In the land of jellyfish
Trip Start
May 18, 2010
1
16
17
Trip End
Jul 10, 2010
Where I stayed
Jambiani, Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania
Sunday, June 20, 2010
After our wanderabout, we took a cab to Jambiani, on the east side of the island. We saw an ad for a guest house when we were having dinner in Dar, so we decided to check it out. I was really looking forward to sleeping in on the beach in a bungalow and then lazing about all day, but on the way our cab driver conviced everyone else that we should go swim with the dolphins at SIX AM. I didn't really want to; dolphins are great and all, but I don't like swimming in the ocean. You never know when something might eat you or you might step on a lionfish.(Everything else in Africa can kll you, so i think it's safe to say that the ocean can too.) Finally I succombed to peer pressure (my hesitation also caused the price to be reduced) and agreed to go.
We arrived at the guest house and i was a little nervous that it would be too expensive, because it is literally right on the beach, with nice little bungalows. But I guess it is low season because the grand total per night, including a big breakfast and coffee and fruit all day, plus free internet, was a whopping TWENTY DOLLARS. This convinced Nicole and Sayaka to fly back to Arusha too, so that we could all stay for two nights (Marion will be staying longer).
The one drawback to this guest house is that it is right next door to a mosque, so bright and early this morning we were awoken by the call to prayer. I don't mind it, because it reminds me of being in Egypt, and usually I go right back to sleep after. Not so today; we got up to go for our dolphin swim.
Things in Africa aren't generally safe, and apparently lifejackets are too luxurious for dolphin tours. This wasn't overly concerning at first because the water is shallow enough to stand in for several kilometers out, and who really needs a lifejacket in three feet of water?
But that's not where you swim with the dolphins. No, you go out way, way past the shallow water, to the very very deep water, which was rather unnerving. Added to this was the fact that it had been stormy last night and the water was very choppy, so we were all a little green around the gills, so to speak. All of a sudden the guy driving the boat says, while it was still moving, "ok, get out." Uhh... no. We convinced him to stop the boat first but it was much to choppy to really snorkel, so we got back in the boat. And on the way to do so, we all got stung by a jellyfish. I was really worried that it was like a portugese man-of-war or those little tiny ones in Australia that can kill you in five minutes, but apparently it was not, because instead of dying, we had red bumps for a while that then went away.
I really hate swimming in the ocean.
After our enounter with the unfriendly cniderian, we were all over the idea of a dolphin swim, so we watched them jump around in the water for a while before heading back. We came back to the guest house and have been hanging out here and on the beach. When the tide goes out we can walk up and down a very long stretch of beach so we are going to do that later. It is quite lovely and covered with beautiful sea shells. I would really like to bring some home but apparently that is slightly illegal and punishable by imprisonment, so I don't think I am going to risk it.
Minus the jellyfish, and the fact that it would take over 30 hours to get here from Calfornia, I really like Zanzibar; it might be my new favorite tropical island. I wish I had more time here, but one more night will have to be enough for now. Tomorrow nicole, Sayaka, and I head bak to Stone Town in the morning to shop around, and then catch our flight back to Kilimanjaro.
Comments
You adventures are unbelievable! I can't wait to hear all this in person!