On to Zanzibar!

We said goodbye to Remmy, Sam, and Maka today, the three friends that helped me all week. Sam said that while he doesn’t get to travel, he loves it when people from other countries visit because he gets to meet new people and it feels like he is traveling. He is also very in tune with US culture, especially the music.

We took the fast ferry to Zanzibar today, which took 2.5 hours. The slow ferry takes 8 hours, but is about 1/6th of the price. There are definite differences between Zanzibar and mainland, the most obvious one being that Zanzibar is predominately Muslim. There is a major tourism economy here as well.

Stonetown, the city we are staying in, is right by the ferry dock. It is full of narrow alleyways where people live and set up shop. It’s so easy to get lost – I feel like I’m in a scavenger hunt! Our directions to our house were: find the big Baobao tree on Mkunazini Rd. and go down the alley on its right side. Wind around until you dead end and go to the second floor on the house on the left. Ask for Zakiya.

ELECTRICITY: There is a way to have an electricity bill, but many people opt not to worry about paying bills by buying electricity credits, which is basically a pay as you go plan for electricity. You charge the meter by entering a number in the meter and the electricity then works until those credits run out.

CELL PHONES: Cell phones work like electricity and the pay-as-you-go plans in the U.S. There are stands everywhere selling airtime. You buy a card and enter a number into your phone and it credits your phone with whatever amount was on the card.

Word of the day:
Asante – thank you
Kwaheri – bye