Day 71: 24/06/2011 – Sazani Beach, Zanzibar

The kids slept in late this morning and as Gray and I were about to give up and start breakfast, they ambled down around 9:30 to join us. Our travel routine has gone up in smoke with them around, especially when it comes to electronic equipment. They are able to do weird and wonderful things, as only the young can, but the down side is my lap top is now always low on battery and there are 5 phones needing charging and so on. I wouldn’t swop it for a second, I love the chats, laughs and debates over meal times, watching the girls giggling and swopping outfits and Gareth loving the sea creatures and getting all philosophical about life. 

It is also great to see them looking so tanned and healthy, after bundling up in the South African winter. Possibly a little too tanned, after yesterday’s snorkelling and boat trip.  Today we all spent a lot more time chilling in the shade of the trees and only venturing out to swim or go for a walk along the beach.

We are seriously going to miss Zanzibar - the people are so friendly and especially, the staff at Sazani. I am going to miss the amazing food, especially the fresh fruit and fish (and evening cocktails). 

Day 71 was another lazy day of chilling on the most amazing beach, sipping cocktails, eating fresh fish and enjoying life. 

                                                                                            Gareth

                                                                                             and the girls

Day 70: 23/06/2011 – Sazani Beach & Mnemba Island, Zanzibar

We had an early start, much to the disgust of the kids, as we were taking a boat trip to Mnenba Island, to snorkel on their reefs. Tropical breakfast at 7:30 and we were waiting at reception for our lift at 8:00. Then Karim, our smooth tour operator on the island, phoned to say he would not be picking us up by taxi but the boat would fetch us from our beach at 9:30 – so Gareth went back to bed and the girls hit the hammocks.

Our sail boat arrived at 9:30; it was locally made from wood, with an outboard motor. We waded through the water with our towels and snorkelling kit and climbed aboard. Then I was in heaven for the next hour as the boat gently cruised over the water; I think Robs and I should become sailors, or fishes. The water was amazing and we must have passed over every colour of blue God created, from pale baby blue, to turquoise, to teal, to deep dark navy blue.

Mnenba Island is small and forested, with a fairly shallow reef. It was amazing to be back under water; the crackling of the coral reef, the amazing fish of all colours and sizes as they meander through or over the coral.  B.C. (before children), Gray and I spent most weekends and all our holidays under water, scuba diving. With 3 toddlers running around top side it was not P.C. (parentally correct) to head down under. Gareth & Kirsty are also qualified divers and Rob’s needs to find some time between polo and springboard diving one summer to do a scuba course. I really want to get back into it.

After a few hours in the water, we returned to the boat, our family was the last back on board. We shared the boat with tourists from Brazil, Israel, Turkey, Russia and of course the local Zanzibarian skipper, cook and helper. There were a lot of smiles and nodding, smatterings of English being the only common language amongst us.

Once settled, we set off for the mainland and lunch. Lunch was freshly caught Barracuda, braaied with garlic, ginger and local spices, rice and a local tomato sauce with fruit – it was delicious. After lunch we sat on the beach and watched the local children doing gymnastics (Lina Woodard would have had them all on the diving board before we could blink).

Back on the boat and the wind had come up a little, so the sail was hoisted and we gently lulled our way back home. All aboard, except the skipper (I hope) were lulled asleep. Too soon we were back at Sizani and wading back to the beach. Robs and I went back into the water for a nice long swim. Kirst and Gray headed to the beach bar and Gareth into the kitchen. Sizani had just built a pizza oven asked Ga to help their local chef with their first pizza evening.

Kirst and I tested some new fruit cocktails, the fruit being juiced in front of us, so I guess it was pretty fresh, while Ga slaved away in the kitchen. It was worth it as the pizzas were pretty good. 

                                                         Gray and the girls

                                                         The beautiful blue sea

                                                         Boading the boat

                                                         Chefs at work

Day 69: 22/06/2011 – Sazani Beach, Nungwi, Zanzibar

Happy Birthday -  Mike in Dubai and Jean in Joburg.

After our usual delicious breakfast we headed down to the beach, no surprise there.

Just below the horizon is a reef that causes waves out there but calms the waters within. The result is that we have this giant sized turquoise swimming pool to play in all day. The sea sand is fine and white and when we take a break from the dipping in the warm waters, we tan on the sand or rock in the hammocks under the tropical trees. Gray is still keeping us highly amused with his frequent and ungainly dismounts.

Apparently this beach was voted by Elle Magazine as the best beach in the world, a few years ago.

I bonded with the girls today, we spent ages chatting and throwing a ball around in the water. Robs spends hours in the water and only eventually only came in just before dark. The boys alternated between taking dips and walks on the beach, until it was Kili time, they then wandered up to beach pub. Kirst and I joined them for cocktails, which are made with freshly squeezed juices. We chatted to Cathy (the owner) and Mark (her partner) about juggling life and work in the UK and Zanzibar; they have it right, a few months here and a few months there.

After chilli prawns and chocolate brownies for dinner we headed off to bed, it’s amazing how being ‘so energetic’ can tire one out.

                                                         Sunrise today

                                                         Our beach bar

Day 68: 21/06/2011 – Sazani Beach, Nungwi, Zanzibar

We awoke to a fairly overcast day but somehow the sun in Africa still manages to make a spectacular appearance and today was no exception, as it cast its red and orange glow over the calm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Over breakfast of fresh tropical fruits, freshly baked jam croissants and cinnamon buns and eggs, we chatted to the Comic Relief Team. They seem to have the charity thing in Africa sussed. They sponsor development projects at grass roots level in order for the local people to make use of and expand their existing skills as well as assisting in educational projects.

