the fine white sands of Zanzibar...

We just returned back to Dar from Zanzibar.



We spent two nights in Stone Town (the old port area with winding streets, beautifully carved doors, and pleasant streetlife), and then went on to the eastern shore to see what all the fuss was about. wow. It was exceptionally beautiful - the sand was so white and so fine that it seemed more like lime than sand. The water was a crystal turquoise color. The sky was a constant drama - it is supposed to be the seasons of "the long rains" now, and we did get caught in a downpour when departing, but other than that it has been quite nice, with the added benefit of being able to negotiate lower rates and not have so many other tourists. Of course we are hoping for rains for the people here, though from what I have read, there is now flooding in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya, from too much rain at once.



The little village we were near is called Bwejuu, and there was lots of village life coming and going along with the tides. Women in their kangas gathering seaweed and sisal in the mornings and net fishing in the afternoons. We stayed in a sweet little thatched bungalow right on the beach. They prepared simple meals and we could go for log walks on the beach.



I finally did get sick. I guess it was just as well that it was somewhere pleasant that we were planning to stay for several days, as I promptly came down with a flu. A high fever, aches & pains, the runs, etc. Of course malaria has the same symptoms in its early stages, so after a full day & a night of being completely wasted in bed, not eating, I asked Hung to help me with our little malaria test kit. It is hard to figure out strange medical instructions when you have a high fever. We finally managed to get a blood sample (don't ask!) and Hung valiantly prepared the test and 20 minutes later we discovered I was non-reactive. I was so relieved I immediately fell into a long sleep and when I woke up several hours later I felt a bit better. By evening the fever had broken & by the next afternoon I was out in a boat snorkelling!

In any case, we are here in Dar for a few nights (back in our little ramshackle spot where Mission Street dead-ends at Mosque Avenue) taking care of final business before we go down to the Selous Game Reserve. I'll try & take some more time tomorrow to post pictures, but it has been difficult since very few if any computers have USB connections.