Zanzibar Days 3 & 4

(If you make it to the bottom, there are some updates, including Uganda and some puppy pictures)

Zanzibar Day 3

There is a national park on Zanzibar called Jozani.  I booked a tour for the morning hoping to finally see some birds on this trip.  Alina did not join me.  9am pickup, on time.  40 minute drive to the park.  The tour consisted of a walk in the forest, view Red Columbus Monkeys and then a walk on the boardwalk in the Mangroves. I told my guide, Baker, that I wanted to see birds.  I think he was a repressed birder because he took over the book and led the way. 

Baker on our not very exciting 'forest walk'.

We saw a few birds on the forest walk.  Then the monkeys, which were totally cool.  We stepped into grove and there was a family lounging around there.  The adults were laying on branches but the babies were playing all around us.  They didn’t seem to notice that we were mere feet from them.  I could have reached out and plucked one off a branch if I didn’t think it would scratch my eyes out and give me rabies/ebola.  Pictures!

Lounging adults

Hello?


There is a tiny face in the mom's
armpit if you can see it.

Playful adolecents who wouldn't
stay still for a phote.  They were right at my feet.

Little babies playing in the tree

We were supposed to take the van to the Mangrove area which is about a kilometer away but Baker said we should walk because there are birds on the way.  Done!  We didn’t just follow the road, he had me off the trail and trekking through swamps and brush and mud.  It was great.  We say 12 birds, 11 of which were new.  I took barely any pictures.

Sign for the road to the Mangrove

Blue Monkeys on the roadside

Kids on the road. I don't know what they
were doing there, but there they were.

 Then to the Mangrove swamp (one new bird) and then walked back to the reception centre, All the while Baker’s phone ringing with ‘where are you?’ It turns out, we were an hour late for our return time.  Baker is awesome and I gave him a big tip for the extra effort. 

The mangrove swamp

One of our detours into the forest

A particularly curious blue monkey.

The weather forecast for the day had been for rain so I was very lucky that it didn’t rain at all while I was on the ‘tour’.  Alina wasn’t so lucky in town, she got stuck in the hotel for part of the morning.  But by the time I got back it had stopped so we went for lunch as the ‘Traveler's Cafe’.  It was such a nice location.  A cabana type place, right on the water.  I had pasta, Alina had beef.  And a beer or two. Here are some photos of the view:

This was the beach close to our hotel

Traveler's Cafe

As we were sitting there contemplating the view, it started to sprinkle.  Then rain, then pour.  We were trapped.  We had to move, with everyone else, under the tiny roof part of the patio.  And wait.  And wait.  Finally it died down for few minutes so we made a run for it.  We were only a few blocks (block is not an accurate word, more like a few twists and turns) from Al-Minar.   We were outside for maybe 5 minutes but got completely soaked. Since I only brought one pair of pants, this was a bit of a problem, but one solved with a fan and a chair back.

Wet bar, dry glass - Tragic

Pensive Alina

Seriously, it was raining

The rain eventually stopped so we went for a wander (in damp pants).  Ended up at the shore line and food stall area.  We watched the most spectacular sunset and you will all be forced to look that the photos as proof if I ever manage to upload them.

Then another pizza and so much fresh pineapple we couldn’t eat it anymore because it was hurting our mouths.  We had hoped to go to a ‘traditional African music’ show at the Old Fort but it was cancelled due to the rain.  A minor detour as we were directed to another show by some, as it turns out,  not very helpful men.  Now we are again, tucked into our beds.  We have a taxi ordered to pick us up in the morning to go to the airport for our return flight to Mombasa.

(Break - Freddie took my computer to buy more memory.  Plus I am going to the mall to buy dinner makings.

Back from the mall.  I had two grocery bags and I took the Mutatu by myself for the first time today.  Anke had told me to make sure I took the right one. One says Burburi Beach which would seem the logical choice but it is the other one that starst with Mb...).  So, I see a Matutu and flag it down (they stop for everyone but me it seems) but as it pulled up, I saw that it didn't have a sign.  so I said I was going to 'Neptune' which is the name of the resort on our street.  Yes, get in.  Then the conductor waves for me to take a back seat.  Now these matatus are wee.  The passage to the back of this one would have challenged a Japanese school girl.  I would have done it but for the bags.  So I said no and he let he have the front seat.  But I guess this 20 second exchange was too long for the driver because as I was hoisting myself and my heavy bags into the seat, he started to drive.  My bags went flying and all of my groceries landed in the van and the street.  The conductor just stared at all of the food and broken eggs.  'Pick them up" I said.  And he did.  we were all pretty flustered.  Once my food was re-bagged, I looked into the van and saw 14 pairs of eyes staring at me in amazement.  "I'm not from here" I said unnecessarily. )

