Leaving Zanzibar

Fishing dhows on their way to the market

I cannot say Zanzibar was a waste of time. In six days here I managed to complete an open water diver certificate, watch European fat tourists in their natural habitat, get a few recipes of local dishes, and do some physical activity. I am now in Nairobi, waiting [...]

Diving in Zanzibar

I arrive in Matemwe and ask for the diving school, they indicate a small hut with a sign ScubaLibre. It doesn’t look very legitimate but they have all the PADI certifications and, better than that, I can have an instructor for myself. Ted decides to join me and so we go, four days to take [...]

Pwani Mchangani

That is the name of the village where I am staying in Zanzibar. Located on the northeast cost of the island, Pwani Mchangani is a very small village with no roads, just a sandy path, a small market where people trade the daily catch and some fruits and vegetables, and a school, from where I [...]

Zanzibar

A hot heavy wind greets me as I walk out of the plane in Zanzibar. The airport is tiny: three money exchangers and a locked customer care office are the only signs of human presence. There is no baggage claim, an employee brings the suitcases to the middle of the airport and starts an improvised [...]

Going to Zanzibar

I am saying goodbye to Uganda. In a few hours I will be taking a cab to the airport to catch a flight to Zanzibar. Unfortunately, I could not find a way to go trekking in Mount Elgon. I will save that for the next visit.

The next week will be spent on the beach, diving [...]

Road to Buhoma

I have the impression that I went to the end of the world and came back. It is a part of the world that you do not see in magazines or television. Nonetheless, people live here and they are happy. Yes, people are happy in this part of the world. They do not care about [...]

Tracking gorillas in the Impenetrable Forest

The Impenetrable Forest
We had been walking for 3 hours when I asked Maddy, our guide,

- Did the trackers find the gorillas yet?- Not yet, no luck. It is going to be a long day.It was a long day, 7 hours tracking gorillas in the rainforest. Maddy warned us beforehand,

- This is not a safari. For [...]