zanzibar zanzibar zanzibar

The dictionary word of the day: ineffable. It's definition is basically the inability to express something in words.. i found this word in middle school and fell in love with it for obvious reasons.

ineffable.. yup.. my trip for sure.


we arrived in Zanzibar on Thursday morning... via a taxi from bagamoyo and a ferry from Dar. the adventure over to the island .. a bit uneventful.. the taxi driver talked a bit to me...he is studying engineering.. more specifically ..auto mechanic... the ferry to Zanzibar.. was hot, long .. and tiring.

we get off the boat.. and walk around looking for a budget hotel.. with three beds.. we went in a few before settling on one in stone town.. it is clean, has a bathroom, has hot water (very very hot water), has AC and a fan.. WOOHOOO.. it is paradise.. and NO BUGS :) I am a happy camper..

we leave the hotel and head out to explore this beautiful town. i mean beautiful. old concrete buildings with the open windows, the beach, the ocean.. breath takingly beautiful.
so we arrive.. and we are walking and sylvie runs into someone she knows.. (she lived her 2.5 years ago volunteering..for about 3 months.. so she knows the place a little and knows some good people).. he is so excited to see her.. and they just talk.. and he starts showing us around a little.. takes us to a cafe and have a wonderful iced latte.. yup a latte.. ohh man how much i love these things. we have our coffee and then walk around a bit more.. we go and eat at the outside food market.. it is so much fun.. and they have Zanzibar pizza..which was the best pizza i have ever had.. and no it is not like Italian pizza at all.. hmm look it up.. egg.. fried ... pocket kind of thing.. with veggies.. ..just darn good.. i mean GOOD! :)

anyway.. so we meet up with more of Sylvie's buddies.. (it is an island.. so you just bump into people.. i like that a lot. ) ... so we hang out.. they show us some places.. Sylvie revisits some of her fav places.. and it is a good night getting acquainted with zanzi life.

yesterday ... we woke up.. had breakfast on the roof top of our hotel.. overlooking the fish market.. the buildings.. the city.. we chill for a bit and then head to prison island. where we see turtles. old old turtles. older then any living creature i have ever touched. the turtles on the island are on the verge of extinction.. .. .. . to get there we took a dhow (wooden boat).. we saw the turtles..we saw the beach.. and we swam... :) swimming in the hot indian ocean.. feels rejuvenating.. feels like the salt just purifies you in a way..
we arrived back the main land of Zanzibar.. to stone town.. and then went to dinner.. INDIAN FOOD..DAAL (YUM YUM YUM) such a great great dinner.. real food. real good food that actually nourishes. Zanzibar is a huge spice town.. they are on the old spice route from south Africa to India.. so Zanzibar is a bit more of multicultural melting pot then other spots. (one indicator of this.. is that i don't hear mzungu (foreigner/white person) every time i walk around.. i really appreciate this). then we went out to the Livingstone and watched live music.. and danced. and saw the stars.

today.. :) well it is already a good day.. breakfast on the roof tops.. beautiful emails and messages from my loved ones. and then we head up north to go to another beach town.. hang out ..have dinner. :)

I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH!

Love
Lizzie

PS. my homesickness will be cured soon ;) I really really love you all very very much!