Feels like a different country

After breakfast we packed up and checked out at the prescribed time of 1000. The director asked how our stay was, so we explained that they had a bad apple receptionist and told him how one person made our second stay less pleasant.

We walked to the shops and got ourselves a SIM card for USD1 and topped it up with USD3.50 for a week’s unlimited internet and then USD1 for a bundle of minutes lasting a week. I had wanted to buy one before the safari but Kim didn’t think we needed it, so we had been without internet for 3 days. We would have done it if we had known that internet along the way would be so unreliable; it’s good just to get a Whatsapp message out and to clear the mailbox.

We also went to the internet cafe so I could print out some documents for applying for a Chinese visa once I get to Kuching. Then it was back to the hotel to grab our stuff for the airport.
We got to the airport after 1200 to try for the 1315 flight for Zanzibar; we had booked on the 1550 some 8 months ago when the schedule was different. After waiting for an hour for others to check-in, Precision Air couldn’t allow a go-show due to weight restrictions.

We had lunch at the airport, which was made up of a series of small buildings and sheds with bits of open-air between them. I liked it very much as it had a great atmosphere. Not so good for staff who have to work in cramped environments where the office computer and luggage scale weren’t co-located. The luggage scale didn’t have direct access to airside and staff had to hand carry each piece a dozen metres.

We left on time for our 1h20 flight to Zanzibar. As expected Precision Air offered a generous bag of cashews again and the “Candid Camera” style inflight entertainment was kept me amused the whole time.

Upon landing, immigration required us to write our details on a register in lieu of an arrival card. It was like a domestic immigration requirement as Zanzibar appears to have some autonomy within Tanzania. The car number plates show the Zanzibari flag (which has the national flag in one corner) and so did all flagpoles that we saw. Some billboards refer to the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, meaning the revolution which ejected the Omani rulers.

We took a taxi to our hotel, the Warere Town House. I immediately noticed that there was a greater variety in cars; it wasn’t nearly all Toyotas. There was greater feel of affluence (in relative terms). It felt a little less African and a little more Arab. In fact it felt a little more Arab than Sudan!  It feels like a different country.

Arriving in the port neighbourhood (adjacent to Stone Town), we thought WTF! Hopping out of the taxi and walking through the alleys didn’t allay our concerns either. Once past the doors of the hotel, it was a little oasis. We were offered a cold towel and a refreshing chilled lemon-ginger drink. We loved the hotel as it had lots of character being decorated with lots of traditional ornamental pieces.

We had hoped to arrive on the earlier flight in order to explore Stone Town today. But there was still enough light for us to do that despite arriving on our original flight. We headed down the promenade towards the best part of Stone Town.

There were local boys diving into the sea from the promenade and further along were other boys doing somersaults on the beach. The Omani influence was apparent in the caps that local men wore. We managed to take in some of the beautiful old buildings before darkness set in. The highlight of the promenade was Forodhani Gardens which becomes a hawker centre at night.
We had two Zanzibar Pizzas (essentially Murtabak) and called that our dinner. Beer is hard to find in many restaurants here as it is largely a Muslim town.