Feb 6, 2015

Well....this journey is over and a new one is about to begin. After a 40 hour trip home where sleep was an elusive commodity we've all recovered and are ready for our respective next steps. The Amsterdam airport was probably the most memorable (not in a good way) part of the journey home. We had a 7 hour stop there and were hopeful that we would be able to find a corner to curl up in and catch a little shut eye but that is easier said than done in such a busy airport! Lynda and I checked out a hotel in the airport but it was way too rich for our pocketbooks so we found a corner where the floor was the same temperature as it was outside the airport! minus 1 that is!!! We stayed there as long as we could (ie: until the cold seeped right through the layers of clothes we were using as beds and into our bones) and then we were off and walking again. Did you know the Amsterdam airport has NOWHERE to sit??!! Gail and Darlene were much more resourceful than we were and they managed to locate a free lounge where they could at least get off the floor and curl themselves around and under the arms on the benches (that were padded - lucky girls!!) so they didn't experience the bone chilling trauma Lynda and I did. Calgary airport was much more civilized and Darlene's daughter, Cheryl, met us (with a sign so we knew where to go-LOL). We were able to sit down, have a coffee (Timmy's of course) and a visit before the final leg home to Kelowna. We must have looked pretty done in as we came off the plane as one of the greeters in Calgary even called out to us to give us a ride through the airport on their little cart. And to tell the truth....by the time I got home and looked in the mirror I can imagine just why he might have done that! Basil and Becky were there to meet us in Kelowna and it sure felt good to finally arrive home an hour after that. It was a wonderful adventure and we all feel so fortunate to have been able to share it with one another. We'll be able to relive this adventure over drinks on the deck for years to come! In the end...we all survived and a new record has been set in my books for the longest journey home. Previously 37 hours was my best but this one outdid that by a mile! Yes folks...3 hours at the end of 37 is a mile!!! Till another adventure calls, Darlorlynga

January 31, 2015

January 31, 2015 Day four of five in Nungwi underway and we've settled into our "lazy" lifestyle quite nicely! Gail and Darlene have gone shopping, Lynda is wandering and meeting people, and I've just made an appointment to have a massage this afternoon. Yes...we're working hard at being "lazy". LOL! I've located a local tailor and am having a couple of summer shirts made from local fabric. Fingers crossed that they turn out okay!! The last time I did this (that was in Vietnam) the outcome was not great but the surprise I will get in the end when I pick them up will be part of my African adventure and the memories that go along with it. Spent some time chatting with the food and beverage manager at the hotel this morning. Another great guy. All of the staff here are excellent and the conversation with this guy this morning confirmed what appears to be the case...they all have great attitudes and are willing and at the ready to do whatever is asked of them...always with a natural and sincere smile. The general manager of the Z, Julie, has been here for 5 years now (after 6 years in northern Thailand) and she loves it here too. She also commented on the positive attitude the staff bring to work with them and as a guest I can confirm that it shows in everything they do. Julie is from England, the food and beverage manager is from India (and is also experienced in hotel management at a number of exotic locations) but the vast majority of the staff are local Tanzanians but from the mainland. There are a couple of staff who are from England but thats about it. At breakfast this morning (b'fast is included with our room) we all agreed that this is the perfect way to wind up our adventure in Africa. Having the opportunity to stop and sleep in the same bed for 5 consecutive nights, to have no agenda during the day, to get clean....really clean, and to get lost in our novels or sudoku games for a little while has been a real treat and when the time comes to head for home we'll be rested and ready for the journey. Speaking of getting lost in a novel...mine is calling me so I think I'll spend 1/2 hour doing just that before I seek out my tailor. Till later..... It's later now so we're back. Dinner tonight was at a neighbouring spot where I can confirm the lobster coconut curry is a 10/10. Actually Lynda had it too and she also enjoyed it. Darlene and Gail also liked their food so we're all going to bed well sated AGAIN! It must be a norm for the tropics to have late dinners and early nights and we seem to have ssettled right into the flow of that pattern! Today was more of the same...lounging at poolside, playing in the waves and laughing at Gail and her faux pas. LOL She sure does a good job of keeping up all laughing! The best one today was when she was out in the waves and said, "I'm fun!" and then right behind that she said, "oops, I forgot to say having". OMG Gail....how do you do it?! This morning Gail, Darlene and Lynda all got another new dress and I had some luck with the tailor so by this afternoon we were all sporting something new. How nice to have something to wear that is really really clean and fresh! My massage at the spa also left me feeling pretty darn good. Aromatherapy massage left me slathered in coconut oil and smooth as a babies bum. Yes it was another great lazy lazy day! Hard to believe that We will be home in just a few days and that by this time next week one of us will be basking in the Arizona sunshine while two of us are soaking up some Mexican Rays while the fourth of us holds down the fort at home. Gail and Darlene have gone to bed and Lynda and I decided on just one more drink on the rooftop while getting this blog post finished so...I will sign off for now and enjoy my Mai Tai. Kwahiri for tonight, Darlorlynga

