Some Final Thoughts on our Summer in Africa

August 19^th, 2013

It has been an action-packed, fun-filled summer, and with all of the activities that Kim and I have experienced in Africa, I thought that it might be worthwhile to give some concluding remarks on our African adventure.

Living in Malawi and witnessing the everyday lives of villagers in one of the poorest countries on earth has certainly given me a greater perspective on what it truly means to live in poverty.  Having worked in a low-income community in Baltimore, where people often treat others (especially teachers and others in authority) with disrespect and mistrust, it was refreshing to find that in Malawi the children are warm and friendly.  The sheer amount of unbridled love that the children showed for teachers and volunteers immediately lifted a burden off my shoulders.  I felt appreciated, respected and welcome in their community in a way that I never have been in Baltimore.  The children craved love and attention, but they also had a lot of love and attention to give.  This loving environment, standing in such stark contrast to the depths of their poverty is still something that I haven’t completely processed or come to terms with.  I can, however, say this: the people of Malawi are their country’s greatest asset.  In a country with marginal farm land, no precious metals or valuable commodities, the people will stand out, in many ways, as examples of how we should be.

The poverty that pervades the lives of the villagers in Lifuwu is such a profound burden.  Whereas the poor of Baltimore can, to some degree, rely on welfare and foodstamps, among other safety nets, for those in Malawi, if you don’t earn enough money through work, you simply don’t eat.  Many decry the sad state of the playground at schools in Baltimore, but children in Lifuwu gather used condoms from the streets to tie together in order to make footballs.  My point is certainly not that people in Baltimore are living a life of luxury, or that more should not be done to ease their difficult lives; however, I think that we should all be grateful for the things that we do have, because there are people in this world with so much less than us.  To see how friendly and happy the people of Lifuwu were despite their condition, it makes me wish that we could all be that positive.

Another case in point regards religion.  Although Malawi is fairly evenly split between Muslim and Christian, there is no palpable animosity.  Muslim children play with Christian children, Christian adults befriend and do business with Muslims without a second thought.  

Kim and I had the chance to get to know Islam on a much more personal level during our stay in Malawi.  Not only did we see the local Muslims go about their daily lives, we also were fortunate enough to become quite good friends with a Muslim volunteer, Zohair, who freely answered any questions that we might have had about his faith.  Because we were in Malawi during the holy month of Ramadan, we witnessed firsthand the commitment and self-sacrifice that Islam demands of its followers.  The ritual of the fast, that is, not eating or drinking while the sun is up, was so inspiring.  It might not seem like much of a sacrifice on face value, but when you consider that most of the villagers do farm work in 30 degree heat every day, while others drive bicycle taxis or do construction in the noonday sun, all without a drop of water, you realize that these people are admirably committed to their faith.  Also, the act of praying five times a day, which before this trip seemed like an oppressive burden on followers of Islam makes much more sense to me now.  This practice aims to keep God an ever-present part of the lives of the faithful, reminding them of their responsibilities and what is expected of them as they interact with their neighbors. 

The Muslims that we came to know seemed to exhibit a greater level of dignity and self-control than the Christians in the community.  This is especially true when you consider that Muslims do not drink alcohol, which can quite easily lead to destructive behavior, especially for those in extreme poverty.  After these months in Africa, I have come to admire Islam on a much more fundamental level.  It makes me angry that the religion is so often characterized in a negative way—particularly by Christians.  After all, don’t Christians, Jews and Muslims pray to the same God?  

Considering the work that we accomplished during our volunteering experience, we could really get a sense that our work was productive and appreciated.  First of all, taking part in the construction of the new school block gave me immense satisfaction, as we saw an empty piece of land gradually become a structure that would one day become a house of learning.  Second, our work with the children, especially the after-school program affected many positive changes in the kids.  One three-year-old girl in particular, Flora, could speak no English and very little Chichewa when we arrived.  By the end of our two-month experience, she was able to say “hello, how are you”, count to ten, list the days of the week and the months of the year.  She could also sing songs in English.  It was a real pleasure to see this young, shy girl come out of her shell and interact with us. 

Finally, and perhaps most rewarding of all, has been the wonderful opportunity to get to know kind and interesting people from many different places.  The Malawian staff at the Friendly Gecko was almost like part of our family.  We ate with them, talked with them, and even visited one of their churches.  The volunteers were so much fun to be around.  I feel as though the bond that we have developed is a lasting one.  I hope to keep these friendships for a long time to come. 

In short, our African adventure was an unqualified success.  We were able to experience so many different aspects of the African continent—from eating a humble lunch with Lifuwu villagers to staying at a luxurious resort on a tropical island.  The memories and friends that we have gained over this summer will remain with us forever, and I cannot wait to get back to the Dark Continent for another trip.  So, thank you all for following my blog. 

