East African sailing trip – log 63

SAILING LOG63

November 3, 2004

7:00am we weigh anchor and motor-sail back to Mtoni Marine this time taking the outer passage past Tambutu Island dodging fish-traps and fishing nets. The sky turns grey and soon we are catching rain-water into our water tanks, showering and shampooing on the deck.

Wolf hooks into a fish and fights it valiantly until it finally spits out the lure meters from our boat. We are gloomy… it would have been good to have fresh fish for dinner and I am hoping to pickle some as well. We keep trying. Whenever we sail we troll a line out the back, always hoping to catch something. We know that we do not have the right fishing lures and are waiting for Jurgen (Wolf’s brother) to bring some when he arrives soon.

We had convinced our new friends from yacht “St Ludmilla” to come and join us at Mtoni Marine Lodge anchorage and they arrive at around 5:00pm.

November 4, 2004

We offer to use our dingy to go ashore and take a taxi into town together. Once in Stone Town we separate deciding to meet back at Mtoni Marine later. Wolf and I head for the internet café to send off our newsletter and download mail. We buy 3 pairs of Makondo hand carved candle sticks as presents from one of the many little shops, and head for the fresh produce market.

 Mornings are the best times to wander around the marked as it attracts fishermen that have just come in from sea after a night of fishing, as well as men about to begin their daily business. The Darajani Market is located on the edge of the old part of Stone Town Zanzibar. The fresh produce and catches of the sea are an interesting to observe.

One can sample various snacks around the market and also taste a cup of freshly squeezed sugar-cane juice. I have tasted this many times before but the locals in Zanzibar squeez the juice in front of us and add a little ginger and freshly crushed lime which makes a deliciously soothing concoction.

Stone Town is a fascinating place to stroll around, explore and invariably get lost in. The narrow corridor-like streets create a confusing maze of passageways. We find ourselves going around in circles trying to escape the labyrinth, and a friendly local willingly directs us to the place we need and promptly sticks out his hand saying, “money for the guide”… we pay him and wander off.

We arrive back at the lodge in the mid afternoon and wait for our friends to join us, sipping a soda, and relaxing in the comfy couches. They eventually arrive and we lounge around playing ‘Mancala’ on the Boa-board. Anders is very competitive and teaches us a variation of the game we were taught, but Ludmilla and I are not convinced that he isn’t making up rules in his favour, as he goes along.

We order a scrumptious meal and watch the magnificent sky changing into orange hues as the sun slips below the horizon. They are leaving in the morning and will be heading back to Nungwi and then on to Tanga. We are grateful for our short but sweet interlude with this interesting couple.