February 1, 2015

Hello on our final night in Nungwi on the exotic island of Zanzibar. We've started this post with a photo that is meant both to capture your curiosity and also to satisfy one of the assignments we began this journey with. Darlene's grand daughter, Leah, gave us a list of tasks to complete and photos to capture and one with the caption of "you slept where?" is satisfied by this attached photo. In fact we added to that caption and it now will read, "you slept where and with whom?" LOL Actually the fellow in the bed with us is Abula Khalfan. The really interesting thing about Abula is that his brother (who is also Tanzanian) lives in Vancouver and plays professional soccer with the Vancouver Whitecaps. His brothers name is Nigel Khalfan. Today was another day of lazing around the pool for the most part but in between being lazy, Lynda made her way out into the ocean (walking with her belongings over her head till about chest deep) to spend a few hours on a local dhow (sailboat). They sailed out to another island called Tumbatu where they snorkeled among the coral. The seas were really rough and everyone but Lynda (and the crew) were sick on her boat. My lazy day diversion was with my "designer" (as the staff have dubbed my tailor). We were back and forth several times with final adjustments and as per Murphy's Law she would arrive with my clothes every time I got into the pool so I spent quite a bit of time struggling into and out of a wet bathing suit! I can promise you that I got my exercise today! Gail's regular daily faux pas provided more entertainment again today and as a result we had to perform a heimlich manouever on Darlene. Today when she meant to say she was going in for a "quick dip" it came out instead as something quite different and I will leave it to your most vivid imagination to fill in the word that rhymes with dip. This morning as we sat in the Cinnamon Restaurant for our buffet breakfast we watched a herd of cows return to the beach again today. The story is that cows like the beach too....and as it is Africa everyone just says "hakunamatata" and steps over or around the cow pies they leave behind. Tonight on the beach below our vantage point at the same cafe we are watching a soccer team run through their paces after the game they played was over. Right now they're all doing push ups - lots of push ups!!! They are in such great shape and are able to turn on a dime as they run after the soccer ball in their bare feet in the sand. This afternoon as we were talking about how to fit everything back into our cases I discovered that Gail's case isn't full at all so I called dibs on her empty outside pouch. In fact, I think I could probably double what she has in her bags they're so "empty". We laughed and laughed at the thought of me filling her bags so full that they become so heavy and she ends up on her back like a turtle in the airport somewhere! Conjures up quite an image doesn't it?! LOL. Dinner is arriving and that's about all we have to report from today so will sign off for now and simply say that tomorrow we have made arrangements for a late check out (12:30 instead of 11) as our journey home will be a long one! Fourty hours in transit means that by the time Becky meets us at the Kelowna airport she might have trouble recognizing us!! Kwahiri from Africa, Darlorlynga

