WEATHER: Warm and 27C
HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Finally getting to the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Only getting 2 nights here
BUYS OF THE DAY: Beer for 1.80 for 500ml
WORD OF THE DAY: Asante Sana – Thank-you
IRISH WORD OF THE DAY: Spare - sky
CAMP SITE RANKING: Hotel for the next 2 nights, Wi-Fi, flushing toilets and ensuite showers has to be
5 out of 5 stars
We got to have a sleep in this morning of 7am, that is massive for us and quite surprising we slept right through to the alarm this morning. We must have needed the sleep in. I can tell you that you don’t come on an African safari to have a leisurely holiday!
We had to have all our gear packed and ready to go by 8.30am, shouldn’t be a problem as there are no tents right? We checked out of the hotel to head on our spice tour before driving the hour to get to the beach and 2 whole nights in one spot, and no tents!!! Our guide was called Ali T and he was a real character. He would combine his English translation into an American, British and Australian accent. He was a real laugh. We walked around the spice plantation for a few hours with Ali T and his side kick showing us the raw spices like lemon grass, avocado, cocoa beans, all spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc… It was pretty cool to see all the plants that we only see in a bottle or in the supermarket already processed. We also got to taste some fresh coconuts that were picked fresh from the tree. Side kick climbed up and cut around 10 of them and opened some for us to have a drink from and eat some fresh coconut flesh. The way he wielded his knife was pretty amazing and scary all at the same time, as when he sliced the coconut the blade was facing towards him, all it would take would be a slip and he would cut his foot off or a wrist. Oh well I am sure he has done it a million times before. We then got a chance to sit down and taste some fresh tea. All in all, it was a great morning and but I was so looking forward to just getting to the beach.
After an hour’s drive we arrived at what was going to be home for the next 3 days aka PARADISE!!! Our HOTEL (yes this will make 2 in a row) was right on the beach, literally, we walked in sand to the room and it was amazing. The beds were canopy beds so high off the floor that we had to do a little jump to be able to even sit on them, and with the mosquito next hanging from all 4 posts, it felt fit for a princess aka Bernie!!! I think I am really going to like it here. After dropping off our bags to our rooms we met at the beach bar aka Bikini’s Bar and ordered the first frosty beer for the day. For those of you who know me I am not a big swimmer. I can sit next to a pool or at the beach with the best of them, but get me into the water and it is near impossible. Well I donned my bathers anyway on the off chance I may dip my foot in the water, and by the time I got to down to the water’s edge I couldn’t help but get in and swim. I mean we are in the Indian Ocean after all right! It is really hard to describe, but the water is crystal clear and when the sun is out is an amazing shade of blue. The sun would come and go all afternoon, but we pretty much stayed in the water for around 3 hours. I decided I better get out and have a nana nap before dinner; otherwise I would be drunk as a sailor and not remember the night. With Lake Bunyonyi still fresh in my mind, I don’t want to piss off my new group or make a fool of myself too early in the piece, so I was quite proud of this decision. So 6pm rocked around and I got ready for what hoped to be a bit of a party night. The crew was already at the bar and we had secured a table on the beach for dinner, so we had a pretty good spot all round. I have to mention the pizza I had for dinner was amazing! Called a bacon pizza, it was pretty close to what we call an Aussie back home and I ate every last morsel, which after like 6 beers it was possibly also what I needed to put some food in the stomach. The resort put on some Tanzanian dancing and a male troop of performers to entertain us, well other guests as well, but they were right next to our table and they were quite good. A special mention has to go to ‘bendy man’ who happened to be the most flexible person I have ever seen, he literally would be able to fit into your suitcase and comfortably. I kept asking Sean if he could get into those positions, all I got was a simple nod, which I take was a big fat no – this dude was pretty amazing.
As we have 4 birthdays on this component of the tour, George had a surprise up his sleeve. I had to get up on the microphone (once again people who know me know that the home Bernie would not do this ) mention Intrepid, mention the birthdays, sing happy birthday and then mention that there was a party on afterwards on behalf of the resort. So yes to your question that I had a few beers under my belt to even contemplate all that! Go me!!!! As mentioned we have 4 birthdays on the trip, so George had organized a massive birthday cake to come out to celebrate and also a free cocktail to go with. So after mutilating the cake, everyone was pretty much on the drinking wagon by this stage and Mr. DJ then started to rock some tunes. We all danced and drank the night away, and the DJ kept playing great song after great song, so none of us really left the dance floor for like 2 hours. It was damn hot under the hut though, and we were sweaty as, but this just made it all that more authentic!!! A special mention has to go to our quiet Killian. He literally became a different man on the dance floor, busting moves we hadn’t seen before. It was all good until he ripped off his shirt and he unwittingly started to slap his sweaty arsed body against us as the night wore on! Ugh, but he was having a good time, and we in turn had had enough to drink to be able to smile and put up with it. Around 12.30am, some-one mentioned a swim in the ocean. With 16 drunken people, this may sound like an unwise idea to the sober, but dang it was hot, we were sweaty and it sounded like a damn good idea. The idea then started to evolve and it became a skinny dip as we walked to the water’s edge. Now I am not sure if it was my voice of reason, my body self-conscience or just my damn age, but I decided to swim in my clothes when the other 15 crew all decided to go nude! Either way it was an awesome swim with us all emerging out of the water (white arses and all) at 1am and then heading off to bed. Another special mention has to go to ‘some-one’ in the group, who got a little Masai attention during the course of the night and happened to duck off down the beach to emerge 15 minutes later, and also happened to be the only one to stay up after we all went to bed, who in turn happened to miss the next morning’s dive due to ‘some reason’. I am not sure if Intrepid would classify that a ‘real life experience’ but we are putting 2 and 2 together and assuming that is exactly what happened. But as the saying goes what happen on tour stays on tour, so no more said on that matter. Maybe we are just jealous that she got some action and we didn’t? Who will ever know!?
So we had a great first day in Zanzibar. A tropical island, some drinking, some sun, some swimming, some dancing, some nudity, and some great company-what else does one need?
This is Zanzibar and this is heaven.
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