Pole Pole!

Partenza

We leave from Milan Malpensa with Air Italy at 00:50 (only 15 minutes late compared to the scheduled time, practically hyper punctual!!) heading for Zanzibar (the plane will then continue to Mombasa); on board we are first served a snack and later dinner and finally breakfast. At check-in I had asked the hostess if she knew from which side you can see Kilimanjaro (in a story I had read that you fly over it!), I create a bit of panic on her face (what questions do I ask??, Mauro tells me) who clearly doesn't know what to answer me. Let's try the right window, let's hope for the best... and instead.... Around 7:30 in the morning it's the pilot who informs us that... ON OUR LEFT (the usual bad luck!) it is possible to admire Kilimanjaro.

Clearly I can't see anything, oh well! We land on time, after 8 hours of flight here we finally are in Zanzibar!!! The weather unfortunately is not the best, big threatening clouds in the sky don't promise anything good. We pay our 50$ even though they ask us for 50€ (the euro/dollar exchange rate for them is 1:1) and immediately a policeman approaches Mauro to ask him for money to avoid opening the suitcases. With a polite but firm look he tells him no and the guy moves off toward other tourists. I rush to the baggage area. The collection is faithful to the accounts found online: “characteristic”! the conveyor belt is missing so the staff place the suitcases loaded by hand on a counter. That's how things work, you give them 1-2$ and explain the colour/type of your suitcase and they bring it to you.

Mauro's suitcase was delivered immediately and without anyone asking me for anything; for mine, we give a dollar to a guy to get it delivered since it was still in the adjoining room used for unloading the luggage. We leave the airport and find the girl from the tour operator, we and another 2 couples from Turin are the 6 lucky ones who bought the package on the internet. The journey is about 1h, I start filming everything, it's the first time I bring the camcorder on a trip, I want to capture as many details as possible! During the journey I ask the guide to buy me a sim from a local operator to call Italy at decidedly low rates. We only have dollars, with 10 we buy the sim and a 5000 sh top-up (the change is a tip, obviously!) not even fully used during the whole week despite making several calls and sending texts daily. I got a Zantel number, but there are other companies too..

Once at the hotel, we are served a welcome cocktail, they tag us with those hateful village bracelets and then.. finally to the room to put on our swimsuits and rush to the beach.......

What excites me most is the colour of the sand, white, very white and soft as talcum powder. Those damned clouds don't do justice to the colours of the sea that in the following days we are lucky enough to admire.

About Zanzibar everything and more has been written! In my own small way I would just like to give some practical advice to those who will go after me. I want to make a premise, I am one of those travellers who cannot give up her nice 20kg suitcase (on the way out, because on the way back it always weighs 10kg more!!). This time, aware of many things, I reduced my luggage to a minimum in order to bring as many little gifts as possible. Needless to tell you that what you bring is never enough! Everywhere, there is someone who is happy to accept your “thought”. It's not about charity, you'll realise it, contact with these simple people triggers a reaction of generosity in everyone's heart. Everything you no longer wear and that you think might be useful, BRING IT!! Clothes, shoes, toys. Buy them pens, pencils, felt-tip pens...

The smile of a child who receives even just a simple pencil is priceless! Always carry something with you; even if you go for a walk on the beach: You might meet a child, like “Marco”, as his father (Masai) called him, ready to give you a disarming smile at the sight of a soft toy. On the fishermen's beach instead a stunning little girl awaits you, a little photo model, who will enchant you with her innocent gaze. Then there are the beach boys, your friends for the whole holiday. They will remember your name the whole time, even if you told them half a time. (How many times does it happen that you introduce yourselves to people and one second later you don't remember the latter's name??). They, being closer to “us” Westerners, are much more affected by that cursed status symbol of brands.

How can you blame them if they get excited over a pair of Adidas shoes?? Trust them without any problem, it is not true, as the tour operators say, that they are unreliable people. Personally I did no fewer than 4 excursions (blue safari, spice tour & stone town, turtles) and I never had any kind of problem. With hindsight I realise that I could have brought many more things. Sweets for example! Several people advise against bringing children sweets to avoid tooth decay problems. True, but... I really regretted it a lot.

The most beautiful memories of Zanzibar are tied to the faces of those children I met. I know I did nothing, in fact, I could have done much more... but it's you who will be able to do more, right??

..Good trip to everyone, Jambo!!