Reflections on Zanzibar

So... how's this for some excitement?  Our first pictures are up!  We are still working on narrowing down our safari pictures from about 867 to something more manageable, but meanwhile we have shared our Zanzibar pictures (click here for the album). As long as we've got pix up, we thought we'd share some reflections on our time there.

Like most people, we ventured to Zanzibar for the sun and sea, which we found in abundance in Jambiani, on the east coast of the island.  We were very happy with our accomodations - a quiet resort run by and frequented by Germans - and we really appreciated kicking back and enjoying the beautiful weather, walking in the unusual spongy sand, and sleeping by sea breeze - especially, as some of you know, my 'beach vacation' has been a long time coming!

Ahhhh....

However, more interesting than resort living was discovering a bit about real island living. In front of our hotel was the beach, but behind it was the town of Jambiani - a poor village with livestock roaming the streets along side sand-covered, barefooted children. Clusters of dilapidated houses filled the area, with seemingly little to close one family off from another for privacy or security. But what struck me most was the friendliness of people - we were constantly being greeted by young & old as we took our stroll through town.

Jambiani Town

We were reflecting too on how, despite conditions that to our minds are unfathomable, people seem contented - and we supposed this was partially due to the seeming equality in means between the villagers. However, in talking to one local restaurant owner after dinner one night, we discovered that there can be great resentment when a local person tries to achieve and make a better life for himself. He told us about how, given his apparent success, he often has local men coming to him with their hands out - and he is trying to impart on them that he has worked for his money, and to get them to do the same by earning what they're asking for through odd jobs. But this requires a change in mindset... and is why, as he also told us, he has encountered local people who are so resentful of him that they deliberately try to sabotage his business, for example by calling the authorities in to check on his licenses to operate, etc. So in case you needed more proof - all the cliches about money are true.

On a lighter note, one "benefit" of visiting a poorer country is that the transportation can be a fun experience with the right mindset. When we left Jambiani for a night in Stone Town on the west side of the island, we decided to take a dala-dala for the 20+ mile journey. Dala-dalas are a form of public transport - a covered u-shaped bench on the back of a pick-up truck, more or less. We waited about 90 minutes for the 'hourly' service. All cargo (including our backpacks) goes on the roof, and there is always room for one more inside. If the seating were comfortable to begin with, it would comfortably seat 9, but for most of the ride, there were 20 adults (including the 'conductor' who usually hangs off the back), 1 baby, and a 10 year old boy... with a chicken. It was our first experience traveling with farm animals - probably a better initiation than, say, a goat.

Not our dala-dala, but you get the idea!