Hi friends....
I just arrived home to my ridiculously hot apartment. My ceiling fans just aren't doing the trick these days. I decided to walk home from school today, and it is bloody hot outside. Yes...BLOODY hot. I am not sure how I can handle this heat...I have never been a person who has an ounce of tolerance for hot weather. However, I can somehow convince myself to walk home from school here on a regular basis...1.5 grueling hours in the heat with sweat dripping down my face and my body covered in it. I don't get it. Ah well...I guess we all change in our old age, don't we?!?!?! When I arrived today, I did get a strange look from Elly, my house help. It must have looked like I had just taken a shower in my clothes. And...........I am sure I didn't smell like roses.
Speaking of Elly, for those of you who might not know, I am quite pampered here. I have a maid, essentially, who comes to my house 3 times a week. He does my cleaning, my laundry, my dishes, my shopping if I want him to, he cooks for me, organizes my house and makes my bed! I feel like a queen, and sometimes I feel EXTREMELY guilty, but I have to remind myself that it is a job for him. Although it doesn't seem like a glamorous job for a male, especially, it provides him work. So, that is a good thing!!!
As most of you know, I went to Zanzibar last weekend!! It was my first time visiting the island...and I can't believe I haven't been before this. What an amazingly beautiful place! I was just blown away. I went with Abdi, Theresa and her boyfriend. We stayed in a little village at the southern tip of the island, where all the boats leave for dolphin viewing. It was a quaint and pleasant village, with very little commotion. Because we had connections, we got a great deal on the hotel rooms, and an even better deal on a dolphin viewing trip. The typical tourist pays $30 to go out and see them. BUT...because we have boyfriends who speak Kiswahili, we paid 10,000 TSH. That is the equivalent of $8. Nice! The boat was a wooden one, with a motor that they remove in the evening so it wont get stolen. I would NOT trust this boat in a storm or on high waves, but luckily the sea was quite flat that morning! So, we headed out to chase the extremely fast dolphins. If we chose to, we could jump in and swim with them...so we had brought snorkels and masks along. I soon realized, however, that the idea of swimming with dolphins wasn't as romantic as it sounds. You basically jump off the boat, quickly look under water, see them for a split second, and they are gone! So, Theresa and Abdi took the plunge, while Ibra and I stayed in the boat and took pictures. All in all, it was an amazing experience. They were swimming all around us, and we were able to get so close. My favorite part of the trip, though, was on the way home. We saw something strange in front of us...a weird sparkle above the water...and soon realized that it was flying fish!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was freaking out...I had really hoped to see some. They literally FLY out of the water, in huge schools. I have never seen anything like that. I wish I could have captured it on camera...but there was no way. It would have been nice to share with you all!!!
Our next adventure took us to a village called Paje, just north of us on the island. We had really wanted to rent mopeds, but the village we were in was tiny. No rental shops! So, once again, our Tanzanian boyfriends hooked it up and suddenly two vespas appeared at the doorsteps of our hotel rooms! When everyone needs money, it is quite easy to strike a deal. Abdi and Ibra had just asked around, and two men agreed to part with their scooters for the day in exchange for 20,000 TSH ($18). So, we were off!! We had friends staying in Paje, so we scooted up there to see them. I have decided that we will be staying there when Mom, Susan and Melissa come in August. It is paradise! White sandy beaches that stretch for miles, teal water, beautiful hotel rooms, cheap snorkeling trips, great food. It is unbelieveable. I just cant wait to share it with others!!! The scooters were great fun...such a different way to see a place. I love riding in the open air, you just see so many things you wouldn't normally notice. It was an excellent day!
Other than that, we basically chilled on our porches, watched the sunsets, ate at local restaurants, did a little shopping and swam. Before we took the boat back to Dar, we strolled through Stone Town. It is the old part of the main Zanzibar Town. It reminded me of something you would see in Croatia or Bosnia. Small streets, old buildings, lots of character. Unfortunately everything was closed because it was a Muslim holiday, and Zanzibar is primarily Muslim. But, strolling around was great anyway. I would definitely recommend Zanzibar to anyone who is coming this way. And yes, Story, we have to change our itinerary. Zanzibar is MUCH better than Mombassa!
I am off to Moshi tomorrow. I am a chapperone for a school trip. The kids compete each year in a multi-sport tournament with the International School Moshi, as well as a few other schools. I am the only "non-coach" going...but people know my love for Moshi, so I was asked to go as a chapperone. So nice!!! I will get to see Abdi and visit LIA during the day, then I am on duty at night. Barf-o-rama. Oh well, I guess it is worth it!!!! I will be back on Tuesday.
Hope everyone is doing well. I am leaving on December 20th for Christmas in Moshi, and then we head out to Italy on December 26th. I couldn't be more ready for a break....and I am in desperate need of Italian cuisine. Goat just doesn't cut it sometimes! Talk to you all soon!
Love,
Jenny
