A Holiday With The Mother - And This Is Just The Beginning...
on Sarah's Blog (Rwanda), 04/May/2010 06:15, 34 days ago
Sunday 28th March 2010Here we are at the very beginning of our Tanzanian adventure...and so it had begun...with two big suitcases and a backpack...and a sky full of thundery grey rain clouds...but despite the miserable weather we headed off for the ferry over to Zanzibar...arriving at the port in a taxi...the driver very kindly took me to the kiosk where I was to pay for the tickets...following some confusion we realised that I needed our passports...back to the car for those and then back to pay...and a few short moments...there in my hand were two VIP tickets for‘The Flying Horse’ Zanzibar’s finest slow ferry...there was a slightly hairy moment when the mother went into a panic as I thought I might have lost my purse...however...as always it was in my bag and just needed a few calm moments to locate it...I found it and we were able to make our way down to the boat...after a long walk down we were finally there...only this time we were faced with steps...and with all out luggage....this was not going to be fun...thankfully there were boat porters on hand to help in such an event...two muzungu ladies with far too much luggage!!! But before we knewit...we were sat up in a comfy lounge room in faux leather armchairs...preparing to while away our four hour boat trip...sleep was definitely first on the list of time passing activities...4 hours later we arrived safely on the paradise island of Zanzibar...where the weather was little different tothat on the main land of Tanzania...after finally making off the boat in one piece...there were immigration forms to be completed...before piling all our things in a taxi in search of somewhere to stay...now...I have read the travel guide for the area...and I have travelled before...yet somehow allof this went out of the window once I was in the taxi...the oldest trick in the book is to say that the place where you want to stay is full...and it happened...and I BELIEVED him!!! And we were taken to the next place...which just happened to be one of the worst places on earth...yet for some reason...before I had a chance to stop them the words...’yes, we will stay here’ were already out of my mouth...and so it was...we were to stay at the ‘Annex of Abdalla’ or as it was later renamed...the ‘arse-end of Abdalla’.I could tell byt he mother’s face...without her even having to say anything...that she was not happy to be staying here...and neither was I...but we were both too tired to do anything about it...we left our things in the hotel and headed out through the narrow, winding streets of Zanzibar...it was not long before we had made it to the sea front...which although it was more of a harbour in most places and was lacking in beach (not that I expected any in Stonetown) it was pretty...and the ocean was clear and blue/green...sadly the sunset was a disappointment as it was too cloudy...but it was pleasant enough...we had dinner in a restaurant overlooking the water...before heading home...unfortunately...one of the major downfalls of such picturesque winding cobbled streets...is that it is very easy to get lost...and before long...that was exactly what we were...lost...lost...lost!!! Thankfully after about half an hour of walking we managed to find someone who know of the place where we were staying and he walked us back there...looking back...there is no way that we would have ever found it on our own...so there it was...our first day in paradise...Saturday 27th March 2010Today sees the arrival of The Mother...we woke to another glorious hot, sunny day...the plan was to head out early...change some money...walk around the fish market and meet the mother at the airport...We headed out in search of the local fish market...but I think either it was not as good as I had been expecting or we had well and truly missed the catch of the day. We were walking around...and the more I walked...the more bits of fish insides and fishy water I got between my toes...not the nicest or cleanest of feelings...I had my big camera with me to take some photos...I was about to do so...when I realised that I had actually left the batteries back at the hotel...oh the sadness...We carried on looking around...and found a man sharpening knives on a bicycle...the bike was stationary and just off the floor so that the wheels could turn...and as they did so...they moved the bit to sharpen the knife...was funny to see!!! Anyway...I did not want to be late to meet the mother and decided to get a bus over to the airport...the bus journey was long...but nowhere near long enough...and I was at the airport with nearly 2 hours to kill...I had thought that there would be more to do than there was...but alas...there really was nothing to be done...not even a coffee shop...so I amused myself for some time in an internet cafe...but had to use 3 computers as every time I had been using one for about 5-10 minutes...it froze and started acting crazy...I decided to call it a day and went off in search of pop...and a comfy seat on the steps to enjoy it...only while I was there I realised that my bag had been slashed...thankfully the tailor in Rwanda who had made it had used an entire panel of fabric meaning that it was 5 or six layers thick and the knife had only made it through the first 4 layers...that can only be a good thing considering it had my nig camera in it!!! Well...I whiled away some time on the steps...went for a walk...looked at some leaflets for safari...and it was time for the arrival...I checked the board...DELAYED...seriously...hadn’t I done my time already? In the time remaining I decided to check with the pharmacist about finding a good dentist in Dar Es Salaam...basically, his advised me not to bother as there was no such thing...looks like I will just have to wait it out...So there I was waiting...when finally the motherbustled through the doors...obviously she was not pulling her own suitcases or pushing her own trolley...no no...she had found someone to do all of that for her...to be honest she was looking remarkably bright eyed and bushy tailed for someone who had travelled 5000 miles overnight...the only giveaway was the none existent shankles...now for someone who was blessed with ‘Cavanagh legs’ in the first place...it was not a good look to appear to have a football squeezed under the skin of each ankle...but she wore it very well...we piled the things into a taxi and headed back to the hotel forthe great unveiling of the suitcase...it was a task which had to be done...and I took great pleasure in doing!!!! My oh my there was some amazing stuff in those suit cases...When the mother had had some time to rest the shankles...we headed down to the harbour...where we sipped cocktails in the rooftop bar of the Kilimanjaro