A Sea Safari, Two Marriage Proposals, Feminine Hygiene, and a Scam. Part 1.

Ahhh yes, the fundamentals  of any great trip.  Mishap, annoyance, unusual events, and most important of all, the comedic element. Our little sidetrip to Zanzibar, an island off the eastern coast of Africa,  was no exception. It was a blast, I assure you, but not because of any serene beach relaxation or happenin' parties, or any of the usual exotic island accoutrements.

We arrived easily enough-hopping on a ferry in Dar es Salaam. A quick two hour ride over the sapphiric Indian Ocean, wind whipping our hair, sun beating upon our backs. Stonetown, the historic center of the capital Zanzibar City,  is the main point of entry for any traveler to the island. Arrival  can be  chaotic, as you must go through customs once more, ramshackle though it may be. This is where they want to know if you have your yellow fever vaccine, and if you haven't, no worries, just make up the only appropriate answer (YES) as I did. Walk out of the gate and you will be greeted by a mob of taxi drivers and guides, each vying valiantly for you attention and your shillings. We were fortunate enough to miss this scene in its full glory on our arrival, but we fought our way through it when we departed.

When you finally get past this and move out onto to the streets of Stonetown, the smells, sights and bustle of ancient cultures, and modern-day living  confront you immediately.  The honk of taxis  conincide with the view of markets selling spices of long ago, when Zanzibar was an epicenter of trading-slave and spice to be precise. This is the part where I am slightly ashamed to say that my vision of the island, specifically of Stonetown, was proven drastically wrong. You see, I had recently been to Old San Juan in Puerto Rico and it is also a historic center, part of a beautiful island and highly regarded by travel books and travelers alike. It is easy to navigate, prettily situated, and.....clean. Somehow, I had gotten it into my head that Stonetown would be just like this. In fact, I could not have been more more mistaken. The historic center is hot, dusty, a labryinth of alleys and ancient souks, and really not that clean. A little reminder of where I was in the world was immediately required.

Once settling in at our hostel and venturing out, Stonetown proved to be an intricate and delightful maze of shops, alleys, hidden corners, and dusty narrow side streets. It is the fusion of several cultures, from Arab to Persian to Portuguese, all  presented in one colorful postcard. The swish of  burquas as women strode through the alleys on some important errand, the call of a shopkeeper to come in, because "looking is free'," the impromptu futbol celebration by a newly victorious team, and an intense game of street marbles by some local kids-all of these scenes lulled me into contentment.   Life is relaxed here, slow down.

It was here in the streets of Stonetown that I had two  requests for marriage. We met Hamad and Ally, two mischevious, slightly older but young-at-heart guys, while we were people-watching and waiting for Suby to finish with the internet. We asked them for directions, and proceeded to strike up an easy conversation. Their  eyes fairly twinkled as we talked, and  I think if I lived there, we would be friends. Hamad however, had other plans if I lived there.  I suppose I passed some sort of test, because in the middle of our discussion, he announces to Ally, "You can have this one" and then they both laughed uproariously. What? Excuse me? I can be had for...what? Well, Ally needs a wife.  THAT was the best proposal they could come up with? Geeez, I at least like to be wooed a little.  Fortunately for me, I am already spoken for, and I (not very) regretfully  informed them that I would not be able to oblige. They amusedly accepted my refusal and we moved on to other important subjects, such as how to navigate the confusing streets.    Running into both of them later in the day, we snapped pictures with them and felt as if we had made friends....platonic friends that is.   The second offer came when strolling through an alley lined with shops.  I was shopped out at that point, but the young guy tending it was persistent, urging me to come in and look.   I think he was mostly bored, and was looking to add some excitement to his day. The questions were fired off rapidly-Where was I from? What was I doing today? Did I like Zanzibar? And my personal favorite...How did I like the men of Zanzibar?  The Zanzibarian men were just fine, but I have a man waiting for me at home. I told him so,  as I would not want to be accused of starting an international romance.   Looking somewhat crestfallen, he responded with  "Oh, you have your choice then"  Well.. yes, I hadn't ever really referred to my fiance as my "choice," but I suppose that is exactly what he is! He evidently got over his disappointment rather speedily, because I left his shop bearing messages of availability  for any  friends at home who have not yet made their choice.  So, anyone? Got two nice guys from a pretty cool island, with lots of shopping and beautiful beaches, just waiting to be chosen!     Stay tuned....