The team came and went so fast. We had such a great time with them and they truly blessed us in so many ways. When we dropped off the team at the air port we picked up NANCY BAMS! It was so great for Stef to see her Mom after so many months. We had a quick day in Kampala and then went right back to the air port. It took a boda, a taxi a boda, a plane and a taxi and we were finally in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
I don’t think I have ever been on a real vacation before so I wasn’t sure what I was getting in to. The first two days were spent in Stone Town. Stone Town is a small historic town on the coast of Zanzibar. The town was so amazing. When we first arrived it was dark so we did our best to navigate through the many many alleys to get to our restaurant. We celebrated Stef’s birthday on the roof of a restaurant called the House of Spice. Zanzibar is known for their spices and let me tell you, the food was amazing, such rich flavors.
We stayed at this cute little bed and breakfast where I am pretty sure only one other person was staying. The staff was welcoming and our beds were decorated with fresh flowers. It was no resort but having a shower that didn’t feel like a chore with hot water definitely made it feel like one.
We spent the our first full day exploring the town. It is so different than Gulu, the city is built up and has a european feel. Beautiful doors were the entrances to many shops and homes, and the architecture was amazing. It was Ramadan while we were there so we had to be careful not to eat or drink in public. We had lunch high above the town at another rooftop cafe. The view was gorgeous, the sky was blue and you could see the ocean. That night for dinner we went to the night market. Because Zanzibar is an island and on the water their trade is fishing. Every night all the fishermen set up camp right by the water and sell their fresh catch. It felt like a convention, everyone was trying to get us to check our their product and get your business. I ended up eating octopus, lobster with spices and Mahi Mahi. It was such a fun experience, and some how risky; to be honest I was nervous I was going to go bridesmaids after eating it. For desert we had sugar cane juice, which was delicious, and mango nutella crapes.
The next morning we took a taxi to the north beach to spend 4 days right on the water. Our room was basically a tree house, bugs and mice included, but our front yard was a little taste of home mixed with a tropical feel. I never realized how much I missed the beach until I saw it. The water was clear, turquoise and so warm. The rest of our days at Kwenda Rocks was spent lying in the sun, swimming, reading and I even got a few runs in. The first night there was a barbecue dinner, a variety show and a beach party. Stef and I had so much fun and constantly found our selves in the middle of a dance circle with our fan club of new Swedish friends surrounding us.
Unfortunately Stef got really sick. Doctors made a “tree house” visit and treated her everything under the sun, including an iv. She was still able to enjoy us by the water and by our last day she even joined us on a boat ride on the Indian Ocean. The boat took us to another island where we did a little snorkeling. We didn’t see very many fish but we did make alot of friends with some jelly fish. They weren’t like jelly fish you first think off but they were like transparent cubes that you couldn’t see just poking you like a prick of a needle. I didn’t realize what was stinging me at first but when I did my first reaction was to laugh and my second was “ well lets get our of here”. Sure I can handle some few pricks but once they start getting fresh with me I had to say no. We spent one last night back in stone town and then headed to the airport bright and early.
My first vacation was great. I never thought I would be vacationing in Africa of all places, but it really was amazing. I love exploring new places, trying new food and doing things that you normally wouldn’t do. I had to take advantage of this trip, who knows when the next time I will be able to travel to new African countries (except for when my sister and I hike kilamanjaro). It was also really nice to get some sort of a break, it was a great time of relaxing. I got a little home sick while I was there, and at first I wasn’t sure which home I was missing. When I got back into Uganda I felt right at home and realized I missed it. I missed knowing where was, familiar faces, knowing some of the language and just being home.
We watched the Olymics on a huge outdoor screen at Mish Mash, slept in a bed bug infested room, took 2 big suitcases, 2 little suitcase, and 3 carry ons in the rain to a bus and finally were in route to Gulu. Vacation ended fast with a work filled weekend and an exciting week ahead of us.
Love always,
Mary Joy
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