For those who were fans of this blog, do not fear!  I can assure you that this will not be our last adventure!

 

Our Last Day and Night in Africa

August 18^th, 2013

Well, Kim and I have made it back home, but I thought that I should write another post about the rest of our time on Zanzibar.  After Chumbe Island, we stayed one final night in Stone Town, the capital of the island.  Stone Town is a very unique city, which has ancient Swahili (African) roots, but because of its location on the spice trade routes, it was controlled at various times by Omani sultans, a British protectorate, and the Tanzanian government.  Currently, Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island associated with Tanzania.

Our hotel, the Swahili House, was quite old and quite beautiful.  It dates back to the 19^th century, when it was the private residence of one of the sultan’s families.  It has been converted into a fine hotel with real Arab and Swahili flair.  The bed was quite beautifully carved, and the hallway had very clear Arabic influences.

 

On the rooftop, there was a very nice restaurant and bar.  The Swahili House is one of the tallest buildings in Stone Town, so the restaurant had a commanding view of most of the city. 

 

One interesting thing about dining on the roof was that you could hear the adhan (Muslim call to prayer) from the loudspeakers of the mosques all around the city.  It was really quite fun to hear the first mosque begin with “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great), then ten seconds later a second mosque would start.  Soon, the whole city is filled with the cacophony of dozens of Muezzin calling the faithful to prayer.

The city of Stone Town is a stunning labyrinth of streets and alleyways that almost seem designed to confuse pedestrians.  Some of the streets are so narrow that scooters cannot even drive through.  They twist and turn so that you can lose direction quite easily.  The only way to navigate is to go vaguely by the direction of the sun, but even this is challenging, since the sun is often not visible due to the proximity of rather tall buildings along the narrow streets.  Beyond this, there are no street names posted anywhere.  I wonder how people get their mail…Here is a map of Stone Town to give you a sense of the layout of the city.  

 

This is what the streets looked like.  Notice the very beautiful headscarf that the woman is wearing in this photo.

 

The market was also a sight to behold.  Zanzibar has a very unique aroma.  The main scent is that of spices and musk.  However, at times you might smell coconut (if someone is cutting open coconuts nearby), or cooking meat, or if you’re really lucky, fresh fish sitting in the sun!  The market was really bustling with activity.  It was so fun to just stand around and watch the people in the market.  We still found the courage to haggle with some of the locals over spices.  The spices in Zanzibar are extremely good and extremely cheap.  We bought about $50 worth of saffron (in America) for around $10.  Here are a few shots of the market, but they really don’t fully capture the experience of being there, unfortunately.

 

In the afternoon, we decided to take a break from all our shopping and wandering, so we stopped in a traditional Swahili tearoom.  We had delicious spiced teas (Kim had ginger and I had cardamom), with nice pastries.  The refreshments were very good, but the ambiance really made the experience unforgettable. Here are a couple of pictures of the tearoom.  Notice the Arabic serving table and silver teapots.

 

For dinner we headed over to the Forodhani Gardens near the port. 

 

In the evenings, that area is famous for its street food.  Locals bring in their fresh catch of the day and grill it to order on skewers.  We ate rock lobster, prawns, barracuda, and clams with different flatbreads (coconut was exceptionally good) and samosas.  

 

At one point cats started to rub up against me hoping for a bite of my seafood.  Paws off my grub, kitty!

 

Our meal was accompanied by sugar cane juice mixed with lime and ginger.  For those who don’t know how this is made, there is a neat machine that grinds the sugar cane into pulp, releasing the juice, which is then collected in your cup.  Here is what the machine looks like.

 

For dessert, we had what is known as a “Zanzibari Pizza”, which is a kind of stuffed pancake.  You have your choice of different toppings for your pizza (we chose peanut butter and coconut with chocolate sauce), then they fry it on a griddle.  It was so good, because it was crunchy on the outside but gooey from the peanut butter.  Yum!

 

Before our flight on Thursday, we had time for a little more sight seeing, so Kim and I headed over to the Anglican Cathedral, which was quite close to our hotel.   

 

A little background on the church and Zanzibar: Zanzibar was for a long time a stopover for the slave trade.  Merchants who brought their slaves from the interior of Africa would bring them to Zanzibar to sell primarily to Arab sultans, who were forbidden by the Quran from enslaving Muslims.  In the 19^th Century, many British missionaries came to Africa to try and abolish the slave trade, and in 1873, Zanzibar was the last place on earth to have slavery abolished by legal mandate.  In commemoration of this, an Anglican Church was built on the original slave market.  There is a moving tribute to the victims of the slave trade in front of the church.  Here is a picture of the monument.

