Jambiani....on the east coast of Zanzibar.

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.