Coco De Mer Hotel Stone Town

Mambo Vipi rafikis!
So we have been in Zanzibar for one week now. It is a beautiful island and Stone town is a crazy mess of streets and amazing architecture. It is kind of like a mini Boston because you always feel like you are a spinning top when you are navigating and somehow you still end up where you are supposed to be. Good thing I lived in near Boston this summer, I don't feel so lost. We have been in our homestays for 5 days now and my family is pretty cool. My mom and dad ...

... 8220;What does he want to do with all that power?”

“To party. Emerson lives to party

My last stop of the evening was the Bawani Hotel. I had first heard of it from a gorgeous singer called Madhaf who had fallen madly in lust with me one night a week ago. He had invited me then, but it had been almost 3 a.m. and I had reluctantly declined. He didn’t take it too kindly and our love affair withered before it had even sprouted ...

'MZUNGUS!!!!!!', Marvin and I cry out in unison as we disembark from the ‘Sea Star’ ferry that has brought us from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar. They are everywhere….left, right, in front. It has been many weeks since we have seen so many of our own tribe and it feels quite nice to not be the only Mzungu (meaning wealthy person – in Africa often what you are referred to if you are white and seemingly have ...

The plane journey was not to bad as there was a visit to the pub on the way,
although when i got onto the plane i found a American had taken my seat next to the window so being British i took his seat and didn't complain. He then went on to tell me his life story for most of the journey.
when i arrived we came straight to ...

... and quite often earlier!

This is very much the long driving days, which are probably one in every 3...

OK.... well that has only updated 2 of the last 4 weeks, but hopefully in the next few days I will try to bring you up to now...

Tomorrow our group of 20 split in half.... half of us including me going to Cape town (another 18 days) and the others going to Jo'Burg (another 6 days)....

Anyway must go.... heading out on a microlight ...

... pleasure, four legged animals of various size and shape now furless and hanging from meathooks in a musty slighlty sickly sweet smelling room and a colourful menagare of fruit, vegetables and spices spread out in maze. Oh and all the artisans and antique dealers peddling their treasures . A shoppers paradise...if you like your produce fresh and don't mind a bit of haggeling. Exploring Stone Town, a compact, twisting and winding ...

... security guard in charge tells our group to move aside and let the locals past?? HELL NO...... We all stood up with our back packs on and formed a barricade so no one could get passed up. The security guide yelled at us again but we told him there was no way we were going to move. We had been there since half 9 and there we were 6 hours later and there was no way. The gates opened and the biggest stampede of all time followed ...

... Non, parce que, ca a l'air simple, comme ca, les videos du commandant cousteau mais c'est quand meme une bonne vieille galere au debut. Il faut juste simultanement: - Gerer la pression de l'eau qui menace d'exploser tes tympans - Gerer la pression de ton gilet histoire d'atteindre un etat de levitation totale et ne pas finir la tete dans le corail - Vider l'eau de ton masque sans respirer par le nez - Ne JAMAIS retenir sa respiration pour eviter a tes poumons d'exploser ...

I woke up early this morning to buy some fruit from the market. Kendwa is quite expensive for the budget traveller so I decided to bring some of my owwn food to cut down the costs. I later met up with Chris, Allison and Ang who organized a cheap mini bus ride to Kendwa (only 5000 TSH as opposed to 10000 TSH that everyone else seems to be paying). We even asked the driver to stop at a few places so we could buy some alcohol for the ...

... of a local hangout where you could save a few cents. It was a treasure chest of a buffet; all the locals were eating there. You had a serious selection of pots of curry, soup and briyani's, all for a dollar or two. My only regret on the island is not having some more time to experience the local villages on its more remote parts. The weather would have cleared; I would be sailing on a dhow somewhere into the sunset, rather than heading for Dar at 7am.