Zanzibar and the Serengeti

Lions hunting in the morning

We had 5 relaxing nights on tropical Zanzibar.  A fast ferry shuttled us across in about 2 hours where we arrived at about 5.30pm and were met by a guide who showed us to our hotel for that night and later an outdoor foodmarket where you could buy and haggle for a smorgasbord of food which would be cooked on a BBQ in front of you.  The food was delicious and very affordable.  Up early the next day we went from Stone Town (the main town of Zanzibar) which is on the western side of the island to the eastern side of the island and the Sun and Seaview Bungalows.  Situated right on the beach front we spent 4 nights relaxing, reading and swimming in the tropical climate of Zanzibar.  

Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania

Since leaving Harare, the weather has become noticeably warmer.  Leaving the heights of Zimbabwe and moving further north to the equator the temperatures have become much more tropical.  This has made travelling on the truck (where the sides of the truck are rolled up and away) much more comfortable, as the ‘wind chill’ factor has instead become a ‘comforting breeze’.

Warning: Contents May Offend

We’ve been in Zimbabwe for about 2 weeks now.  Our stay in Zim was extended as we found out that due to a change in the regulations in Ethiopia, it is no longer possible to get entry visas from Harare as per the norm.  Instead, they must be obtained from our home countries.  This meant that all of our passports needed to be couriered back home and re-couriered to Harare.  A leap of faith, but since so many of us were facing the same predicament were passports to be lost, we decided to take the chance.  We found out this morning that all passports have safely made their way back (complete with Ethiopian visas). Whew.