Andy's Karibuni Romantic Garden Bwejuu

... oh, Malaya, aye! Malaya! Hatutaki Malaya! Hatutaki Malaya!” Prostitute! Look at the prostitutes! We don’t want prostitutes here!”

Now it’s the rumble of a hundred voices, two hundred, three. The girls are looking for a way out of the market. Watch them go, faster and faster, whipping past the jeers, and the looks as the rumble gets louder, caving in all around them. Kyalo gets out the Sony and breaks into a run, the cameraman ...

Just an hour to update what's happened over the last week or so. I may come back and fill in the gaps when I probably get to Livingstone Zambia in a week's time and have a few spare days when I am not white water rafting the Lower Zambezi or taking the short flight over the Victoria Falls etc. ...

Now day 13 and we have just over an hour before we have to meet again to catch the ferry for the 2 hours trip back to mainland Africa (Dar Es Salaam) just 80 kms away. Hope it is as ...

... with his family. They invited us to join them on a trip they’d planned to another patch of forest (we were the only other guests). The drive took two hours on windy dirt roads and allowed us to see much of the mountain range; it’s a really beautiful area. We also stopped at a farm owned by Benedictine Monks on the way who produce their own wine, not great but certainly palatable!

After Lushoto we took our last long bus journey ...

Jambo! I would like to wish all of the Mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day and to all of you a very belated Feliz Cinco de Mayo. I hope you celebrated Cinco de Mayo in my honor with a few (or many) shots of tequila. Karibu (welcome) to Zanzibar Archipelago, the "spice islands", well known for their white sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, large Muslim population, Arabic influenced culture, slave trade, birthplace of Freddie ...

... wasn't lost to Duncan). Soon however, as we made multiple stops nearer to Stone Town, we were crammed in with people perched on our laps! We all loved it and Maddie survived it.
The next day, we rented a car to do a small tour of the island. Of course just as we left Bububu, the heavens opened and the rain came down in a tropical torrent. The country roads are dotted with small rural houses, some concrete, others walled with sticks and mud, with ...

... sleep in mosquito nets when we are at lodges/hotels. They all have them. So in our nice little room (by the way, our room in Zanzibar is something out of Casablanca or something. It used to be a sultan's palace and we have the North room. All open air, with wooden lattice doors to a balcony overlooking all of Stonetown; though the town is a bit rundown. We shower in an open large tub, al fresco. Good thing we are on the tallest floor) In any case, we close the ...

... then Stone Town is the place for you. Zanzibar is a center of Swahili culture, a mix of African, Arab, and Indian influences. The island, although part of Tanzania, is proud of its autonomy and puts a stamp in your passport. The sultan of Oman, who ruled most of the east coast of Africa, moved his capital here to Stone Town because of the important spice trade. So Stone Town used to be a rich capital of an empire. The most rewarding part of ...

... you to buy at certain stalls so they can get some commission. I learned that at the end of the night, if they briought the vendor enough business, they would get a free meal. They don't even get money. They could be quite annoying though. They will be friendly with you for 10 minutes and then tell you straight out to buy them food or a drink. You just say no (athough I did quietly buy one guy a sugar cane drink). As soon as you buy something for one tout, all the other ones come running ...

... English and I know a few words in swahili. Everytime i say something, she just bursts out laughing (I'm glad I'm keeping someone happy!). Anyway, the converstation gets me an appointment in the hotel with her friend who paints henna on people. So, the next day, I get a visit and in 20 minutes, my feet are coverd in what looks more like lace than paint. She has done it all the way down to the toes. It is very beautiful. Now, while we were having the conversation about the henna, I ...

Ik weet even niet meer precies waar ik gebleven was. Volgens mij had
ik wel al verteld over Stone Town op Zanzibar, en hoe leuk dat is met
al die kronkelstraatjes, het lekkere eten, het mooie uitzicht, de dhows
(Arabische zeilboten), de Arabische en Aziatische (en Portugese) invloeden...

Daarna heb ik 4 dagen aan de oostkust van het eiland aan een Bounty-achtig
strand gezeten, in Bwejuu. Helemaal zoals ...