Asanti Sana Zanzibar - A Tale of Random Encounters

Lucky, lucky, lucky as I am I got to spend my 24th birthday on paradise island. Words cannot describe the immense beauty of the white sand, clear ocean and tall palm trees that is Zanzibar. Early Wednesday morning I put on my backpack and walk to the airport (YES, in Addis that is totally possible). Ethiopian Airlines brings me safely to Dar es Salaam where I start talking to a Dutch stranger. As it turns out his birthday is on the same date as mine and he is also turning 24, randomness-alert! He has just come from a year of travels, with his last stop being Oman, to visit his sister who lives here. These beautiful, generous people offer me a ride to the ferry to Zanzibar. This brief, random encounter would prove to be of great importance, as I would not have gotten on the last ferry without their help. I needed to be on this ferry as I had promised to pick up my German friend from Addis at the airport in Zanzibar that night.

 

On the ferry a new random encounter occurs. A Zanzibari local, born and raised by the ferry port, given the nickname Okidoki by an Australian captain, introduces himself. He tells me he has a guesthouse in Stonetown, and that I am welcome to stay there if I want. I explain that I have booked another place for the first night, but that I might take him up on his offer later. He is kind enough to drive me to New Teddy's place in Paje. We drink all of Kilimanjaro (the local beer, haha), I thank him for all the help, wave goodbye and head down to the beach. And there it is! Four months have passed since I last saw the ocean and the sight is overwhelming! Tears of joy build up in the corner of my eyes and my Norwegian fishermans blood floods through my wains like waves hitting white sand. Complete happiness! I spend the days strolling in the white sand, swimming in the clear ocean and indulging in as much seafood as I possibly can.

After my friend leaves for Addis, I decide to call Okidoki and see if his guesthouse in Stonetown is still avaliable, and it is. Stonetown is a small city with narrow streets, seaside cafes and happy, beautiful people. I see it as the Barcelona of Africa. After watching the sun set by a secluded beach we head to the fishmarket. I share some of my squid dinner with a cute, little cat that suddenly multiplies into four. (If I was a cat, I would like to live in Stonetown!) Well fed we meet a new stranger, Viviane from Switzerland, who joins us for a night out in Zanzibar. We drink, dance and enjoy and plan a trip to Nungwi the next day.

Randomness continues as my purpose of traveling to Nungwi is to meet a friend I randomly met in Awassa, Ethiopia a month before. But, as three friends of Okidoki need me to show them the place of the guesthouse the meeting is cut short. But my random friend seems happy and it is fun to randomly meet him again. My three new american aquaintances offer me a ride on their scooters, and wow, what a great way to experience Zanzibar. On the back of a scooter you can really look around and all smells, sounds and people seem to be so close.

On my last night I have a small dinner and a large dessert and I think to myself that this has been a good trip. I take the ferry back to Dar with my three new friends, wish them all the best of luck and head back to Addis. When I walk in the gates back home, my guard, Melkam, greets me by saying how much he missed me. My dog, Boble, is jumping like mad trying to say the same. I am thrilled to see them both and I tell them I also missed them alot. On the kitchen table I find two packages from Norway, birthdays are really nice.