Zanzibar

Zanzibar is awesome! Friday morning took an early morning ferry from Dar Es Salaam to Zanzibar. Disembarked from the boat and walked across the street to find myself surrounded by what seemed like thousands of people buying/selling items in the markets that fill the maze of narrow winding streets that make up Stone Town. After a little shopping i checked into Maruhubi hotel a short distance down the road and spent the afternoon swimming in the pool with a few of the other VSO "volunteers". More of the same on Saturday and then went for dinner at a little more upscale hotel Mtoni Marine's to celebrate on of the vol's 50th birthday. About 12 of us sat out on the beach under the stars listening to a few Tanzanian's play local music and then sung happy birthday to Corrie. The next day I took a taxi across the island due west to the town of Uroa to meet Sheena, Francijn and Diane, my next door neighbors in Ndanda who were staying at a little cheaper hotel on the east coast (Santa Maria Coral Park). This hotel is very quiet, secluded hotel with little cabanas scattered about the beach. There is a beautiful beachfront view of the Indian Ocean. We spent one afternoon snorkeling and the other days swimming in the ocean during high tide and relaxing out on the beach.

I was feeling a little ambitious with my photography and decided to take the camera out into the ocean with me to capture the amazing blue colors of ocean against the horizon. I was in the midst of telling myself to be careful not to drop my camera because there are many hidden rocks covered in sand which are not visible under the water. The next moment I tripped over the rock and found myself searching the ocean floor for the camera! Unfortunately with high tide, and sand covering the ground it was impossible to find.
There is a village on the coast and a couple of locals were out on the shore. I mentioned that I dropped my camera into the water. One man told me to wait until low tide and then look. I searched a little more without luck, and when I looked back on shore, more people in the village had come out of their homes and into the water to look for the camera. I offered 50,000 shillings to the person who could find the camera. I told the people of the village I would return just before sundown. I walked back to the hotel and saw about 50 people(men, women and children) in the water on a hunt for my camera! I returned to the village just before sundown and a little boy told me a little girl had found the camera. I walked into the village and met the girl who gave me the camera. I was surrounded by the people in the village and then I gave the girl the money. The next moment it seemed like the whole village began shouting and cheering - Of course the camera was broken but I felt that giving the money to this girl and seeing the joy on her face was worth it - I thought it would make a nice christmas present to many people. I lost a lot of pictures of the hotels and beach but I bought a new digital camera today in Stone town and have taken plenty of photos of stone town. I will download the pictures from stone town and my friends' pictures from the resort when I'm back in Ndanda. Happy Holidays!!