Mombasa

Here is one for the bucket list:

Take a ride through Kenya to Mombasa on a lime green and yellow local bus company called RAQUIB.  WARNING: this is only for the incredibly daring, you will fear for your life 90% of the time. 

I opened my eyes and found myself looking straight out the window to the red clay ground of Kenya.  I closed and opened my eyes again and the bus had moved to the other side of the road allowing me to see the sky this time. The bus had been going from side to side of the semi-paved roads making the bus tip at a 45 degree angle which made it seem rather likely that we would tip. Holding my breath eventually got old and the herds of elephants we saw in passing easily distracted my mind. When we first noticed the elephants the rest of the bus laughed at our excitement. One word of advice if you do embark on such a journey: be weary of what you eat and drink- stopping en route does not exist and neither does the concept of overbooking- there is ALWAYS more room to squish on a bus. The 10 hour ride of ups and downs (literally speaking) of course was well worth it.

Tide pools

Mombasa was yet another stunningly beautiful city, similar to that of Zanzibar with its Arabic influences. We got a chance to walk around Old Town (a lot like Stone Town) and see Fort Jesus- it was actually designed in the shape of a man on a cross by the Portuguese.

The beautifully intricate door frames begin like this

One of the days we had the amazing opportunity to see a school in the Mtepani village that a friend of mine is deeply connected with.  It is a primary school in the process of expansion and its growth has been phenomenal. While being there, we met many of the families of the children who attend the school, one of which appropriately initiated me .... what a better way than to be peed on? Also while being there, the term 'community' fully showed itself to me.

Classroom

The mango tree where classes were first held

THIS IS COMMUNITY

Paradise

I am at the midway point of my adventures in Tanzania and what a better way to celebrate a midterm break than on the powdered sugar soft sand and crooked streets of Zanzibar?  

Zanzibar IS paradise and since a picture is worth a thousand words here are several for you to read.

A monkey named Waka Waka (yes, after the Shakira song)
that jumped right over to me- not because of love but because
I had a full bottle of Sprite that he took and finished off!

The clearest water I have seen

Day 1 of vacation was spent relaxing on the stunning beaches of the northern part of the island and then later at the open market in Stone Town where vendors sold an abundance of fresh seafood.

Where slaves were kept

 

The following day we took a boat ride to Prison Island where we snorkeled and then went back to Stone Town and visited a church that was once a former slave market.

 

DOLPHINS! We took another boat ride the following day to swim with wild dolphins in the Indian Ocean. We had to get our flippers and snorkeling gear on and wait with our feet over the edge of the boat until our guide said "JUMP!" We would quickly get in the water and follow the dolphins as they swam on on the bottom of the ocean floor. 

The last few days consisted of spice tours, music, seafood and stumbling in and out of small stores while getting 'lost' in Stone Town.

SPICE TOUR!

Amazing coffee bar/ bed and breakfast we
stumbled upon while wandering the
streets of Stone Town

Candles lit the way through the beautiful
doors of Zanzibar to the music concert

 Let me help you interpret this one: Taking a taxi in Zanzibar will consist of a crazy driver named Jambo Jambo who will pick you up before getting gas.  Then, after stalling a bit, pulling over, taking a canteen out of his trunk, hopping on a vespa, and leaving his car and all his passengers in it on the side of the road. Five minutes later he will return with a canteen full of gas and use a cut up water bottle as a funnel to pour the gas in the tank. And the only thing you will be able to say is T.I.A (this is Africa)!

Life is wonderful. THINK ABOUT IT!