Zanzibar and diving - Zanzibar, Tanzania, July 25 2005

We have now left the game parks behind and will not have anymore buffaloes grazing just outside our tents. It was a bit stressful at first hearing these massive creatures just half a meter away only separated by sheer nylon. The buffalo was the most dangerous of the big five for the hunters, especially since they were hard to kill with there thick skulls. You just don't want to get one upset by missing your first bullet which would then probably be your last ever. We tried a different strategy to scare them off by snoring, which didn't work all that well but happily for us neither bothered them. In Sarengeti I was the last one as usual at the camp fire which according to theory was supposed to scare the predators away. In practise I heard something in a bush not too far off and saw some eyes moving while shining my torch. I was neither too keen on examining if the theory was true not what kind of animal these eyes belonged to, so I joined the others in the tents. Later that night the camp was visited by hyenas with the roaring of lions in the background. The stress of hearing these killing machines just outside the tent and trying to be as quiet as possible put a lot of tension on my bladder. Luckily no animals where in sight when I had to deal with my bladder later that night.

All people from the truck - 17 passengers, two drivers and one african chef - left the mainland of Tanzania behind. We came to the spice and paradise island of Zanzibar, arriving in Stone Town an exotic and old place with a fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets which could be mistaken for the old Persia. We enjoyed the fish market, visited the old slave market and did an interesting spice tour before departing to the northern beaches. We relaxed up there for a few days before I took farewell of the remaining people who was heading back home. Geraldine from the Dragoman group and I went diving on a protected atoll which was nice. We were told that the owners of the diving company and a few others were lost after a dive a few years ago and was not recovered alive until the next day. The scary thing was that I read in the news paper and met someone who were supposed to have went diving the day before us off a neighbouring island and that this group of beginners and the instructor has not yet been found as far as I know.

I'm safe and sound and back on the steady ground of Zanzibar. I then headed down to Stone town again to go to the even more relaxed beaches on the east coast of the island.

More about the real paradise tomorrow, cheers Emil