My family in Zanzibar

Mama Rahma. She caters, so cooks every day and makes a good living. She drives, can really go on a tirade at someone,  although I don't know what she says. She wears sweats and t-shirts under the robes.  Quick to smile and wants to know why I am nit staying longer. She is wonderful.  So is her husband who I have only seen twice but he is very kind.

Amal will be 7 this month. She is out-going  and loves everyone who comes in the house. And there are always customers and neighbors coming and going.

I did laundry in a washer that is on the roof of the flat. Then hung them in the line overnight to dry. A treat to not wash by hand!

Classmates,  Max and ? In the hall of the class area. For the break time, they put a mat on the floor, serve drinks and snacks on a tray (instant coffee, chai, potato balls with meat inside,  and rice bread.  Any area can instantlybecome a break room! We just ignore all the tiny ants all over the floor.  It works. Neither of these friends will be back for classes next week. But they both return later.

Friday in dry and warm Zanzibar

Friday,
 I've seen some email about the rain in Boulder County and flooding or possibility of floods. Sounds dangerous for some folks and I wonder how bad it is in Lyons.  Soon I will go get a wireless connection and I will find out more. Meanwhile,  I hope my friends and their families are all safe and dry. 

My house mom is going to a wedding on Saturday and she asked if I want to go. Yes! Sounds very interesting,  So after class I went to a market and haggled for a "skirti" - some words are easy! .  Yes, I need a skirt to wear and Mama Rahma will fix me up with a scarf or two. I hope I can post some photos.

 Just ate lunch. Rice, chicken, sauce, salad of tomatoes,  carrots,  onions,  and cabbage at every meal and it is fresh and good.   The two guys here are watching soccer.  They speak some English and that is helpful.  I took their photo and then they took some photos.  Nice guys, Baraka and Hamed.

Other photos: young people fill this park that I walk thru daily to study and socialize. 

A picture on a main street outside of the old town near the park , my classes, the huge outdoor market. I didn't capture the busy-ness that is here. 

 I think I am going to a different big outdoor market with Mama Rahma soon but not positive. She doesn't speak much English.   If not, I will walk to the beach and find a nice place for a cold drink and do some writing or studying.  

It is Friday, Muslim holy day so many men are wearing the one piece outfit that is a plain dress to the floor.  The women wear sequins and fancy robes and scarves all the time, or just simple black robe with scarf. They are eye-catching and beautiful but it all looks so hot. 

Hakuna matata and hamna shida (same). It's all good.

Tuesday in Zanzibar

With my new friend,  Matilda, from Paris. We met at the coffee shop looking at the ocean.  Luckily,  she speaks English quite well. In chatting, we found out we both did Kilimanjaro.  She did a different route but we both made it to Uhuru Peak!

  Then we walked around town together and enjoyed the sights. She leaves tomorrow.   We also chatted with a young woman from Australia who started in Kenya and has extended her vacation for 4 months!  Lucky her.

It is nicer to walk in town with a friend because so many people want to sell you something or have you book a tour with them. There are many tourists here so they do move on to someone else if you show no interest. 

Nina jifunza kuongea kiswahili. I am learning to speak kiswahili. 

In beautiful Zanzibar town

I arrived on Zanzibar island off the Tanzania coast yesterday and my host family found me, took me home, fed me, and gave me a beautiful bedroom in their very beautiful home! I am ver happily surprised by my lovely accommodations!

One of the students showed me how to walk to the coast and the very old town yesterday and he showed me the evening market and lots of amazingthings here. There is more to see but I am very happy to be here.

I started the language lessons today. I am learning with a young man who has lived all over the world who also started today. The 4 hours went fast. Love the language.  I don't know if or how I will use it but I am enjoying learning. 

Now I am sitting in a shady spot using free internet. Next I will find some ice coffee by the beach and practice what we learned today in class.

My family is wonderful and the helper cooks us 3 meals per day.  So glad I stayed! 
Hakuna matata. 

Pics:  my room

Others sitting on the wall using internet.  

