One adventure ends and another begins

It's hard to believe that the safari portion of our Tanzanian adventure is already over. Eight nights went by so fast.

Our flight from the Seronera airstrip back to Arusha was at 10:30am and John wanted everyone to be loaded up and ready to leave by 8:30 so we might sneak in a little wildlife viewing on the way to the strip. Of course, that didn't happen. First there was the long breakfast; then there was people doing their last minute adjustments to make sure breakable things were secure; then there was the photos with the guides and the whole group; then there was the "goodbyes" with Velia and Naomi who were going to stay back at the camp because their flight from Seronera to Kigali, Rwanda wasn't until later in the afternoon; then finally the big tip ceremonies where we thanked the Southern Serengeti camp staff and our 3 guides; and then, finally, we were off. At 9:15.

The first thing we all noticed is that all of the Wildebeest were gone. The rains last night in the far south of the Serengeti drew them all back down there. It's amazing how one day you can be surrounded by so many animals and the next morning it can seem empty. Of course there are still the antelopes, who don't migrate with the Zebras and Wildebeest, and the predators who are territorial and don't leave their "ranges," and the Elephants, but the zombie horde was gone.

We passed by the lions' killing field from yesterday and saw the now almost completely picked over carcasses of 2 Wildebeest. There were plenty of Vultures and some Maribou Storks picking the bones clean. Absolutely nothing goes to waste here.

We had what amounted to a private charter from Seronera to Arusha and the flight was uneventful. The air was really hazy, so you couldn't see too much, but we could see the tracks in the grass from all of the Wildebeest, and I'm pretty sure we could see down into Ngorongoro off the right side of the plane. On landing in Arusha, and after saying goodbye to our traveling companions, Angela, Michele, and I were given our box lunches and taken to the checkin desk where we waited for our 12:30 flight to Zanzibar. We got a little look from the guy weighing our bags, but between all 3, we were under the 45kg limit. The flight to Zanzibar was an hour and a half and once we got on the ground and through Zanzibar's passport control, we were met by Hamiz, our driver/guide that Thomson arranged for us. He was very friendly and talkative during the hour or so it took to get to our beach hotel in Matemwe. We arranged a spice tour for Sunday morning and a Stone Town walking tour for Sunday afternoon.

Matemwe is nothing like what I expected; but then again, I didn't really know what to expect. In the US, beach communities are usually pretty built up and commercialized. There might be some of that on Zanzibar, but not here. The town isn't too much different than what we saw going up to Ilkiding'a in Arusha: sand/dirt roads, livestock and chickens in the streets, trash almost everywhere you look. Then, we got to Matemwe Bandas and you forget what's outside. It was like a little slice of paradise with white sand like back home in Pensacola; coconut palms; an al fresco bar/restaurant; a crystal clear swimming pool; and the 3 beachfront cottages that directly overlook the beach. We were met by the butler, Mkombe, and shown to our "bandas," which are huge. The breeze/wind coming off the Indian Ocean is fresh enough that you almost forget how hot and humid it actually is (and there is no A/C here). The afternoon was spent literally doing nothing. I sat on the veranda looking at the waves and the dhows bobbing in the surf while Angela and Michele lounged on the beach under a thatched umbrella. A perfect way to wind down after our safari.

Dinner was amazing. Angela and I had grilled octopus salad as a starter, and I had coconut curry fish with rice while Angela and Michele had grilled fish steaks. All the food was very good and fresh. After dinner, Angela and Michele took a walk up the beach to see what there was to see. We met with the owner, Chichi, before dinner and sort of planned out our activities during our stay here. Tomorrow Angela is going to try her hand at kite surfing and Saturday we're going snorkeling out at Mnemba Island and having a seafood lunch on the beach.

Sleeping might be uncomfortable because the airflow in the banda isn't great, but would be overwhelming if we opened the doors all the way (and we feel a little uncomfortable doing that, since there is no access control to the property as a whole.