January 30, 2015

January 30, 2015 Well tonight's sundowner turned into two and then into three and before we knew what was happening we were into the buy 3 get one free zone which is dangerous! As luck would have it the rooftop patio is within stumbling distance though so all is good and we made it back to the room in one piece. Today was another tough one! Laying by the pool really knocks it out of you. LOL! This morning we hired a local cab and took a tour of the little village of Nungwi which was really interesting. Our driver Mohammed spoke English quite well and so our tour gave us some information as well as a tour of the sights. Highlights included the local government hospital (but if you're really sick you go into Stonetown to the hospital there), lots of locals (few who were willing to have their photo taken), the fish market, ladies weaving flat strips that could then be sewn together to make bed mats etc, ladies spreading tiny fish on tarps to dry in the sun, children coming home from the early shift at school (there are two shifts each day in the public school), children walking home keep off the road but as they walk along the front of the buildings they have to duck under barb wire (with rags tied on it for safety), laundry hanging everywhere so Friday must be laundry day, a common outdoor kitchen where ladies gathered around fires and large cooking pots, bundles of firewood for sale, roads are very narrow and nothing is paved, and houses are very rustic and old. All in all our tour of the village was only an hour but filled with info and sights. There are lots of free water stations in the village and residents make a business out of collecting water in 5 gallon jugs and then delivering them to homes and hotels for a fee. As there is no cost for the water, it is a good business. Another important task is the gathering of firewood. Children and adults alike have responsibility to help take care of daily chores so it is common to see kids out gathering sticks to bring home for the fire. Villagers in Nungwi appear to live a very simple existence (seemingly impoverished in fact) so the contrast of the affluence of the tourist accommodation and the simplicity of the village is stark by comparison. Villagers appear to live day to day and hand to mouth...so different from the live we live at home. Later this afternoon an odd and interesting sight appeared at the ocean's edge in front of our hotel. There were four cows just left there to bask in the sun on the white sandy beaches...yes...odd and interesting! Today seems to be a day for guests to check out and new ones to check in so there will be some new faces around the pool tomorrow. As you can see from the length of this entry....another quiet day. till tomorrow we go polay polay and hakunamatata, Darlorlynga

January 29, 2015

January 29, 2015 We need to begin with something from yesterday as it's worthy of note. Not many people check in to their hotel and request a downgrade but we did! When we arrived and discovered we'd been upgraded to rooms with a view (one on the 2nd floor and one on the 3rd) we panicked and immediately informed the hotel manager that we needed to have rooms on the ground level. The alternative was that she would have to deal with our crying and whining every time we ascended the stairs. The Kholle House in Stonetown did us in! All four of us are no longer limping and gimping around as we are appreciating our ground floor rooms each time we go there. In fact, being just steps from the poolside is absolutely perfect! Today began with our buffet breakfast on outdoor patio. Gail and Darlene tried to start with coffee in their room but....alas....they don't know how to make African coffee. LOL....coffee here is usually instant so tomorrow morning Darlene has voted and Gail will be climbing the stairs to the Z Cafe where she can get two Americano's to take back to their room. Suddenly Gail has decided that she now likes the coffee Darlene made in the room this morning....go figure??!! Poolside was the order of the day and mid morning Darlene and Gail enjoyed a Turkish Delight. I on the other hand was invited for a cappuccino. Lynda was off communing with nature while this was all going on so she missed out on both Turkish Delight and cappuccino treats. There is a story here but it's not fit for blogging so if you want the rest of it....you'll have to ask. However....what happens in Africa stays in Africa. LOL! Got a little shopping done during the hottest part of the day which means that we were in those little shops where there is absolutely NO air at the worst possible time! It is all Gail's fault - again! Seriously, I'm pretty sure each of us lost 10 pounds of sweat while we were shopping! I ended my shopping experience waiting for a tailor to see if I could get a shirt made. While waiting I spent some time chatting with a fellow who was keeping me company. It was so interesting to see all six men who were in the shop watching the House of Assembly on TV. They were all completely engaged with the proceedings and all were super informed about the government processes and current events. It made me embarrassed to think about how little attention we pay to current events and government goings on in Canada. Here corruption is rampant and so the people are vigilant about being aware. At home we're pretty protected from corruption so the result is that we are very lax in our commitment to being informed. Hopefully that doesn't open the door for us to be at risk for corruption down the road! The man I was visiting with had lots of questions about Canada and he was really interested to know the percentage of the population that is Muslim or Christian or ???? He was also really interested to know about our lack of corruption in government offices. Interesting what we take for granted! Dinner tonight at a table out on the sand. Gorgeous until Gail and Darlene couldn't get their chairs quite right. When the dinner was done and it was time to go Gail couldn't get up so asked (politely of course!) if the rest of us could please just lift the table so it was easy for her. Tomorrow we are going in to the village to find a crown for Princess Gail! It was much like this afternoon when Gail couldn't get her deck chair right! She was up and down and up and down, Darlene had to hold her rolled towel so it was just right as a pillow and in the end it still wasn't right. To top it all off...when it was time to go.....Gail just left and Darlene said, "Don't worry Gail...I'll bring your sunglasses, your book, your water, your camera, and your shoes. You just go on ahead." Laughter is the order of the day here at Z Hotel in Nungwi. We are all so relaxed and our safari seems like ages ago not just days! Blog posts used to be filled with information about some of what we'd seen and learned that day and now all we've got to fill them with is silliness and laughter. No complaints though....we were ready for the the R & R. So you will have to put up with our "shallow" posts for the rest of our 5 days here. Till next time... Darlorlynga

