!


























Spectacular views around every corner...


























I never get tired of watching ocean waves licking the beach!


























One of the most incredible things about the Ras Nungwi seashore is how dramatic the high and low tides are.  At high tide, the waves are crashing over the 4-foot tall stone seawall along the resort...


























The Indian Ocean was literally crashing at the base of the stairs to the beach!


























But when the tide goes out...


























...it goes OUT...


























...like a half-mile OUT!!!


























During low tide, locals actually use the beach to walk to market...


























...or to work, like these fishermen.

(I got a Swahili cussing-out for taking this photo...I was unaware that their wives were following us and saw me photograph them...I was trying to be discreet but apparently I wasn't discreet enough...oh well)


























After breakfast each morning when the tide was out, Kim and I enjoyed long, peaceful beach walks.


























We didn't venture out into the water because of the sharp coral everywhere, but if we'd had the notion to go, Ras Nungwi is known for great snorkeling and diving.


























I loved the charm of the handmade boats that became stranded when the tide was low.


























In the heat of the day when the tide was high, we relaxed on our veranda and watched the graceful dhows sail by.


























It was a rough few days for us...


























...we didn't know if we could do it...


























...but somehow we managed to survive!  :)


























I saw some gorgeous sunrises over the Indian Ocean...



























Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, silent except for the lapping of the waves and the singing of the birds...


























Oh, how I love a gorgeous sunrise!!!

But, come to think of it, I've never seen ANY sunrise that was framed by palm branches that wasn't GORGEOUS! 

We loved our few days of African tropical paradise on the island of Zanzibar!!!