 

The living quarters for the clergy sit right above the slave quarters, which were stuffy, and hot, and really cramped even for ten people.  I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for 1000 people.  I guess that is why over 70% of slaves died before being brought to their final destinations.  See how much Kim was sweating after two minutes.  Just imagine living there for weeks!

 

The Church was lovely, and a potent symbol.  The altar was erected at the exact spot where the whipping post once stood.  

 

On the way back, we visited the biggest mosque on the island.  Though Islam is the primary religion on Zanzibar, it is interesting to see that the people are quite accepting of other religions.  I guess that comes from centuries of multicultural groups living together.  You can see that right behind the Anglican Church is a mosque.  I can think of no better example of how religious acceptance should be.

 

Eco-Tourism at Chumbe Island Coral Park

August 14^th, 2013

On Tuesday Kim and I went to Chumbe Island Coral Park, off the coast of Zanzibar, to experience eco-tourism.  For those who are unaware of what eco-tourism is, it is an occasion to experience natural beauty while still keeping in harmony with the planet.  The lodge where we are staying takes great strides to assure that its clients have no impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

To get to Chumbe Island, you must take an hour-long water taxi from Zanzibar.  The island itself is uninhabited.  On the island, there is a beautiful lighthouse, a one hundred year old mosque, and seven open-air bungalows.

 

Since Chumbe Island is a Marine Protected Area, the staff who work there are rangers, who conduct research on the coral and seaweed beds, educate guests, local fishermen, and students about best practices to conserve and protect land and aquatic ecosystems.

To that end, the bungalow where we stayed was a really fascinating sort of accommodation.  It was designed by German and Zanzibarian architects to have no ecological footprint.  The roof is very steep and designed to collect rainwater, which is then filtered using rocks from the island.  Each bungalow has a solar panel for heating water for showers and electricity for LED light fixtures.  Here is a picture of Kim in front of our bungalow.

 

The interior was also quite interesting, beautiful and very comfortable.  Everything in the bungalow was made from recycled materials.  The bed was upstairs, and although there was no air conditioning, it had a large window that could be opened and closed to allow wind to pass through.

 

The bathroom was also a wonder.  The toilet was a composting toilet.  Since there is no ground water on the island, the toilets are used to create compost, which is then used to fertilize the shrubbery around the bungalows.  After you use the toilet, you just have to add two scoops of compost, and that’s it.  The bathroom did not smell bad, just kind of earthy.

 

On the island was a 110-year-old mosque, which was built by the original lighthouse keeper on the island, who was an Indian Muslim.  It was a modest building, but beautiful nonetheless.

 

There were two activities led by the park rangers.  In the morning, we went snorkeling in the expansive coral beds.  There are over 200 species of coral at Chumbe Island and over 400 species of fish.  It was a truly mesmerizing experience, but unfortunately we have no underwater camera, so we have no pictures.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner were provided, and once again Zanzibarian cuisine impressed.  After our morning swim, we had plenty of different kinds of curry, grilled meats, and delicious fruits and vegetables for lunch.  We enjoyed our meals in the shade overlooking the untrammeled nature of coastal East Africa.

 

In the afternoon, we went for a walk in the jungle.  The island has its own rainforest, which is quite strange, since there is no ground water.  The plants are adapted to absorb moisture from the humid air and have very waxy leaves to hold rainwater for long periods of time.

 

At the end of our walk, we climbed to the top of the lighthouse on the island for outstanding views of Chumbe, Zanzibar, and the coral reef.  Here are two shots from the top.  You can see the eco-bungalows quite well!

 

In the afternoon, we had plenty of time for lounging around.  Kim even did some yoga on the mat that was provided in the bungalow!   

 

I walked the beach, and relaxed on one of the hammock beds nearby.

At night, we had the opportunity to walk in the jungle in search of the endangered coconut crab.  We had never heard of the creature, but evidently it is the largest species of terrestrial crab, reaching widths of over 2 feet!  They have very good senses of smell, and are adapted to climb trees in search of fresh coconuts.  They are real giants!  Here is a nice shot of one.

 

The guide even picked one up to show us how docile they are.  I took his word for it.

 

Our experience at Chumbe Island was truly eye opening.  We learned a lot about coral reefs and the sorts of dangers they faced, and enjoyed a fun-filled day and night.  It was all the more enjoyable knowing that our stay was environmentally sustainable.  Kim and I cannot recommend enough eco-tourism.  The accommodations are first rate, and the experience is truly unforgettable.

Here's one last shot of a hermit crab.  They are so cute and are found all over the island.  You see shells in the pathways, and all of a sudden they start moving!  If you're not careful you could easily step on one.

