Sorry that I have been completely useless at updating this blog. Things in paradise always are always a little busier than they seem and internet cafes a little more expensive than expected. The first month on Zanzibar wizzed by so quickly I hardly had time to settle in and catch my breath. The half way mark in my time there was characterised by a complete shift of the social set up in Nungwi.
Our lives in Nungwi all revolve in a 1km radius, with an occasional visit to Stone Town (to get cash) or a party somewhere on the East or West coast. Everything that we need and want are within a couple of hundred meters walking distance…work, home, friend’s houses, restaurants, the little supermarket, internet and most importantly, the bar. Anything on the outer fringes seems incredibly far…The Zanzibar Watersports House, for instance. As mentioned before, life in Nungwi is pretty routine, wake up, work, Cholo’s bar for sundowners, find food somewhere, party (optional extra if people are in the mood) and bed. Anything that changes from this routine or shifts in our 1km radius life is quite the event.
So at the beginning of March, my Dive Instructor/colleague/house mate/friend (Jon) leaves to head home to the UK via a short trip to Southern Africa. He takes with him Chris (Capetownian), the other Dive Instructor for East Africa Divers, for their African Adventure. Marco, my other house mate also leaves to go back to Italy. Opaz, who, due to cost cutting was fired from Zanzibar Watersports, takes Jon’s place in the Dive Centre and Marco’s place in the Orange house. Marisa (South African Yoga Instructor) was kicked out of her house and then moves into Jon’s room in the Orange house….you still following? …Meanwhile Nicla moves into Opaz’s old room at the Zanzibar Watersports House with Jo.
While people are reshuffling houses, other people are leave Nungwi and some come back. Every week during the second month we had farewell parties for various Mzungu locals. The recession is starting to hit Zanzibar hard and many people, although staying open for the rainy season, are cost cutting and making staff cut backs. L Very sad to have to keep saying goodbye.
Halfway through my second month, my mom came to spend a week with me. It was good to have someone come see where I’m at and meet all the people. We managed to get her into the water and diving! She was very anxious at first but I think she enjoyed it in the end. I also managed to wangle 3 days off to go explore the rest of the island. We spent a day touring around the Island visiting Jozani Forest and the Mangrove swaps, chilling with Red Colobus monkeys and walking on the beach at Paje. We even managed to fit in a Spice Tour.
We then braved the tourists and curio vendors and spent 2 days in Stone Town, a curious place. Even though you get haggled wherever you go (“Jambo, Jambo, cheap price for you Rafiki! Jambo! Come look! Looking is free.”) through the tiny dirty, run-down streets, it has an incredible charm to it. Most of the time, mom and I sat in coffee shops, bars and roof-top restaurants sipping cocktails and escaping the crowded streets and the heat. We did manage a little bit of shopping and a trip to Prison Island as a tourist contribution.
I left mom in Stone Town, to catch a flight to SA and hurried back to the blue sea and sandy beaches of Nungwi…WOW it felt good to have my feet in the sand again. I went back and finally finished my Dive Master course (By this stage Chris had returned from his African Adventure), including the infamous Snorkel test, which included downing 3 beers and a shot of tequila through a snorkel which was shortly followed by 3x Dr Peppers (Curse you Jo!) and a couple of shots of Jagermeister (curse you too Chris!)
Mom’s visit was shortly followed by a visit from Martha (a friend from my Comm Serv year, also making her way back home to the UK.) Her visit marked the end of my time in Nungwi L I had finished work and Martha and I decided to go on some kind of adventure. So we stuck our noses into all the guide books we could find to make the best plan….
Our lives in Nungwi all revolve in a 1km radius, with an occasional visit to Stone Town (to get cash) or a party somewhere on the East or West coast. Everything that we need and want are within a couple of hundred meters walking distance…work, home, friend’s houses, restaurants, the little supermarket, internet and most importantly, the bar. Anything on the outer fringes seems incredibly far…The Zanzibar Watersports House, for instance. As mentioned before, life in Nungwi is pretty routine, wake up, work, Cholo’s bar for sundowners, find food somewhere, party (optional extra if people are in the mood) and bed. Anything that changes from this routine or shifts in our 1km radius life is quite the event.
So at the beginning of March, my Dive Instructor/colleague/house mate/friend (Jon) leaves to head home to the UK via a short trip to Southern Africa. He takes with him Chris (Capetownian), the other Dive Instructor for East Africa Divers, for their African Adventure. Marco, my other house mate also leaves to go back to Italy. Opaz, who, due to cost cutting was fired from Zanzibar Watersports, takes Jon’s place in the Dive Centre and Marco’s place in the Orange house. Marisa (South African Yoga Instructor) was kicked out of her house and then moves into Jon’s room in the Orange house….you still following? …Meanwhile Nicla moves into Opaz’s old room at the Zanzibar Watersports House with Jo.
While people are reshuffling houses, other people are leave Nungwi and some come back. Every week during the second month we had farewell parties for various Mzungu locals. The recession is starting to hit Zanzibar hard and many people, although staying open for the rainy season, are cost cutting and making staff cut backs. L Very sad to have to keep saying goodbye.Halfway through my second month, my mom came to spend a week with me. It was good to have someone come see where I’m at and meet all the people. We managed to get her into the water and diving! She was very anxious at first but I think she enjoyed it in the end. I also managed to wangle 3 days off to go explore the rest of the island. We spent a day touring around the Island visiting Jozani Forest and the Mangrove swaps, chilling with Red Colobus monkeys and walking on the beach at Paje. We even managed to fit in a Spice Tour.
We then braved the tourists and curio vendors and spent 2 days in Stone Town, a curious place. Even though you get haggled wherever you go (“Jambo, Jambo, cheap price for you Rafiki! Jambo! Come look! Looking is free.”) through the tiny dirty, run-down streets, it has an incredible charm to it. Most of the time, mom and I sat in coffee shops, bars and roof-top restaurants sipping cocktails and escaping the crowded streets and the heat. We did manage a little bit of shopping and a trip to Prison Island as a tourist contribution.I left mom in Stone Town, to catch a flight to SA and hurried back to the blue sea and sandy beaches of Nungwi…WOW it felt good to have my feet in the sand again. I went back and finally finished my Dive Master course (By this stage Chris had returned from his African Adventure), including the infamous Snorkel test, which included downing 3 beers and a shot of tequila through a snorkel which was shortly followed by 3x Dr Peppers (Curse you Jo!) and a couple of shots of Jagermeister (curse you too Chris!)
Mom’s visit was shortly followed by a visit from Martha (a friend from my Comm Serv year, also making her way back home to the UK.) Her visit marked the end of my time in Nungwi L I had finished work and Martha and I decided to go on some kind of adventure. So we stuck our noses into all the guide books we could find to make the best plan….
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