Flying to Zanzibar island - extending

I've had a great time practicing Swahili with anyone who will talk to me.  Everytime I say something in Swahili, people laugh,and then we develop a relationship and have so much fun!  One of my best teachers was Veronica, below. 

I also learned a lot from our safari drivers, Yusuf and Leaky, and from the employees at the Kenya Comfort Hotel in Nairobi.  Everyone is eager to teach me a word or a phrase.

I don't want to return home after a bad end to the safari trip - I want to leave Africa after a good experience so I can bring happy memories home.  So I am going to Zanzibar island in Tanzania to study kiswahili (the language) for a couple hours each morning, and to do a home stay with a Tanzanian family.

What will I do with Swahili?  I don't know, but I love learning it and the lessons and homestay are no more expensive than staying in a hotel.  And I will likely meet more nice people either teaching or learning kiswahili.  And maybe an opportunity to use it will come up - maybe next time I'm in east Africa.

Veronica, me, and Patrick

Our fabulous drivers for 10 days, Yusuf and Leaky.  Great guys.

showing the guys at the Kenya Comfort my tablet and all it can do.

Back in Nairobi.- visits with friends

Amos and baby Adriel, Mary Ann, me, and sister-in-law Connie at Amos's flat

The girls on the lanai - me wit Zena, Mary Ann's sister, sister=in=law, Adriel, and Mary Ann.

Cooking lunch in the kitchen!  We made stew, mashed potatoes, and rice together.  It was a great xperience and the food was delicious.  I mashed the potatoes by hand with a wooden spoon.  Ground the garlic and ginger with a mortar and pestel.  What you see in the picture is the kitchen with two burner gas-fueled stove.  You can see the handle of the refrigerator and I'm against the wall taking the picture. Mary Ann makes it all work!

My friend Paul who is working in Nairobi and hopes to get a better job with his Finance degree.  We had breakfast and chai while we visited.  He is a motivated and kind young man.

Paul at the garden across from my Kenya Comfort hotel in Nairobi.

End of safari

 

 

Two beautiful young male lions - about 20 feet from our vehicle.

Lion in a tree.  We saw leopards laying like this too.

One of the tents we stayed in.  The tent lodges are beautiful and you don't really realize the sides are canvas because they are so nice.  They let a lot of air in and you can hear animal sounds all night.  Cool!

We saw 10 or 12 lions moving from the base of one tree to another and some of the young males we so skinny!  This guy is walking right past the back of our Jeep.  We all hoped this pride was successful in getting food soon.  Now is the end of the dry season and food is scarce.

The best folks I could have met! Deb, my roommate on the trip, and Tom, who saved my life in more ways than just the Heimlich.

Something strange happened on Day 10 of the safari trip with Overseas Adventure Travel.  The tour guide pulled me aside and personally attacked me - saying I did not respect him or OAT and I was causing trouble in the group. Since I had been having a fine trip and got along with everyone, this was a huge shock!  He even told me that he decided he was sending me home from the trip.

Needless to say, this was distressing, shocking, and totally out of the blue and I decided the guy is whacked out and I was a bit afraid of him. Let's just call him a control freak, bully, and crazy person.  My wonderful friends, Deb and Tom, confronted him the next day (to support me) and the crazy tour leader did not back down.  Deb and Tom told him they would not allow him to send me home and since I  never gave him an opportunity to talk to me again, I don't know what he thought, but I didn't go home. 

Might I say here that I did nothing to deserve his wrath except that I got along fine with everyone and didn't give him as much attention as I suspect he wanted. Being stuck in the Serengeti, I ignored him for 7 days, focused on the animals and my friends, and made the best of a stressful situation.  It's still really difficult to write about because I've never encountered aything like it.

Thank God for Deb, Tom, and the other good people (who didn't know the story but were just wonderful to hang around).  Now I want to make a good memory before I go home so I plan to extend my trip.

I have emailed and called OAT and they will hear more from me, but meanwhile, I'm so glad to be away from that crazy tour leader.  On to another adventure that will include NICE people.  I'm letting that memory fade....