January 28, 2015

January 28, 2015 Started our last day in Stonetown with a good laugh....this morning at breakfast Gail decided to look for her camera in her purse. That may not sound all that funny to you but when I add the fact that she was looking through my purse it gets a little funnier. To move from funny to hilarious you need to know that she didn't clue in when nothing in the purse looked familiar so she started to take stuff out of my purse and pack it in her pack sack so it wasn't taking up space in "her" purse. It wasn't till she pulled out my wallet that a strange look dawned on her face and she noticed that it wasn't her purse at all. I retrieved my "stolen" items and we all agreed that it will be a long time till she lives this one down. btw...our purses are similar in colour on the outside but hers is green and mine is orange on the inside....are you laughing yet? we are!! LOL Still no wifi at Kholle House this morning so haven't been able to post from yesterday either so when we next have wifi you may have a small book to read. Off to Z Hotel in Nungwi this morning. Driver was once again Mohammed (the same guy who picked us up from the airport at arrival in Zanzibar). During our 1 1/2 drive to Nungwi we learned that: - 90% of Zanzibar is muslim, 8% christian, and 2% hindu - 50% unemployment - men are allowed to have up to 4 wives (if there is good reason and most reasons are good - LOL) - there are more women than men born in Zanzibar - 90% of police are corrupt (all the way to the top) - housing has shifted from mud and stick (although you still see the odd one of those) to brick and tin roof. typically (as is the same in mainland Tanzania) it takes up to 10 years to complete a house. no one has a mortgage as they build as they can afford to. - we passed a technical trade school en route and Mohammed explained that it takes either 1 yr or 2 yrs to become a plumber or electrician etc. they go to school 3 days/week and work in their trade the rest of the time. - women get 3 months paid leave (pay comes direct from employer) when they have a baby. - children wear uniforms for school. primary is blue and white and secondary is blue and green. all girls are wearing head coverings. - women wear veils by choice depending on how devout and whether they come from Arab families. when they are at home they wear kangas (traditional african wraps) and when out in public they wear the long dress (sometimes black, other times colourful) - Sunday evening is the day for families to go visit in a public square of market. Little girls are dressed in fancy dresses and everyone is dressed up. two types of hospital care here. one is gov't funded and the other is private. both provide quality care but the belief is that the private is superior. there are 51 varieties of mango! there are also numerous variety of bananas but we don't know the number - oops! Tanganika used to be the name of mainland and at that time Zanzibar was a separate country. In the 1960's they combined to become Tanzania. Z Hotel is really lovely and pretty fancy! We have two tv's in our room (and we haven't seen a tv in so long that we hardly knew what they were when we saw them. They're hanging at the end of each of our four post mosquito netted beds! We won't be turning them on though as this place begs you to do anything but watch TV! It is so relaxing and it feels so fancy and I'm feeling so spoiled. In fact tonight as I was watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean while listening to a combination of waves on the shoreline and IZ singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow/Wonderful World (one of my favourite songs!!) I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn't all a dream. Hard to believe that it's been almost exactly two years since I left the College. So much has happened in that short time! School finished, business up and running, second Mexican Retreat for clients just around the corner, targets achieved as per business plan, book in hands of publisher/editors and scheduled for launch in November, dream to combine work and travel achieved, trip of a lifetime to Africa including achieving my childhood dream of someday visiting the land of Zanzibar (the most exotic name I'd ever heard as a young child of 5 or 6 when the dream was born), experience flight in a hot air balloon, and extended travel throughout the Yucatan scheduled to begin in less than a month. Yep.....pinch pinch pinch! Enough about me though....Gail is a much better topic. In fact we've begun to notice that whatever it is that causes Gail's confusion (and ability to lose things) is contagious. First Darlene caught it this afternoon when she couldn't find her water (which was two inches from her right foot beside her deck chair. Then Lynda caught it when she couldn't remember whether or not she had taken her malaria meds (just seconds earlier). I'm a little worried cuz from the way things have been going I could be next! But just a minute....if I'm feeling worried maybe I've already caught it as that is another of the symptoms of the Gail disease!! LOL!! Good thing Gail is such a great sport and loves to laugh. Her laugh is infectious and so we're all laughing much of the time. The ocean here is azure in colour, the beach is sugar fine white sand, and the temperature is perfect. During the day it is pretty warm and humid but by the time the sun goes down it is a balmy 25'ish and there is a beautiful breeze and well.....it kind of looks like paradise. We're all being careful to stay out of the sun as when you're only 6 degrees away from the Equator you're pretty much guaranteed to burn in no time at all! Sunscreen and umbrellas are our friends! Dinner on a rooftop restaurant tonight. Tomorrow is another day.....till then.....polay polay and hakunamatata (slowly slowly and it's all good), Darlorlynga

