Travel: Zanzibar

David was in America again so we decided to take a holiday for the long weekend.  It was one of TZ 7 million national holidays.  So we flew to Zanzibar and stayed in a  place called Shooting Star on the east coast.  We got low season rates since it can rain and the Italians don’t like the rain.  ( So we were told)  Our resort had about 10 rooms.  Most rooms were small bungalows with grass roofs.  A bushbaby came into our room in the middle of the night and  tried to eat our apples.  They can jump fast and far.  Great food- lots of fish.  We don’t really get fish in Arusha.  Here is the pool and the beach just at the lodge.  It was low tide a lot so we did not swim in deep water but had lots of mud/sand fights.

   

 

 

 

 

I love this because this is a picture of us just before going swimming with Bottlenosed dolphins.  We look so calm.  Turns out we went on a tiny little jet boat without a shade structure.  We drove for an hour and saw no dolphins.  The kids eyes glossed over, and their ears turned red so I just asked the guide if we could at least jump in and swim in the middle of the African ocean.  Both kids did great.

As we drove back to the shore I gave the lecture about “how we can’t control nature and the dolphins get to decide when they want to swim with people in the wild………… so don’t be sad- it was a cool boat ride”.  Luckily next to shore we saw a pod.  And this is what you do. 

You put the masks/life jackets on the kids quick and then throw them into the ocean next to the pod.  The African swimmer guide grabs them by the shoulders and swims with them while you try to get yourself in a mask.  You jump in, but by that time the dolphins are gone.  So everyone gets back in the boat.  A few minutes later you see them again and do the whole thing over.  This happens about 4 times until the last time one comes way too close to your five year old and he practically leaps out of the water and yells “back in the boat”- you get him in as fast as possible so he is not scared.  So, no direct in water dolphin viewing for me, but the kid got to swim with them and have stories to tell. 

 

 

Next we went to see Red Colobus Monkeys.  They are only on Zanzibar.  I think the park feeds them because they were extinct once but now just hang out everywhere for the tourists to walk right up to. They only have four fingers on their front hand to use like hooks. 

 

 

We stopped at a local turtle conservation site that was kind of a hole in the middle of the island that had six turtles bought from fishermen who caught them in their nets.  It was  a gross little hole, but the kids liked it and at least people are trying. 

The next day we went to the island big aquarium to see turtles.  It was really still a hole, but had more turtles and was connected to the ocean so the water was cleaner.  This one is also run by local villagers for conservation and tourism.  It has researchers pass through some too.  They had nice little signs and a good guide that knew a lot about turtles and marine life.  He asked me if I knew anyone in America to be his wife. 

     

Whale bones at the aquarium.  Dolphin bones.  In 2006 there was an underground earthquake and the pressure changed so fast the brains of the dolphins couldn’t adjust and they all died. 

  

We went to a place that they made local fishing boats.  Then to a deep water beach so the kids could swim. 

     

Lastly we went to Stonetown.  Known for tourism, spices, wood carving chests, and more tourism.  Lots of old stone buildings with little allyways.  reminded me of parts of Mexico or Portugal.  We did an museum, fort, garden, and ate lunch atop a tall bulding so we could get good views.  Then we shopped in the little stores that line the allys.  Birch got a model of a boat and Cole got a shark tooth necklace. 

 

    

 

 

 

Back the lodge for more swimming and relaxation.  Every night I had one cocktail called a dawa- which means medicine in Swahili.  It is vodka, honey, lime, and bitters.  My new favorite.  The kids were so well behaved I almost couldn’t believe it.  They kept saying they had to be the man since dad wasn’t there.  My favorite dinner they were feeding the hotel cat fish and after the fish was gone the cat jumped up front legs on the table and stole Cole’s bread.  They made up this game like they were cats calling each other on the phone.  “ Hey that table is giving out fish.  If they don’t give you fish jump up an still some bread from the little one”.  They said it a million times every night at dinner.