Zanzibar –Part I
Upon doing some quick math, I concluded that taking a RT
flight was 10 USD more than taking a 2-3 hour RT ferry, and therefore TOTALLY
worth flying into Zanzibar. The flight makes Zanzibar feel like it’s a hop,
skip, and a jump away. Within 15 minutes of being in air, we landed at the Zanzibar
airport. Our airport taxi into Stone
Town cost us $10USD. Here we picked up a
Ryan Gosling look alike from Texas named __.
Turned out our stranger was actually visiting from Sudan
where he was working closely with Drs. w/o borders. He worked as some structural engineer, and
claimed his biggest threats included possibly dying from being shot (gun
violence) or being burned while in the health center there. Both pretty scary possibilities to face. Moreover, he apparently lived in a hut, much
like the one described earlier when discussing the Maasai. Overall, he felt the risks were worth it. Kudos to him. He turned out to be an
entertaining companion for our car ride.
Upon arrival, our hotel, 1001 Nights, turned out to be a
multicolored 2 bedroom apt with a private bathroom and dramatic mosquito
netting around the beds. We quickly
arranged for a $35pp Dolphin tour. This
turned out to be the MOST amazing part of the trip for me. (PS… we over paid for that trip by a lot…another
couple we went w paid only $29…but that’s what comes of planning things last
minute).
The next morning, 2 dramamines later, I found myself face to
face with a pod of 5 wild bottlenose dolphins, all doing a mating dance within
2 feet of me! One playfully bit the other, while I spastically fumbled for my
camera hoping to capture the moment.
Turns out, im not very coordinated with flippers, a camera, snorkeling
goggles that don’t fit and can’t be tightened!
Sadly, I have nothing but a video of the event. But, I KNOW in my heart
that I will never forget the beautiful sight of a dolphin looking me in the eye
as it brushes past, playfully tugging at another nearby dolphin. This memory I
shall take with me to sleep every night of this trip. Sigh.
We also got a chance to snorkel and see a part of the reef
by Kimikazi.
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