Nairobi, Kenya

Last Stop In Africa...Kenya!

Mt. Kilimanjaro peeking through the clouds.

Welcome to downtown Nairobi!

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Saying Goodbye to Postcard Perfect Zanzibar

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Tuna Helper

  We were growing tired of cooking pasta/rice every night in our outdoor bathroom, so Kurt went out and caught us some fish.  We had a beachside BBQ, and had more than enough fish for us and ten of our new friends to enjoy.

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Seaside Critters

The beach was littered with seashells.

We saw all kinds of crabs, but most of them wouldn't pose for us as nicely as this one.

An octopus!

Sea urchins and friends...don't miss the camouflaged guy on the right!

   We spent a good amount of our time at the beach poking at things in the sand and tide pools.  When the tide was low, we would carefully step over the carpet of sea urchins and walk out to the reef to go snorkeling.  Sea life is abundant off the island coast.  We saw octopuses, countless fish, coral, sea snakes, sand crabs, and all sorts of things we couldn't identify.  We even swam with dolphins!  Our only scars from the sea came from a brood of jellyfish, but they were more of an annoyance than any real danger.  Nevertheless, Kurt still liked to swim around with a spear.

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Life Is Pretty Good

   We quickly adapted to our new daily routine...Breakfast by the water, early morning swim (while the tide was in), writing during the heat of the day, and making dinner by sunset.

  

Kizimkazi, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Goodbye Riots...Hello Paradise!

An amazing baobab in the village

Eating dinner and watching the sunset

   Given the unstable situation in Stone Town, we decided to leave our apartment and head south to the beach.  We found a budget friendly bungalow at a place called, Promised Land.  Needless to say, we were happy with our decision to leave the riots behind us and enjoy the sun and sand.

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Street Shots from Stone Town

Public transport...Yes, we did tie our bags to the top and join the ride.

   

   Due to political/religious riots that broke out in and around Stone Town, we unfortunately had to spend a lot of time indoors.  For days, stores were closed, theft was rampant, and tear gas wafted in the air.  We got a little stir-crazy sitting in our little apartment, and enjoyed any time we were able to get out with our cameras, walk the streets, and take a few photos.

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Market

Spices galore!  (Check out the size of those cinnamon sticks!)

Fish up for auction

Eggs anyone?

Every morning we started our day with a tropical delight.  It certainly beat Cheerios!

   Negotiating for fruits, spices, veggies and household items was always entertaining.  Although it took a bit of work, we found everything we wanted (including real shampoo...yea, we certainly needed it!)

 

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Wooden Doors of Zanzibar

   We spent a few days wondering the maze of narrow streets in Stone Town, in search of carved wooden doors for Allie's research.  There are over 700 of them, and each seems to have its own story.

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Sunset Acrobatics

   Local kids put on a show each evening by the shore.  As soon as the tide came up, kids would line up and take turns jumping and flipping into the waves, each one trying to outdo the others.

Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Settling Into Our Neighborhood

Negotiating over bananas

Avocados, coconut bread, fresh fruit, rice and pasta quickly became our daily diet

Allie was tempted by the textiles, and Kurt enjoyed the fresh coconuts!

Remnants of the old sultan's palace...two blocks from our apartment

Cooking in the stairwell by headlamp...Power wasn't too reliable