Should I stay or Should I go now? - Weds 29/10/25

It's a little wet but not enough to deter more wandering. The girls are northbound to play with sea life stuff through our ever-loyal tour guide . It 's not really my thing to swim alongside Flipper, so for the first time this week we are on an alternate schedule. We didn't think too much of it in terms of contingency, which looking back was a combination of naivety and luck . We 've traveled a lot and adhere to our own rules between us, which involve having your own passport, money , and ticket/schedule. So if one doesn't show, then you still proceed. Some of our friends are horrified at this, but it works for us...

I'm trying to get over to Dar Es Salaam on the mainland but am being repeatedly told not to . In my eyes, that's even more reason to do it. I've been sold a ferry ticket online for this morning but can see the boats have not moved out of the harbor since last night, which doesn't bode well, so it's Plan B, which is a short flight of 30 minutes and whatever chaos ensues before and after landing . It looks fun, and at $21 each way, it's a bargain. In chatting with a few locals who are concerned that I would make this trip unless essential, a whole array of head-shaking is happening until the 'boss man' says you may get there, but you may not get back for a while. So with a rare moment of common sense, I abandon what later turned out to be the Lions Den, and it's Plan C.

I now have a new set of friends ; I could form a band now of Nigel and the Head Shakers, but all are more than happy to take me around some of the local places in Zanzibar and away from the airport . Not far from the road between Stone Town and Bububu, under fig trees and fragments of sun, lie the ruins of Zanzibar's first royal palace. Mtoni is not grand. It is quiet. A crumbling labyrinth of coral stone and mango roots, where sultans once slept and spice-scented breezes moved through courtyards laced with carved teak. The last Sultan could have been called the Sultan of Swing with three wives and 33 other close female friends but was referred to locally as Mr. Big Jiggy Jiggy and died quite young. I had no words but got the general idea.

We then moved on to Zanzibar's own Kilamanjaro - at the great height of 120 Metres compared to the real one on the mainland standing somewhat taller at 5,895m. We are now in the centre of the island and it's very green and wet, a tad ironic as we're visiting Kidichi Persian Baths although still impressive but perhaps not the safest of place to visit, it's decribed as open to visitors, but the site is not well-maintained and has signs of areas of large deterioration. It didn't disappoint and walls crumbling with some floor areas none existant but you could still imagine how grand it once was.

We stop a final time at another palace hsas been reclaimed mostly buy nature and a short walk down to a working harbour although scattered with abandoned boats which had seen better days but lovely people to say hallo to and exchange views on the English Premiership Football which is a common ice breaker.

It's time to reconvene with the girls an trade stories, the miltary type presence is ever increasing on the streets so we opt for dinner at a guarded hotel over looking the bay in a bubble of peace and safety but all too aware things are going wrong and likely to get worse.

Clare & Robys day

A day of different adventures for us all. Somewhat adventurous start to the day seeing the

machine gun toting and balaclava clad men in trucks, not overly assuring and we discover

they are government but not government people. It sounds bad, but we felt OK. It’s

interesting learning more about what is happening in the elections and the impact it is having

on the country. We are in internet lockdown as so much un rest still.

Robyn & I met by our fabulous guide Abdul and driver again, this time a long trip to the

North of Zanzibar to the marine conservation area near Mnemba Island. We’re handed over

in the car park to the boat guide who was charged with the aquatic element of our adventure.

The boat guide didn’t speak much English and it was just him – usually there is a couple of

chaps. He took us out some distance, sea quite choppy and deep deep green. The hope

was to see dolphins and coral, we understood it was protected & respected but sadly neither

held true.

After some pointing, we gathered it was time doe snorkels and masks to be on.

We converged with a number of other boats and apparently dolphins and with

encouragement from the boat man we rather rashly jumped in the choppy water. Imagine

boats, motors, rough sea. It wasn’t great. I kept watching Robyn, just worried about her

safety. Robyn did brilliantly, first time in new prescription mask, but the experience would be

difficult for a really strong swimmer and I saw her looking in a bit of bother. Worst nightmare

situation. There was a buoy in the water I found for her to hang on to, boat man no where to

be seen, waves scary and current not pleasant. I called for help and we were hauled on

board another boat and then found by our chap and back on board.

Not a great start, but improved seeing the amazing private Mnemba Island. I braved

snorkelling again and saw coral & beautiful fish. The coral was bleached and despite being a protected area it looked damaged.

Our boat chap carried on regardless of recent experience and saw dolphins in the distance –

he was unrelenting in wanting us to jump in again. This time we reached the dolphins with no

other boats and I jumped in – and swan with these magnificent creatures. There were four

and it felt a privilege – but quickly masses of boats arrived and it felt wrong. This was not a

conservation area, or protected or even safe.

We were deposited back on welcome land and back to our usual guide Abdul. Time now to

explore more of the north of Zanzibar, we went to Nungwi I think for lunch and in a rare

experience we both have pizza – post trauma food.

Met up with Abdul again and explored Kendra Beach and famous area for Full Moon parties.

Long drive back to Stone Town and fascinating seeing the scenery, people and life in

Zanzibar. Still the ever-present trucks of machine gun men and a sense that it could all kick

off.

Fun to meet up with Nigel and swap stories – sounds he had a rare moment of sense (or

maybe logistics just didn’t work), and luckily stayed put in Zanzibar rather than venture to

Dar Es Salam.