Zanzibar

From the Serengeti  - we flew directly to the island of Zanzibar where we met up with some of our dear friends currently living in Tanzania (Dar Es Salaam).  This is the part of the trip where we should have just parked it on the beautiful beach and relaxed but..........anyway, another amazing experience and we were grateful to have friends to share it with. We spent a few days on Zanzibar - and then another few days in Dar Es Salaam with our friends and they were able to share a bit of the life they have lived over the past couple of years with us.  I thoroughly enjoyed it as my friend Angela is an explorer like me so no time was wasted - she took me to all her 'people', her shops, her tucked away gems.  We went fabric shopping at the market as well.  It was fascinating to do very similar things as I do in Accra - yet it was so very different.  A great trip!

Our villa

Always mosquito netting when in Africa - but we actually never had to use it

enroute to our hotel

The Indian Ocean is gorgeous

We fed sea turtles

This is typical Africa signage - it gets the job done 

Seaweed is a big industry in Zanzibar and here the locals are collecting some to sell

roadside fruit stand

The Rock restaurant -  a Pinterest dream come true

Common sight while driving

Took a dhow sailboat out for the day

Sailed through mangroves, lagoons, and ended at a private island

Chase learned to snorkel and loved it!

The tide is out and this entire floor is coral

Sweet brothers whom I adore

Drew just wanted to try it on

Fruit tasting of all the island fruits

The doors of Zanzibar

Fabric shopping with the locals

This art made me laugh!

Alleyways in Stone Town

All the girls shopping for fabric

Beautiful

We watched artists at work at an art gallery in Dar

Common transportation in Dar

Craftsmen 

Chase loves stones and had a cool experience at a Tanzanite shop - shop owner did a special presentation for him and gave him a little piece at no cost.....it was a sweet moment and quite a smart marketing move.  :)

amazing seafood

Lots of sea urchins

Maasai Village Tour

It was very important to me to tour a Maasai village while in Tanzania.  Tanzania has large areas of farmland where the Maasai live and farm as they always have.  They are the only people group also living inside the Conservation Areas because they live in the environment in its natural state.  They danced for us and we went inside one of their homes.  The smoke was so thick I thought I might pass out - there were also baby goats inside and Brett's seat was a bed that had people sleeping on it.  They were kind and I admire them for embracing the tourism industry as another way to help earn income for their people.  I wasn't terribly impressed with the school 'room' where it was obvious they had staged the children to recite the ABCs hoping for a donation in their money box.

You will see Maasai everywhere you look in the Arusha/Kilimanjaro/Serengeti area.  Driving down the highway, you will view them herding large groups of cattle and goats.  You will also see their villages dotted along the landscape - some bigger than others.  I found it fascinating that they begin teaching their children the traditions and skills very early.  Very small children were seen herding goats - you start with herds of goats and not venturing too far from home.  As you get older, the responsibility increases - herding cattle and staying away for a week or more at a time.

Theirs is a fascinating culture - the Maasai Tribe.  I encourage you to Google Maasai and learn more about their history and traditions.

 Village Tour Guides

Acacia thorn branches that encompass their village - keeps the animals out

This group welcomed us with a traditional dance

She has crafts for sale

Inside the Maasai home

Maasai home

Off to work

This is strength.  

I want to be her friend.  :)

Such wisdom....

School children

Chase doing a round of the ABCs. 

Real life shepherd. 

Sample herd - this one has goats and cattle intertwined.  Many times we saw zebras and wildebeest mixed in as well.  

Maasai women at the lodge making sales.  

Time to shop

Drew gave the kids some cookies before we left

Africa.  Maasai at the Pepsi stand.  

From the highway - Maasai men in traditional red cloth with  a village in the background.

From the highway - Maasai village.