FranznTanz!

Ken, Sine and Wendy @ Allbi's Well Restaurant. VSO Vol from Germany, Sine is training young Zanzibar people in Silver Service, Hospitality.

I knew Sine was working in a remote area of Zanzibar, and having experienced the hustle and bustle of the very tourist town of Stonetown, I was ready to move away from it all. Wendy and I caught the daladala across the island. That in itself was an experience. Jambiani is quite a distance so the trip out of Stonetown was spent stopping every few 100 meters to collect and load supplies to take to its residents. As interesting as it was....I was over it by the time we actaully got on the open road and made progress towards Jambiani. We travelled in the open truck type daladala they use on Zanzibar. When we started the journey it was comfortably filled with passengers however by the time we left the residential area we were packed in so tightly that neither Wendy nor I could move..... blood to our feet almost ceased to flow as feeling in our feet was lost!!!

Allbi's Well from the water's edge.

Walking the beach from Alibi's Well to our seaside accomodation.

View from our unit.

Our unit on the right....until it was given to someone else....so we ended up sleeping in a tiny room around the side of these 2 comfy units!!! Oh Well...This is Tanzania!!

Learning how to play the popular African game of Boab.

Sole diners at a random little restaurant with the full attention of the staff...eager to guide us in the Boab game!

Simba, a hopsitality student with aspiration of also being a tour guide, practising his skills on Wendy and I. He gave us a detailed guide of Jambiani through the eyes of a local. He has so much potential and shared his blossoming skills professionally and with pride! We were very impressed.

We carefully stepped our way out through the knee deep water, avoiding the treacherous sea urchins, to meet the local women harvesting seaweed.

The women working the seaweed beds. They walk through the water oblivious to the danger presented by the sea urchins. They know the technique of sliding their toes along the sea bed to ensure they avoid putting their whole foot onto the damaging spikes.

These seaweed beds are nearly ripe for harvesting. It is a 4 week process from tying the rows to picking then drying the seaweed.

Having listened to the local lady on why and how they harvest, we decided to assist her with her business and tied a row each. It was easy but time consuming. She was proud to be able to do this work. The menfolk help set up the plot and the women tend and harvest.

The women work frantically during low tide. The sea base has a very gradual gradient so the water goes a LONG way out at this time! I am standing just over half way out to the beds being harvested.

After our long tour we visited Sine's friend who runs a tiny pancake business from her home. This is the view from the cafe .... To get to this balcony we had to climb a narrow sprial staircase. I would never have known it was there as a tourist....So good knowing the locals!!

....Sine and I totally satisfied after a huge meal of banana and honey pancakes and fresh mango/pineapple/banana smoothies!

After an amazing 2 days in Jambiani, Wndy and I waited here nearly 2 1/2 hours for a dalaldala to come by. The building diagonally across from us was a schoolroom in which the children were taught in typical remote African tradition...Chalk/talk....and the cane!This was very hard to sit and listen to. Apart from this challenging finish to our stay in Jambiani..... I was definitely a wiser person for having visited.

I arrived in Zanzibar on December 12 then departed on January 3rd .....The time in between was truly spent in Paradise!
I have given you Wendy's blog link because she covers most of the things we did. Thanks Wend!
I will attempt to share my experiences in pictures. The emotions which go with the pics make it hard for me to explain the precious times I had. Christmas was heaven sent as Gemma and I connected and shared three whole days together. Meg and George were with us as well as an unending stream of my dear friends from here in Tanzania. We all decided that Zanzibar was the place to be for Xmas/New Year.
I was so happy to have had my two lives entwined for a few brief, unforgetable days

(www.wendywanders.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/happy-new-year
or just click on her blog site in the links column of my blog!)

Mae, Zoe, Hazel

Wendy and her babies

Wendy on wheels weilding wonderful water...(NO just kidding..it was our Xmas/New Year supply of Kili's!)

Xmas Eve party playing Werewolf

Xmas Breakfast after vacating Wendy's house @ midnight due to sewerage blockage...."...and So This Is Christmas..!

Sharing Chrissy Pressies @ the hotel...Thankfully it was run by Christians and everyone shared the Christmas spirit too!

Finally Gem, Meg and Goerge arrived and we did Chrissie pressies @ Archipelagoes the quaint little cafe overlooking Stonetown shores.

Our adopted Christmas Tree @ Memories!....I still couldn't believe Gem was actually with me!

George, Meg and Gem...Sharing traditional Tanzanian food.

Christmas lunch. 2010. Tanzanian style.

Spice tour on the Spice Island.

Fresh Cinnamon....the smell will always remind me of you Bloss. I have kept this piece!

Me and My Girl! I love this pic!

Ndazis (bananas for those of you who don't know!)

Nanasi (pinespple)

George, Gem, Me, Meg.

Princess Fran and Princess Mae!

Kissing my frog made from ndazi leaves...hoping to find my Prince Charming!

H.....We found a tree big enough for you!!!

Christmas Cheers

Wendy and I toasting to all our family and friends @ Xmas Dinner: Indian Restaurant.

Boxing Day: To Prison Island to see the tortoises......

....laze on the beach.....

......eat chocolate brownie chapaties....

Setting off to Prison Island and the Sand bank where we snorkelled and swam....snorkelled....then swam again...and basically lazed in the sun all day!!!

Wendy, Me and Mae wearing and showing our Xmas gifts from Gem and the girls...Pashminas from turkey and sweets and 101 ways to wear my kanga...Thanks girls....we love them!

My three gorgeous girls: Meg, Gem and George enjoying the ambience before dining waterside.

The two of Us

Farewell dinner with the other safari travellers on tour with the girls. This lot had finished their section of the tour and new people were taking their seats as the tour continued south into Africa after they left Zanzi. A great fun bunch of people. I am so pleased I got to know them during the two days we share with them.

Learning about the tortoises surrounding Zanzibar.

Sadie lifting the Whale rib....Go Muscles!!

Lisa, Amanda and Wendy relaxing in our favourite restaurant during the hottest part of the day...the water was just below us so a di to cool off was easy to reach....The coffee was the best in Nungwi and the owner a good friend of Wendy's!

Sunset on New Year's Eve in Nungwi.

Pina Coloda's....toasting my family and Tracey's!

New Year's Eve dinner of freshly caught fish.....on the Nungwi beach.

Wendy and Hermedy

Jacquelin who had come from Holland for a 2 week holiday and Andre who finished his Volunteer stay and returned to Holland with Jacquelin just after New Year. We will miss you Andre.