January 27, 2015

As you may have guessed....one of these photos is from our spice tour yesterday and the other is from today. January 27, 2015 January 27, 2015 Whew! It's our first lazy day in a loooonnnngggg time! Slept in a little, had breakfast and then took the opportunity to get some laundry done in our rooms so we could take advantage of the little common patio we have off our rooms on the third floor. The only sketchy bit is that when the breeze comes up there is the risk that someone will lose their clothes and since Darlene already lost one pair of underwear to the African winds....she can't afford to lose any more! LOL! Lynda made our server laugh this morning when she came down for breakfast in a very wrinkly shirt from the bottom of her suitcase. She said, "I had to look a long time till I found a shirt that would match the wrinkles on my face". Our server started laughing then and continued to laugh right through Lynda's order for "everything on the menu please". People laugh very easily here and everything is "cool" and "hakunamatata" no matter where you are or what the topic. Lynda wasn't the only one who got our server laughing this morning. Darlene started it all off when she first came down. The server commented on how nice Darlene and Gail looked in their pretty dresses and asked if they bought them here. Darlene said "no, they came from Canada" and "thank you". A few minutes later the server came by to whisper in Darlene's ear that she might have her dress on inside out as there was a tag at the top and seams were all showing. Sure enough...a trip to the bathroom was in order and before long the dress was right side out again. LOL.... While it might have been easier to send our laundry out today...we decided to take on the task ourselves and now I'm sitting on our patio amidst all our hanging laundry with the call to prayer sounding again. It comes 5 times a day and is really very pleasant to hear. There are two mosques on either side of us so we can hear the prayers too. Another sound we hear twice each day is an old air raid siren. Once at 7:30 a.m. and once at 3:30 p.m. Years ago when the Arabs were in authority here it was to notify the locals that they had to be on this side of the river by the 7:30 siren and away to the other side of the river at the 3:30 siren. Today it is to notify everyone when the official workday begins and ends. Washing the laundry is a little more challenging here than it is when you have a washer and dryer like we do at home. We decided to use the tub in Darlene and Gail's room as it is smaller and square whereas the one in Lynda's and my room is massive! So....a couple of inches of water, some laundry soap, a lot of time standing on your head swishing filthy clothes around (at least two rinses to get rid of the dirt!!) and then to find makeshift way to hang laundry for four people in a small area in such a way that they won't blow away! Yep....we have it pretty easy at home!! We've been informed that there will be a dinner served up on the rooftop patio just above us tonight so hopefully all of our laundry will be dry and out of the way before people have to pass through our patio to get to their fancy dinner! Although if they're African they will just say "hakunamatata" and smile. Just ordered some lunch to be brought up to our patio location as the girls are back from their swim. Avocado and Pomelo salad and veggie samosa for me - yummy!! I think Lynda and Darlene are having the same and Gail is gonna go for the salad and some fries. How lucky are we!! ....back again..... Just in from the main street and Fodorhi Market where Zanzibarian pizza was on the menu for dinner. The main course for Lynda and I was from Mr Happy's table of a wide variety of seafood and our option for the entree was spicy potato, flafel, coconut bread, and a rice ball. Our pizza was a dessert option. Mine was snickers bar, nutella, and banana wrapped in a rice flour crust and then fried in ghee at an outdoor stand. After all that it was drizzled with chocolate syrup. Lynda had a nutella and mango also drizzled with chocolate syrup and both were delicious. Oh ya...we shared a bite with D & G too. Flat white coffee was a perfect accompaniment for the sweet pizza. Yes...we're all watching our diet go out the window!!!! Gail and Darlene headed back to the Archipelago Restaurant on the beach as they wanted to try the chicken with pico de gallo burger tonight. We were all happy with our choices. Lots of laughter over coffee tonight as we reminisced about the time that Gail walked into the