Yippee!

At long last it's finished! My world cushion is finally done and has certainly managed to use up a few beads :)

The magic of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is one of the most mystical, haunting and inspiring places I have ever been. Even the name Zanzibar sounds like something from a storybook.

First off it has the stunning beaches it's famous for...glorious white sand, palm trees and adorable little beach huts scattered along side. I don't mean to sound blase but I guess this is the Zanzibar I had thought of and pictured prior to my visit. But what I found Zanzibar to be was far more rich and delightful than that.

Bwejuu

It's rather an odd place, a mish mash of cultures, people and buildings. A juxtaposition of rich and poor, ornate and shabby, bitter and sweet. Wandering round the streets of Stonetown is quite something, almost magical. You can spend a whole afternoon weaving amongst alleyways and ambling round junk shops, you can dine on delicious fruits of the sea at candle lit night markets. But somehow all this luxury is at odds with what life is like for the locals. You can't help but feel that although tourism brings income to Zanzibar it has spoiled some of it's mystery and magic and not benefited many locals.




As I wandered round the place I felt like a was in a pirate film, and imagined what things were like before the days of the tourist. Indian trading of spices, jewels and gold, grand houses, no cars. It must have been quite something. Not that it would have all been good, a visit to the slave market more than emphasized this as we peered into the cellars feeling horrified by the conditions.

All in all Zanzibar to me felt like a whole different thing to anything I'd ever experienced. I look forward to visiting again some day.

Little girl standing in the doorway of Tippu Tip's house

So many adventures!

I have had a plethora of adventures since my last post so I have NO IDEA how I'm going to catch up on everything?!?

I think I'll start off with Pasua in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania.

Maybe I ought to go with a few pics to summarise...lazy I know :)

Karibu Pasua! This is the front gate of our lovely, if not slightly unorganised, school and our home for a month.

This is us looking ever so smart in this season's first aid africa polo and tourist trousers :)

Bandages!

Kilasiya waterfalls, Marangu, Mt Kilimanjaro.

What could be better than a road sign instructing you to dance?

Many a soda was enjoyed on hot and dusty afternoons.

Maize-doesn't really taste of much but fills a hole.

Annie, our little orphan puppy.

Whoosh!

Long time no blog- apologies!

Exams are done. Let's not think about them :)

1st year has been filed away into a series of folders...



Unfortunately not everything is so smooth. Why is packing about as much fun as well something not at all fun, like running with tweezers or stubbing your toe or finding a hair in your food or something like that...

Sweetie pie

Another homemade gift.



I am also pleased to report that there was an excess of sweeties :)

Tick tock

2 down 1 to go.

Can't focus when it's so beautiful and sunny. Studying in the garden is like a combination of being on Spring Watch and The Beachgrove garden.

About the funniest thing that happens is when the pigeon attempts to land on the birdfeeder in a flappity, clumsy effort.

Blossom, possum?

Today I have been trying to study.




I can't really grumble about all this study malarkey when this is my walk to uni...







Pretty nice, huh?

We also had some excitement on the street this week when someone smelled burning.



In other news I have been injected with typhoid and rabies today. Over and out.