Zanzibar Day 4

Well, not really a day.  We had a 11:50am flight.  Before our taxi picked us up, we took a walk to the little beach close to our hotel.  The water was so beautiful, we took off our shoes and went in for a wade.  Then walked back to the hotel in bare feet to avoid sandy shoes.

Our last visit to the beach

We had been warned that it can take up to an hour to get to the airport.  But we got to the airport so fast, there was no traffic on the streets.  When we entered the departure area, we were glad we were early, the place was packed to the gills.  Plus, just as we entered, the rain started again.  The entrance area looked like a Disneyland lineup during Spring Break.  And the pounding rain on the tin roof was deafening.  There were hundreds of people in line waiting for the security check. We showed someone our tickets and they put us at the front of the newest line, each line had 50 or so people in it with about 8 lines before ours.  

So I plunked my bag down beside Alina and went to the money changer to exchange my Tanzanian Schillings for US so I could afford to get back into Kenya.  That took about 3 minutes.  When I turned around, Alina was already approaching the security check, dragging both of our bags.  Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I did not question why we got to go ahead of everyone else, it wasn't like our plane was leaving anytime soon.  

But once we got through security, we saw the problem.  All of those people out in the holding pens were Italians and there were so many leaving at once (two huge jumbo jets full) that they couldn't fit them all in the check in area.  But our Fly 540 line up was only two people deep so we breezed through.  Found seats in the 'departure gate' area (really just one door with three signs for Gate 1, Gate 2 & Gate 3). We were lucky to get seats.  There were Italians everywhere.  And to add to the crush of people, there were no signs to indicate what was boarding when.  

Eventually, Alina went to ask the only airport employee to be seen.  She said she would make an announcement.  Well, she did do that, if you can call incomprehensible garble an announcement.  But we kind of hear 'Mombasa' in there so we pushed and shoved our way to 'Gate 2' and boarded the bus to our plane.  

The plane was almost empty.  We got back home without incident.  Then we went for burgers at Yuls.  And a nap to follow.  Early start in the morning to Jipe Moyo's graduation ceremony.

Couple of quick updates. 

Freddie has been trying to fix what ails my computer but what ails it is not enough memory.  He is going to buy more RAM or something.  But this means he occasionally takes my computer away. Plus the occasionally missing internet means I am behind again.  I want to get up the next Jipe Moyo blog but tomorrow is Kencada graduation and then I leave for Uganda on Sunday at 5:30am.  But I will try.

I am having trouble with Yahoo sporadically too.  Sometimes I can't access my email.  This is not just my computer.   And don't get me started on Blogspot.

Uganda.  I have heard from Francis that he is going to pick me up at the airport on Sunday.  I'm not sure how my updates will go from there.  I will try.  I will email those who worry to let them know all is well when I arrive and Francis doesn't kidnap me (will I notice if he does?)

Blog comments.  I have had a couple of people mention they can't comment on my blog.  Sorry, somehow I had it blocked to only those who sign in.  You should be able to now, if you want.  But if you don't sign in, you will show as Anonymous so please add your name at the end of your comment so I know who is amusing me from afar.

Tonight I made chicken fingers and salad.  It was good with the Tusker beer.

Last update before I go to sleep.  I don't think I have mentioned Ginger.  She is one of the dogs of the non-puppy owning neighbour.  We only see Ginger when her 'mom' is out of the house because she gets lonely.  Her owner is away this weekend.  When I got up this morning, I found Ginger locked onto the deck, quite happily sleeping on the couch. She must have been hiding when we went to bed. Now, I see she is getting bolder.  She had 'snuck' into my room (I put snuck in quotes because she isn't very sneaky) and is pretending she isn't in the corner so I won't notice her and kick her out.  I should, but I won't.

Good hiding spot, Ginger.  I can hardly see you.

Sorry for the long post. To make up for it, here are some more puppy pictures.

Gnawing on the table

Trying to stay cool.