women's washroom at Lake Eyasi Lodge. As she opened the door to the main washroom there in front of her sat one of our male companions....yes.....he was on the throne in the womens washroom by mistake. All the rest of us heard was a simultaneous male and female scream (yes, men scream too!) as their eyes met through the open door. I won't mention the aroma that Darlene is referring to as we recollect the incident. Soon enough the women's washroom was once again a safe place and Gail was able to return for a "quick" stop. We also revisited the peeing with the wildebeast migration as it was only tonight that Gail disclosed one of the men was out of the vehicle which is why she had to come so close to me with the result being that she peed on me. (this is the pee sister story if you missed that blog entry). We also considered the fact that both sides of the vehicle have mirrors and oops...we hadn't thought much about that till tonight. More on the peeing business again features Gail and Lorrie. This time it was during the spice tour and although Lorrie was able to keep her distance from Gail's spashing abilities there was another animal involved again. Instead of wildebeast this time it was a cow and they were all in the middle of an orchard...in fact they were under a mango tree. So....next time you have a mango think of us. Speaking of mangos....Darlene reminded us just how huge they are here! Maybe everyone pees under mango trees in Zanzibar. LOL! Another story that came back to us tonight was when Gail played draughts (checkers) with the checkers king of the Kati Kati camp. He beat her but....it was a close game and the men were shocked by her ability. Her next game was against the guy who is second to the king and it ended in a draw. They play the game on a regular checkers board but for their men they use bottle caps. One person is right side up caps and the other is upside down. It works pretty well until you get kinged and your caps tip over. As well, draughts has slightly different rules in that a king can run diagonally up and down the board so it is a challenge to figure out where the next strike will come from. Gail did Canada proud though so we toasted her with our coffee tonight. On our way to dinner tonight the boys were again jumping off the docks into high tide water. It was all good until Lynda agreed to pay $1 for a photo and then they all wanted to be the photo she took so the competition was on and since she had agreed to pay the expectation that she would take all their photos was high. She did her best but as her kids will understand...only 3 turned out since her trigger finger is a bit slow. Since there were only 3 photos to pay for the competition continued as all 20+ of them vied for position to prove that was them in the 3 photos. In the end...Darlene and Gail watched from the safety of the sidelines as the mob closed in on the two white women who were left. Lynda put up a hand and shouted "back off" (she thought it was swahili but really it was english ......but it worked). She showed the pics, identified the star of each and paid her bill. Three dollars later she had 3 photos on her camera and the mob subsided to a dull roar. Gail and Darlene are telling us now that the bystanders were growing in number as this event was the entertainment of the week. Another little story that happened on our way to Fodorhi Market tonight included a cute little boy who was about 1 1/2 yrs old. His dad had left him in the car for a minute while he talked with a friend at the back of the vehicle. The little boy was to watch the people walking by for entertainment. This was all well and good until 4 white women walked by and the poor little boy (who had never seen a white person before as he is from a very rural area) started to cry in fear. His dad came running and rescued the child. We tried to show him we were okay but he was having none of it! As far as he was concerned we were from outer space! Today was such a relaxing day for all of us. After our work was done this morning we spent the rest of the day focused on R & R. Gail lay down and then did some primping, Lynda just plain slept, Darlene and Lorrie had a really long swim, and then we all played Skip Bo as the breeze washed the heat of the afternoon away. Off to Nungwi in the morning so gotta get packed again tonight. Won't miss climbing the 38 stairs at Kholle House but will miss Stonetown just a little. So....Princess Gail (who has changed her mind and no longer likes being dirty) and her entourage are off on the next adventure. Kwaheri, Darlorlynga