...To Sea Level

After seven days of hiking, we decided to treat our sore feet to a soak in the Indian Ocean. The promise of exotic beauty lured us to Zanzibar. Passing a night in Dar Es Salaam, a fine, clean city, we took the early morning ferry to Stone Town on Zanzibar, the blending of cultures apparent from the boat deck.
An important trading port and once the seat of the Sultan of Oman, Zanzibar is one of the original spice islands. One can envision pirates clashing with trading vessels off the island's shores. Fields of clove are still grown in the island's interior and it remains one of Zanzibar's largest income generators.
Indian merchants mix with African islanders and the influence of Arab traders is seen in the Islamic architecture, the women cloaked head to toe and the call to mosque echoing throughout the city.
The island only began heavily hosting tourism in the early '90s. The clear, clean purple and teal water lapping calmly on white sand beaches offers a calm and relaxing vacation, while the offshore coral reefs host some of the world's best diving. Getting around the island is easily done in a morning, so after spending a day wandering the narrow streets of Stone Town, admiring the famous doors of Zanzibar - relics of trading times, eating grilled tuna and lobster from street sellers and visiting Mercury's, a bar erected in honor of Zanzibar native, Freddie Mercury of Queen, we made our way north.
Kendwa Rocks was our resort destination, a beach on the west coast popular with globetrotting backpackers for its full moon parties and beach front cabanas. I'm already a beach lover, but after roughing it in Niger for over a year and living a life without luxury, I felt like I had arrived in Paradise!! Mike and I took long swims in the perfect water of the Indian Ocean, swang in the hammock on the front porch of our cabana and sank our toes into the soft sand. The euphoria of love and the sensations of beautiful scenery, delicious food and a slight rum buzz transported me to a different world. One I hope to return to someday! Ah, Zanzibar...
(photo index: Mike and I on the steps of our cabana, a dowh sailing at sunset, me loving life!)