Dar-es Salaam and Zanzibar (Rachel)

Well we've been in Zanzibar for a few days and Dar before that (Andrew posted about Dar, but I'm going to add some too), getting ready to head back to the ferry, but more on that in a bit.

Like Andrew mentioned, Dar wasn't the cleanest, or most easygoing, or most exciting city we've visited so far, but we were only there for a night. Jambo Inn wasn't exactly the Ritz, either. We did manage to find a great restaurant called Chef's Pride, which we loved, and we're heading back for dinner there tonight. Walking around Dar was strange for me, probably because I've never been to a Muslim country before. The women were all covered up, and the call to prayer came out on the loudspeakers from the mosque a few times a day (including a little before 5 am, which was jarring). The same is true in Zanzibar, and I have to admit that it makes me a little uncomfortable to see 5 year old girls (and even an infant girl at one point) fully covered. It may just take some getting used to.

Dar was a little dirty -- I stubbed my toe on the street and talked nonstop for three days about how I was going to lose it (I'm sure the boys loved that) ;) Per Sarah's advice (DeCamp, my fantastic friend who has been to all of these cities before and has been giving me fantastic advice), I covered it with Bacitracin and I think I'll live. We were walking down the street when I heard Andrew yell "DON'T LOOK DOWN!" so, of course, I did, and I saw a dead rat bigger than Zena in the middle of the sidewalk. Ick!

As Andrew said, we picked up ferry tickets. We got on the ferry early in the morning (after our heartbreaking departure from Jambo Inn -- but don't worry, we're staying there again tonight) and headed off to Zanzibar. It took about an hour and a half, and I had a guy sitting so close next to me that he was practically in my lap with his armpit on my shoulder (I think Andrew mentioned the personal space issue ...) for an hour or so. We got off the ferry, went through immigration, and headed to Stone Town.

Stone Town is absolutely gorgeous. The beaches in Zanzibar are beautiful, with green water filled with dhows (African sail/fishing boats). After we got a room at the Garden Lodge (with three queen sized beds that had mosquito nets), we got lunch at a place with fantastic seafood overlooking the water, then headed into the market for a little shopping. Andrew got some good stuff, and I picked up a floor-length skirt (I was looking like a hussie, by Zanzibar standards, in my knee-length shorts and t-shirt). We headed to the Africa House (a very nice hotel) for dinner and drinks overlooking the water.

The next morning, we headed out on a spice tour. We drove about 45 minutes up the coast, then spent a couple of hours walking around a spice plantation, seeing vanilla, cloves, and tons of other spices growing. The "spice boys" followed us around, making us hats, jewelry, and neck ties out of leaves. After the tour, we went to a village for a delicious lunch of rice, spinach, and veggies, then we headed off to the north of the island for a couple of days on the beach. One driver dropped us on the side of the road in the village, and we waited about 45 minutes for another driver to come pick us up. Andrew made some friends and practiced his swahilli while Justin and I walked around.

We arrived in Nungwi (a beach town on the north side of the island) and quickly got a room in a bungalow near the beach (for $15 each per night, thanks to my feminine wiles and superior negotiation skills), then went to the beach to swim (Justin tried to drown me!) and then headed in to a bar right on the water to have some Kilimanjaro beers and wait for Justin's friend Katelin, who came to Zanzibar to meet up with us. Katelin somehow found us at the restaurant, and we spent the rest of the night drinking far too many beers and falling asleep on the beach.

The next morning we all woke up a bit hungover (and I had about 400 mosquito bites), and Andrew headed out for a day trip snorkeling at the beach while Justin, Katelin and I focused on getting out of bed :) We eventually managed, and spent some time lying on the beach and walking around exploring the island. Andrew came back, and we hung out a bit on the beach before we headed to dinner at a table on the water. My favorite little stray cat, who we named Trio (she only has three legs), sat under the table while we ate freshly caught kingfish that was incredibly delicious. Here's our table --

Now, we're in town, spending a little time on the internet before our two days of traveling start. In about half an hour, we're hopping on a public bus to head back to Stone Town (and save about 40,000 shillings over taking a taxi, thanks to savvy Katelin), then getting on the 4:00 ferry back to Dar. Once we arrive there, we're going to the bus company to get our tickets for the 8-hour bus ride to Arusha (the base of Kilimanjaro), then heading back to our favorite restaurant in Dar for dinner. Tomorrow morning, we're bussing to Arusha, starting our altitude sickness medication, and getting mentally prepared for our 8-day trek up (and back down) Kilimanjaro. We'll be out of contact for a while because after Kili, we're going on a 5-day safari through the Serenghetti, including the Ngorongoro crater, which is supposed to be really incredible.

Hope everyone is well!

Rach