With tummies full we ambled the couple of feet down to the beach. The water is so warm and calm at this time of the year (apparently January and February sees huge storms and high winds). The low tide sees the sea ebbing right back and you can walk for ages, in ankle deep water, out to sea; with high tide the water gentle flows back in. This is not exactly a surfers paradise in terms of big waves. Robs spent hours snorkelling around but saw very little. Kirst, having escaped the Cape Town winter, spent a good deal of the day sunbathing.

The beach is empty and besides the odd couple walking past from the neighbouring lodge, we had the beach to ourselves. I love taking long walks on the beach and collecting shells. As a child, on our family holidays, Gareth would always join me as we ambled from Sheffield Beach up to Tinley Manor, on the Natal North Coast. As I set off to explore the northern tip of the island I found my son walking next to me, just like old times, we ambled along talking about everything and nothing, stopping every few steps to pick up a shell that had caught our eye. What a special time. We walked past a few lodges, one particularly fancy and one pretty awful. As we rounded the final bend, there was a lighthouse and the local village. It was low tide at this stage and most of the wooden fishing boats were lolling on the sand. Further out we watched fisherman catching fish in nets. Some of the local children came to chat but our lack of Swahili tongue was a problem, so we were limited to Jambo – Hello.

There are thousands of little cowries of different colours but most of the nice shells are inhabited by hermit crabs. It is fascinating to watch these little shells whizzing around the beach.  As you pick them up, the crab retreats back into its shell, with patience we watch them slowly creep out again.

After another lazy day at the beach and laughs after tipples off the hammocks, we were treated to a barbecue (braai is not a known word in these parts) – of prawns, octopus, red snapper (the biggest I have seen), chicken and beef, along with salad, veg, local spiced rice and chapatti (another local favourite, a bit like a roti). Pudding was crème brulee made with coconut. Not bad for an island dinner.

The highlight of the day, much to the excitement of the kids – Captain Haddock shaved off his beard. He does look a whole lot better.

                                                         Sunrise from our hut

                                                         Our hut

                                                         Hermit crab
                                                         

                                                         Caught in the act of shaving

Day 67: 20/06/2011 – Stone Town to Sazani Beach, Zanzibar

We were woken up at 4:00 by a particularly loud, vocal and zealous Muslim prayer, we had a repeat session at 5:00. There is no order or specific timing to these broadcasts but I guess, with 99% of the population being Muslim, we have to go with the flow.

After our rooftop breakfast, we packed and our taxi driver, Karim was waiting for us, he was ½ hour early. We meandered through the alleys, with all our bags, to the ‘parking area’ and set off north through Zanzibar Town and then headed to the coast at Nungwi The trip took about an hour; after Zanzibar Town we drove through the rural areas, where the houses are pretty run down. We passed a number of schools where the school uniforms are traditional Muslim clothes.

I guess we must have travelled most of the length of the 52 mile long island (it is around 25 miles wide), to reach Sazani Beach Lodge – where we will be staying for the next 5 nights. This is going to be a huge hardship!!! Our bungalows are on this tropical beach, with white sand, clear azure waters and hammocks hung under trees for us to lounge in after we have dipped in the calm, warm Indian Ocean waters. Sazani Beach Hotel is plain and comfortable, not fancy or pretentious but with all the natural beauty around us, we could ask for nothing more.

After dropping off our bags in our rooms (the beds were all decorated with bougainvillea flowers) and being treated to some tropical fruits, we headed down to the beach for a swim. The area reminds me a lot of Inhasorra (sp?) on the Mozambique coast and certainly rivals any of the Indian Ocean Islands. After a swim and a chill on the beach it started to rain, perfect timing as we felt a little peckish, so we headed off to the dining room, an open plan structure overlooking the sea. The menu varies each day and is dependent on local fresh produce, such as the catch of the day – it just happened to be my favourite, Tuna, which had been caught this morning.

As we finished lunch, the rain stopped and so it was back to the beach and hammocks. The hammocks are causing much hilarity, as we have not quite mastered the delicate balance of climbing on and settling into them without doing a 180° flip and landing in the sand, Panda has kept us particularly amused with his ungainly flips. I must say, the thought of my friends and colleagues having to work, in the Johannesburg winter, while I relax in paradise, has left me feeling a little guilty.

In the evening, we went to the bar area, an open plan hut with beach sand floors and tried various tropical drinks, Mango and Malibu was my favourite – not sure if this would work in Johannesburg but with the sea and palm trees around, it was perfect.

Dinner was delicious, everything is so fresh, I just love the delicate balance of spices that is used to bring out the flavour in all the food. We met the owner of the hotel, a lady from the UK, who built a house on the land but according to law cannot own property on the sea without using it for commercial purposes, hence the few bungalows where we are staying. 

Being low season, there are only 3 other guests here. After dinner, one of the guests, on hearing we were South Africans joined us, Norman is Zambian and is high up in the Comic Relief Organisation and in charge of distributing money to organisations around the world, including the Nelson Mandela Children’s fund. He greeted us in Zulu and is clearly well connected in political circles. He is married to a Scottish lady and has been living in Scotland for the past 20 years, he is a personal friend of Kenneth Kaunda and has offered to organise us a visit with him, if he is in town and when we return to Zambia. Not sure all this will come together but it would be hugely exciting if it did.

                                                         View from reception at Sazani

                                                         The dining area

                                                         Family on the beach

                                                         The hammock, Gray is on the sand below