hotel while watching the sunset over the clear blue ocean...possible one of the best mojitos I have ever had...but we decided that maybe dinner there was a little out of our price range and we would find somewhere closer to the hotel...after which we were to start planningthe first part of our holiday adventure...Friday 26th March 2010Good god...someone please tell me that I am really not up at 3.45am!! Why do planes have to go at such silly times? Our taxi arrived as planned at 4.30am...and we were flying at 7am...I had been worrying about the weight of my hand luggage...as I had managed to fit my big camera...in it’s case...into my rucksack for hand luggage...I have no idea why I was worrying though as no one really cared! We stopped for coffee before checking in and making our way onto the plane. The flight was short...and worryingly low...but it was nice to get such a view of Rwanda and Burundi...but it really is strange...the hills seem to literally stop as you cross into Burundi...I was also feeling a little bad for flying...and then saw that there were only about 10 people on the flight from Burundi to Dar Es Salaam...making me feel even worse...we landed...it was hot and humid...nothing like Rwanda...in the airport it was even hotter and forms needed to be completed...it took us so long to complete them...the airport staff came over to check that we understood...no we are just tired and slow...our visa’s were paid for and we headed to get out luggage...there were so few of us that they didn’t even bother with the carousel...and we just got our bags from a small pile in the middle of the airport...we got a taxi to the hotel...checked in and then went for a walk around Dar Es Salaam..we walked along the harbour before heading back to the hotel and napping before going out for dinner..dinner was to be at a local badminton club where they also serve Indian food...I am still trying to work out the connection between Indian cuisine and badminton...as there is more than one such establishment in Dar Es Salaam...some better than others, it does have to be said...the only reason I can come up with is that badminton was devised in India...which is also home to curry? Maybe...maybe not...I am not sure I will ever have the answer...but it is fun to think about all the ideas...anyway...we finally found the place...after getting a little lost...but headed home for a reasonably early night as we had been up for hours...however there was some confusion over bedding...now I am essentially a cold blooded creature...but even I would not have been able to sleep under and duvet/blanket and needed an extra sheet...this took far longer than I would have liked but was sorted out in theend...Thursday 25th March 2010So...having made a mid week trip to the city to drain my bank account to pay for my plane ticket...I was packed and ready to start my holiday...I had used all my money to pay for my plane ticket so I had to borrow money to get me to Kigali from Ruairi...Once in Kigali I had some money to claim which I could get cash for...meaning I had enough money to get by until I got back from Tanzania...Christine had arranged for us to stay with one of her friends in Kigali, which meant we didn’t have to pay for a nights’ accommodation...the lady, it turned out, worked for Tony Blair’s office and lived in a very nice house...there was even an upstairs! When we got there she was getting ready to go out to an art exhibition at Novotel...which is a very nice hotel...and we were invitedto join her if we wanted too...we thought that this would be a nice thing to do so we had possibly the quickest shower in the world...but not so fast that I didn’t manage to flood the bathroom...now this is the very reason why I dislike going to other people’s houses...because I always break things or things just generally don’t go quite right...anyway...the bathroom was nicely flooded...but I just about managed to mop up most of the mess using the bath towel...and we were ready to go....just...there were quite a few people at the hotel...and FREE WINE!!! If it wasn’t worth it for anyother reason...there was free wine...and that was enough for me...the art work was interesting...the carpets thick, new and squishy...and I met some new people...both Christine and I were feeling tired and had to get up early to get to the airport...so we went back to the house...had some dinner and went to bed...So the plan was that I would get the 30 hour bus to Dar Es Salaam, where I was going to meet the mother...but 3 days before I was due to leave...I received a phone call from the bus company telling me that I would not be able to go on Tuesday 23rd March as there was a problem with the bus...but they would be able to take me on the Saturday...that was going to be too late as mum would already be in Dar on her own...they looked at other ways of getting there...but it was becoming far too complicated...and $356 dollars later...there I was, with my very own economy class plane ticket...as it happened I was going to be on the same plane as Canadian Christine...So the motorcycle diaries are on hold for a short time...my bike is on its way and should arrive soon...although I am still having lessons...and they are still rather amusing...I am just having them to build up my confidence driving on the dirt roads...but I am not good with an audience and I end up doing really silly things...quite how my instructor doesn’t have a heart condition is beyond me...the other day I thought he had told me to turn down a lane as we were leaving the driving school, but apparently he wasn’t so I tried to correct myself and ended up stalling on the edge of a rather steep drop...in front of an entire road of people...thenon the way back...I was just turning into the driving school...where again there were lots of people just milling around...when all of a sudden it was as if my neck was on fire...I didn’t know what it was or what to do...and I lost control of the bike...careering back into the school...trying to brake with my feet...and...stalled...what a surprise...but because they don’t speak English or French...I could not explain to them that I had been stung...they just thought I was a crap driver...they all just kept laughing and saying, ‘no problem...no problem...’ but it was a problem...I was wearing a jumper...everyone tried to see if there was anything inside it...but it wasn’t until I had left and looked again that I saw the little bugger dying in my jumper...with his insides falling out of his bottom...where his sting used to be...I did have a little panic...but 3 very nice ladies with babies strapped to them and umbrellas stopped to help me...my god it hurt...I think it must have stung the bone as it was bruised for about a week after!!! Anyway...the motorbike stories must stop here as we have a holiday to talk about...