On Holiday on Zanzibar

August 12th, 2013

We have now been on holiday for three days.  It has been nice to spend a few days giving ourselves a treat after volunteering in Malawi for eight weeks.  The plane ride over here was without incident, but tiring nonetheless.  We left Lilongwe at 1:00 pm, traveled 2000 kilometers out of our way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, then back down to the island of Zanzibar on the beautiful Tanzanian coast.  We landed on Zanzibar at 3:00 am.  After finding accommodation in Stone Town, the principal city of the island, we crashed!

The next day we arrived at our hotel on the beach, the Art Hotel Zanzibar.  

 

Fortunately, two friends of ours from back in Lifuwu, Keenan and Nicola, were on Zanzibar for a holiday from their volunteering experience in Dar Es Salaam.  They met us at the beach, where we enjoyed a nice lunch and afternoon in the sun.

Now that I have been all over this island, I can say unabashedly that it is a paradise.  The beaches are absolutely stunning, with turquoise waters and fine sand beaches.  The beaches in Florida have fine sand beaches, but they don’t hold a candle to Zanzibar.  Walking on the beach here feels like stepping on sifted cake flour! 

 

If the natural beauty is not enough to convince you to come to Zanzibar, the food will get you packing your bags.  Zanzibar is known as a spice island and was a pivotal port for Arab and European spice (and slave) traders.  As such, the food is unreal—the flavors are intense, yet well balanced—and draw on the varied cultural heritage of the island.  Our breakfast table is filled with local tropical fruits and homemade flat bread called Chapati.  Here’s a picture of curried chicken with Chapati for dinner.

 

The culture on the island is quite unique; it has a vibrant mix of Arab, Indian, and African influences.  Back in Toronto on Yonge Street, there is a “gentlemen’s club” (strip club) called “the Zanzibar”. I find that name quite ironic and somewhat misguided, since the Zanzibari people are very traditional Muslims, and the women all wear hijabs and full-length robes.  I’m sure they would love to know what people in Toronto think Zanzibar is really like.  The people are truly, exceptionally warm and friendly, which only adds to Zanzibar’s many charms.

 

On Sunday, Kim and I booked a sailing excursion to the outer reef.  The beach here is really amazing, since the reef prevents the surf from crashing too much at shore.  The water remains quite shallow for over a mile out to sea, which means that the tides here are very dramatic.  A two or three foot tide will send water inland over a mile!  Also, because the water is so shallow, and the sand is so white, the water is very warm.  Even though it is technically winter here, the water is in no way unpleasant to swim in.

 

We went snorkeling around the coral, went for a walk to the barrier reef caught octopuses, and enjoyed a nice sail back to the beach.  We saw so many fish, anemones, starfish, and sea urchins.  It seems that the people here don’t eat sea urchin, because no one was fishing for them.  I wonder if they know that one sea urchin costs $8.00 back in the United States…There were so many, you really had to watch your step!  In this shot, you can see Kim holding a starfish—those black spots in the photo are sea urchins.  

 

Holding an octopus is really strange.  They are really slippery, but their arms have suction cups that hold onto you really tight.  Here is a shot of me holding one—notice the ink all over my hands. 

 

In the evening, we enjoyed a meal outside at our hotel, watching the stars and relaxing. 

Today, we had a very full day.  At 6:30 am, we were picked up to go to another part of the island where there are dolphins.  Our guide took us out on a boat with our snorkeling gear, and we got to swim with the dolphins.  They are really hard to photograph, since they move so fast, but here was our best effort at getting a shot of them.

 

Unfortunately, Kim had seasickness on the boat, but she still got to swim with the dolphins a little bit.  I, on the other hand, was so close to them on a couple of occasions that I could almost reach out and touch them.  It’s funny, but even though we were snorkeling at 7:30 in the morning, because Zanzibar is so close to the Equator, the water was still comfortably warm.

After swimming with the dolphins, Kim and I went to Jozani forest, an old-growth jungle on the island of Zanzibar.  

 

 It is a national park and the only place in the world where you can see the Red Colobus Monkey.  There are only 2350 left in the wild, so they are quite rare.  However, they are also quite friendly.  I got within one foot of this one, isn’t he cute!

 

Part of the tour of Jozani forest included a mangrove swamp.  Mangroves help protect the island from erosion and from tsunamis.  They are really strange ecosystems: the plants thrive in salt water, and you can see crabs and other aquatic animals really far inland.

 

Finally, Kim and I visited an animal preserve.  Part of the project involved protecting and releasing green sea turtles, which are highly endangered due to (Asian) black market demand for turtle meat for soup, among other things.  Here’s a shot of a sea turtle.

 

Then, we went to another part of the park, where they raise some other endangered species.  They had a tiny species of antelope native to Zanzibar, several species of turtle, monitor lizards, and even a rock python, which Kim was very eager to hold.  Look how excited she was to handle a live snake!

 

That is our Zanzibarian holiday so far in a nutshell.  Stay tuned for the second half of our stay here on Zanzibar.