Zanzibar, Tanzania

Bonjour!
I have had no access to internet or phone since I began the trip to the coast.... I have a lot to share today as I am back in Nairobi. It is referendum day today in Kenya and everyone is really excited to find out the results of the votes. All results should be in later on tonight. I have had very little news from the campain while in Zanzibar and I am trying to catch up on the last few weeks events pertaining to the vote. All appears to be ok in the city so far but there are twice as many police officers and army personel around Nairobi. My hotel is located right downtown but they have added extra security as well so I feel relatively safe here. The team went to visit the elephant orphanage this morning but I decided to sleep in a bit after the 18 hours bus ride from Dar As Alam to Nairobi. We arrived around 10pm, very dusty and hungry. We travelled on a local bus to save money and get a taste for what it is like to travel like the Tanzanians. Of course we were the only white foreigners onboard.
The Journey to the coast:
We boarded a night train from Nairobi to Mombasa. A very very old train with quite a bit of history! I hardly slept as the noise and bumpy road kept me awake most of the time. We were to arrive in Mombasa at 8 am the next day but around 7 am the train stopped and all passengers were informed that a cargo train was coming and we would need to wait until it came through before the journey to Mombasa resumed. Around 11 am most of the passengers had left on private busses and taxis to reach Mombasa by road. There was not one scrap of food or drink left on the train so in desperation we decided to pay the extra money for a taxi to take us to our hotel. We arrived 2 and 1/2 hours later to our little peace of heaven on the coast. We baked in the sun and played in the waves for two days and then boarded a small local bus to take us to Dar As Alam. I have experienced bumpy road trips in Kenya before but this was incredible!! They had no room for our luggage underneath the bus and we sat with luggage on top of us for most of the 12 hours ride. The locals were somewhat suspicious of us at the beginning but Andree began to sing some camp songs with the children and soon enough all the women were singing with us. The women were very protective of us as we crossed the Tanzanian border. There is an area called No Man's Land between the Kenyan and Tanzanian border. We had to cross it on foot as the bus was inspected and waited for us on the other side. No need to say that we crossed as rapidly as we could!! Not too many hassles from the officials but a long delay anyway as it is always the case in Africa. We had left Mombasa at 6:30 am without as much as a drop of water and it was now close to 12 am still no food and no Tanzanian shillings to purchase anything from the food vendors. Finally a stop in Tamba we were able to change some money and get some lunch and delicious water!!
Arrival in Dar As Alam later on that evening, the bus terminal is very noisy and crowded with people. Getting a taxi proved again to be a major challenge while keeping an eye on our luggage and each other. I named our little hotel in Dar As Alam "The coackroach Inn" but really the place was friendly and very cheap. Two young British girls were in the lobby as we arrived and they were told that all was fully booked for the night. As Andree and I had 3 twin beds in our room we invited them to share one of them. I did not have the heart to send them out in the night in the search for something else. They tearfully accepted the offer as they were so tired and quite sick with colds. They had just returned that day from Mount Kilamanjaro.
Early rise again the next day to catch the Sea Bus ferry to take us to Zanzibar. The ferry is quite luxurious for economy class and we watched old reruns of Mr Bean for the next two hours. The sea is beautiful and quite peaceful. Stone Town appears on the other side. Quite a sight.... Bleached stone houses surrounded by turquoise sea. We have reached our Paradise island for the next 7 days.
Our little beach resort is absolutely charming and we are located a few meters away from the ocean. We go to bed with all doors and windows open and fall asleep listening to the sound of the waves very cozy under our mosquito nets.
We spend our stay playing in the sea, walking on almost white sandy beaches but we also do quite a bit of touring of local attractions.
Jambiani Forest
This magical forest is the home of the Columbus Red Monkeys. They hang everywhere above us as we walk on the paths. The babies are absolutely adorable and stare at us with their huge eyes. I have tons of great pictures!
Sea Turtle sanctuary
We are able to pet and feed giant turtles who are more than willing to entertain us.
Again, I go picture crazy!
Butterflies
Next, a visit to a butterfly sanctuary established by a German woman. A feast for the eyes!
Spice tour
No visit to Zanzibar would be complete we were told without a visit to a spice farm.
We tour the farm of Mr. Spice, and independent farmer. We share a very tasty meal prepared by his wife and drink Zanzibar tea before we begin the tour of the farm.
We have the opportunity to sample a wide range of leaves,seeds and fruits and get a lot of information from our guide on all the spices grown on site. My favorite treat is the Coco Bean fruit!
Stone Town
We take a day to visit this old historical town and shop and shop!! We meet a local designer and we get bathrobes custom made for each one of us with Tanzanian fabric. The cost in Canadian money for each robe is about 8 dollars. Amazing!!
As I visit an historical Sultan house I meet a woman from South Africa and we take pictures of each other lounging on the Sultan's beautiful Swahili bed.
I have to say that we all have had gastro intestinal problems for most of the journey but we are all tanned and looking pretty good for our return to Nairobi.
The team is leaving for Canada tomorrow morning and I am returning to North Maragoli tomorrow or the next day depending on the safety of traveling on my own by bus after the referemdum outcome.
Can't wait to see my chilren again!
I don't know if I will have enough money to travel to Rwanda before I return home. I will decide later on.
Au revoir,
Mme B.