Zanzibar

Trying to figure out what I’d want to after hiking the highest free standing mountain in the world, followed by safari on dusty bumpy roads wasn’t really rocket science: Beach and relaxing. So a few months ago I planned to include Zanzibar for beach, scuba diving, and some culture. Quick summary: All were done and much much more than expected.

First of all, beach. Not much more to say than these pictures.

Hotel was nice with just 14 rooms, right on the beach in Paje, swimming pool, running water and Mosquito nets over the beds. All for a very good price.  Tough to beat in paradise.

For scuba diving I had contacted a local dive operator (Buccaneer Diving) next to my hotel in Paje. My buddy Riley is also a diver, so he was in on the deal. Diving didn’t disappoint. Now for those who do not know me that well, keep in mind I did live in the Cayman Islands for a few years so I am totally spoiled beyond possible.
We did 4 dives by Paje. Outside the big barrier reef we found great reefs and plenty of sea life. Inside the barrier reef there were a wide range of sea life as well, including multiple sea horses, on the same dive! We also headed north to the Mnemba Atoll sitting just offshore. Here the diving was amazing. Schools of fish, lionfish, turtles, octopus, lobsters, etc. We went out with a local boat chartered by Buccaneer Diving. On board we had a tasty lunch prepped while we were diving down below. Good day. Underwater pictures to follow.

Zanzibar has lots of history. We decided to check out the local capital Stonetown, the local way. A taxi would run us $35 each way, local Dala Dala “bus” was $1 and 25 cents. Done deal. Dala Dala to Stonetown it was. On the way in it was direct. 15 seats in the “bus” but we had 25 passengers. Didn’t see any other tourists attempting this method of transport. No problem. We continued to add more people on the 1 1/2 hour journey. Local joke: When is a Dala Dala full? Never.
On the return we did have to change Dala Dala. People were friendly to guide us to the right ones. Now keep in mind, this is full blown mayhem. You see Dala Dala’s with live chickens on them, bicycles, boxes, water, food, crates, building materials, goats on roof, and concrete.
My seat on the way there and back for half the journey consisted of a plastic can.

Stonetown has lots of history and tiny streets to explore. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

We did also checkout the site of the last running slave market. Slavery was a very dark chapter in Zanzibar’s history.

We spent 5 minutes sitting in the underground chambers that used to serve as holding cells for hundreds of slaves before they were to be presented on the market outside and sold, it was a grueling experience. Many slaves died in these chambers simply due to lack of air and water as they could spend days in here. Women and children were kept in a similar room across from the men as an enticement to behave. How man could sell another man for money was mind boggling.

The site now has a church built on top and the altar sits where the old whipping post on the market used to be. Next to the church is a Mosque. Much more peaceful today than just over 100 years ago.

Upon exploration of the church we magically found no sign that said no access to the tower. So armed with flashlights we climbed the tower, avoiding the construction workers, for a great view over Stonetown. Pretty sure no tourists go up this tower…. and pretty sure it wasn’t allowed either.

Renting two dirt bikes and driving north was also an experience. 4 police stops, one required 10 minutes of “negotiations” and resulted in a $0 bribe paid. The police officer didn’t seem too excited, but neither did we. Putting the key in the ignition got his attention and he quickly realized that I wasn’t going to pay up. Off we went. Braaaap….
Sand, beaches, dirt roads, and rainforest were a great combo for some exploration.

Avoiding rogue chickens, cows, goats, animals pulling trailers, busses passing each other while you are approaching them, and bicycles with one gear, missing a pedal and seat, while carrying building materials uphill (how’s that for a workout single speed Albert…?).

Everyone we encountered on our way were smiling and waving at us. Armed without a map and just a general sense of direction, we did get perfect guidance from a few people. Pretty sure they are not used to seeing two white dudes riding dirt bikes across the island of Zanzibar. But we made it to the north side in about 1 1/2 hours.

Zanzibar was great overall. Very local with some tourists in the major tourist spots. Italians, Germans, and Brits seem to be the most frequent guests. No Americans were spotted, too far.
Most common activities include kite surfing, beach time, sailing, boating, snorkeling, and Scuba diving. People were all friendly, ok maybe not the stubborn police officer, but everyone else were amazing.

Having all this by yourself due to low season – priceless.

For now, I just made it to Doha, Qatar in the Middle East. My trip here was flawless even with my early morning flight experience from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. No security check. No boarding pass. One engine plane and one pilot; Simplicity.

The views were great and landing in a very strong sidewind called for some good skills of the pilot to pull off the proper exercise known as “crabbing” where you essentially see the runway out of the side windows instead of the front. Good thing I had views of both.

My flight to Doha is on Qatar Airways, in business class, so much different.

Next stop: Doha, Qatar

(This post and pictures were completed via Smartphone.)