Monday, June 29, 2009

Udzungwa and Zanzibar

Sandwiched between my stays in Dar, I had an incredible day in the Udzungwa Mountains Natl Park. It was great to hike for 5 hrs as my exercise regimen of late had been sparse. The park is known for its biodiversity and the lush greenery was a stark contrast to other parts of my journey. The waterfall was so invigorating, and I couldn’t help but relish in the fact that I was on the unbeaten path. Hardly anyone knows about the park as the Serengeti and Ngorogoro get all the attention. However it's only $20 to enter, the staff was laid back and fun, and the guide was knowledgeable and nice to boot. The best part was his sheer glee because we saw species that hardly ever show themselves. We saw mangabeys and red colobus, which are not found anywhere else in the world, as well as blue colobus and black/white colubus. And of course baboons. There are always baboons. The guide kept talking about how he couldn’t believe how lucky we were, and I just laughed. Obviously he didn’t know me :-)

It was also amusing to be in the neighboring town, Mangula, as many of them had probably never seen a Muzungo before. Our second day there we spent an hour trying to book a bus ticket with no common language. We had to get pass the Swahili time roadbump as well. However, the people here were so patient with us and we all had big laughs over our misunderstandings. I had a rush of elation when trying to communicate because it was such a beautiful dance of words and gestures.

I spent the last evening sitting in the dark. The hotel lady brought me a candle as the power had gone, a weekly event. I kept hoping that the work the men were doing on the generator would be in vain because it was quite soothing to be caressed by candlelight.

Mangula was so different from my stay in Zanzibar. Zanzibar's stone town, with it's old buildings and winding roads was quite charming. Meanwhile, the north of the island held its own charm. Everyday, I would sit at the lip of the ocean, marveling at the clouds streaking the sky, mere wisps in stark contrast to the billowy masses that had jostled for position before the rain. A Maasai with his requisite staff, would pace the water's edge, a dab of red on a pale blue backdrop. A mix of reggae and African music would periodically skip, yet no one ever seemed to mind because the upbeat kept people's spirits lifted. I was modestly covered as most of the locals were Muslim but my legs would peak out from under my sarong, toes tapping in rhythm. Fishing boats, sustained by the calm seas, would bob ever so slightly in the distance. Meanwhile, the fishermen were insignificant specks in relation to the stoic wooden structures. No one would talk around me, everyone in their own world, basking in the human silence, something underrated and thus not so common. This was Kendwe Zanzibar. Perhaps this is one version of paradise.

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