The start.

Zanzibar, first proper day!

Today was good and my hotel, Hotel Kiponda, is nice. Cool floors and walls. Open roof terrace where I had a lovely breakfast after arriving at the hotel. My room is small, but perfectly sufficient, though I’ve had to place some duct tape over the odd mozzie net holes! This is the view from the roof terrace - yes that is a birds eye shot of where the chickens are kept. 'Nice' 5am wake up call from the cockerel!

 

Walking around was fun today. I decided to go it alone, though I got accosted by Haji who was determined to take me on a tour. He did show me some cool places though – lovely roof terraces for drinks on top of hotels, and a Hindu temple nestled in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Arabic and Indian architecture and winding streets. I asked to be dropped back at my hotel, where he asked for payment which I refused. Maybe I should have given him something, but I was happily walking around and didn’t ask to be joined!

Went out again at 3pm – walked along through some old shops and came to Africa house – had two cocktails and dinner/lunch thing for 30,000TSH (£12) I had pasta because everything else was expensive. My cocktails were called Dawa – vodka, konyagi (don’t know what this is!), lime and honey. Yum yum!

View from Africa House with my Dawa :)

I watched the sun starting to set from the beach opposite Africa House Hotel and walked along the coast a short way until I was back by Fordhaani Gardens. There were so many pretty boats, and the beach was full of young teens doing back flips down the short incline. Some brilliant moves! I decided, just as the sun was setting, to head back to the hotel and good job too as I got lost and got back just as it was getting dark.

(sunset photo)

Going home early was a bad idea. The internet was down, there was no one around at all and for the first time I suddenly felt really detached from my friends and family back home. I couldn’t communicate with them and there were no other hotel guests around. I felt so lonely, and wished I could just go out, even though the streets/alleyways surrounding the hotel were dark and probably not good for a solo lady to walk through. Eventually got a bit of internet to email back home before bed, but I wish I’d just gone out and found people rather than staying in for my own safety!