Days 19 and 20. Zanzibar.

Those of us who drove to Ngorongoro had the pleasure of being herded very capably by Tiger Moth pilot Brett who knew too well how easy it is to slip into lollygagging when the hour seems hostile to rushing.  He was serious about us all piling into the Land Rovers by a certain time so we wouldn't hold up the show back at the "Kili" airport.  We were given breakfast boxes with fruit, juice, hard boiled eggs, and meat sandwiches.

The drive DOWN the crater rivaled Mr. Toad's wild ride.  Our driver leaned on the gas most of the way but knew exactly when to hit the brakes just before a big rut or pothole.  The lurching and bumping about was ...well, "memorable".  We saw many baboons along the road perched on rocks watching us with skeptical, judgmental eyes.

Once on the highway, we breezed along at a good clip.  We stopped for coffee at an espresso bar next door to a gallery of art, jewelry, and textile works by disabled artists.  Nick bought me a lovely necklace.  The director of the gallery made a point of telling us that an identical necklace caught actor George Clooney's eye when he visited a year ago.  He bought it for his wife so next time we run into the Clooney's while out shopping maybe Amal and I will be wearing our special necklaces.

At the airport we were faced with huge fueling delays. As we were the last to get fuel, we had to deal with the frustration of the fuel truck running out of fuel before our two tanks were topped off for the 3 1/2 hour flight to Zanzibar.  A Cessna 206 that joined our rally in Nairobi had taken off with full tanks.  As his airccraft flew much faster than ours and his fuel range was better, he was called back to the "Kili" airport to 'off load' some of his fuel for us. After all this was taken care of, it was 1:42 pm by  the time we took off.

 It was a nice flight and we donned our life vests again for our 25+ mile water crossing to the island.  Cedric and Alexandra, Pedro, Keith and Colin, and Nick and I were the last formation to land.  The airport there is big and very accommodating.  Our hotel, the MaruMaru is located in Old Stone Town in the center of old narrow streets and alley ways, small shops, and --sadly, again -- a great deal of litter and trash.  I will never understand how filthy streets and sidewalks don't seem to bother the residents. Nick encouraged me to "look beyond the trash" and I gave it my best shot.  The people were very friendly and our hotel was very nice in a 1930s/40s sort of way. Our room had these window shutters that opened to reveal patios above and below us. Big palms were planted in a small, central courtyard where people could sit in a garden atmosphere for coffee.  It had the feel of a place where if Humphrey Bogart walked in with Sidney Greenstreet I would not have been surprised.  If they were dressed up in pilot uniforms worn by the Boeing Clipper amphibian crews I would have been thrilled. A spacious and relaxing dining area and cocktail lounge up on the roof gave us a great view of the city and the Indian Ocean a few blocks away.  An Islamic mosque's minaret  highlighted the cityscape and I enjoyed the melodious call to prayer in the late afternoon.

Zanzibar has a rich history over the centuries past for being the crossroad of commerce from Asia into Africa.  Traders and spice merchants came from afar and weavers and fishermen moved their products through the teeming city to market places throughout.  This is still going on.  In the big market where we browsed the next day, the smells of exotic flowering plants, fish fresh out of the ocean, cardamon and cinnamon spices, and the sounds of bartering absolutely filled the senses.  The weather was so nice for us which made it pleasant for walking all afternoon to see as much as we could fit in. We bought a lot of gifts here to take home with us. 

In the evening we had a wonderful dinner and received our wake-up,/ wheels up instructions for the morning.  And another early morning.  "Cicadian rhythms be damned. 4:45am it is."

Cedric and Alexandra along side us enroute to Zanzibar.

We approach Zanzibar Airport after water crossing from mainland Tanzania.

 A lovely cocktail reception awaited us at the Zanzibar Serena Hotel at the beach.  Some of these functions were arranged by our Puma Energy sponsors who excitedly managed to greet us at most of our stops.  After being in a noisy, open cockpit plane for many hours, these kind of gatherings helped us unwind and breathe in the ambience of a refreshing social gathering.

 
From the veranda of the Serena Hotel and our reception, we had a nice view of the beach and harbor opening out to the Indian Ocean.  At this time of the late afternoon, only men were seen on the beach.  Apparently, women and children "get" the beach in the early afternoon.

 From the roof of our hotel, the MaruMaru, we had a great view of the Indian Ocean and a passing tanker.

 In the lounge area next to the dining room up on the roof of our hotel, we had this nice panaromic view of the cityscape.  The spires of a Christian church and the minaret of a mosque appear content to be neighbors.

 Pilots Mark, Norman, and Nick comparing "notes" up on the roof before dinner.

 Throughout the rally, I could not resist adorable children.  They are EVERYWHERE.  This little girl was with her mother up on the roof for dinner and she caught everyone's eye with her sparkle and enthusiasm for exploring.  She was not afraid of anyone.  I always say children are the hope of  the world and for that reason there are no other VIPs as important as they.

At the spice market on a hot, sunny afternoon.  The smells were wonderful.

These beautiful doors were for sale at the market as well.  I really liked the one on the right.  "Honey, if we strapped it to the wing, couldn't we...?"