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| Saturday, 31 July 2010 |
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Home  Musings Chumbe Island |
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We’ll always have Chumbe Island! Over spring break we had a fabulous
visit from our friends Helen, Steve, Mickey and Marlene. They spent a
couple of days in Dar with us, went on safari and then flew to Zanzibar
to spend six days with us there.
As they were our first visitors, I was extra nervous about wanting
things to go right. While I normally read the guidebooks and my
numerous travel magazines thoroughly, I really pored over them to find
the right place to take them on Zanzibar. When I read in National
Geographic Traveler Magazine that Chumbe Island National Park had
scored Number Two in Eco-Tourist Resorts in the World, I thought that I
had finally hit the nail on the head. The guidebooks all backed up this
notion. So I called and made reservations for four bungalows on
fabulous Chumbe Island. It was really expensive - let’s call it a ‘huge
investment’ - but I was thinking, “once of a lifetime experience!” I
had hit the nail on the head again, in many respects!
After three nights at the Embassy house where we had some great meals
and toured Stonetown and other parts of the island, we went to the
beach to be picked up for our trip to Chumbe. It was a dark and stormy
day . . . . .when the boat pulled up. We were issued shoes made from
radial tires for wading out to the boat through the muck and sand and
water and reeds and then finally clambered onto it. The sea was choppy
and the wind was high as we all huddled under the awning and tried to
look cheerful. We set out with several Tanzanians and lots of food
supplies (that at least was a relief!). Slowly we made our way there,
no one wanting to ask THE question: “Are there any life vests on this
decrepit boat?” An hour later we saw off in the distance the island and
its famous landmark, the main gathering place, which is loftily
described by all as a mini-replica of the Sydney Opera House. And it
is, only covered with thatch and not a window or door in sight.
Upon our arrival we were sat down to be instructed about the strict
rules regulating behavior in a National Park as we sipped ice cold
avocado juice. We were given the schedule for the day to include lunch
and an afternoon snorkel then cocktails and dinner. I was beginning to
feel more hopeful. Then they showed us to our cabanas as the rain came
pouring down. Imagine Gilligan’s Island. Throw in a bit of Swiss Family
Robinson. Pepper with the latest eco-tourism technology including
composting toilet, low voltage lighting and hot running water.
Honestly, if I’d been on a camping trip I would have thought that this
was really cool. But all I could think was, I’m paying three hundred
dollars and my mattress is on the floor and there is no fan!?!?
Naturally we had to get the very attractive and almost naked park
ranger who had wrestled our 150 pounds worth of bags to get us two cold
beers on the double. Upon his return, we curled up in hammock and couch
on our open verandah, found our books and considered our situation
carefully. Hey, this isn’t so bad after all!
Charm? Yes, the place oozed charm. Each bungalow named for a different
endangered animal with a picture of the animal drawn into the cement
floors with tile. Would Ginger have been happy here? Ginger would have
been most happy with the delicious food served, of course, in the mini
Sydney Opera House. How about Mr. and Mrs. Huddleston? Aaaah, yes, they
would have been quite at home come cocktail hour sipping any one of a
wide variety of sinful concoctions WITH ice! Something for the
Professor? But of course and that was probably the most fun was to see
how this place was put together. You would untie a rope and pull and
suddenly the entire side of the bedroom opened up to the ocean. Each
bungalow has its own filtration system of charcoal and sand and shells
to clean and store the water for its occupants. And Gilligan and the
Skipper could have spent hours up in the top of the lighthouse looking
for ships passing by to come rescue them. But I suspect it would have
been the ever so Earth Mother Mary Ann who would have been the
happiest. The snorkeling was absolutely wonderful.
We had four great snorkels while were there and also a wonderful hike
around the island where we saw some very active and colorful wildlife.
The view from the lighthouse really was grand. The kids played endless
games of bridge and the adults had lots of downtime. On the sunny
return to the main island things really seemed much brighter but oh how
we were looking forward to a night with air conditioning. Note to
self—never try eco-tourism in hot season!
Our day in Stonetown was terrific. Several of us managed some serious
shopping. Ironically, much of the stuff that is sold on Zanzibar is
made in India or Indonesian. They pull off those labels and sell it for
lots more with the new Zanzibar labels in the back. However, those
clothes just look like they should be from Zanzibar in my Vogue fashion
magazine mind. How is that all these gauzy see-through blouses and
colorful pareos looks so well-placed and comfortable in a city where
90% of the women are dressed from head to toe in black? Beats me but
now you have an idea of what you might see under the Christmas tree!
Celebrated my 45th birthday dinner by dividing into age groups—the kids
dining on pizza al fresco and el cheapo and the adults going to the
Serena Inn for one of the nicest meals I’ve had in a long time. It was
really delicious and a great way to end a super vacation with our
friends. We’ll look back and we’ll always have Chumbe Island!
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Heard This? |
Kuishi kwingi ni kuona mengi.
=
To live long is to see much. |
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