Monday, January 17
I manage to catch up on my swimming in the morning. Our hotel is paid up, and we have just
enough cash left to go into town and shop for more souvenirs. All of us except Caroline
that is, who as the first and only person on this trip, has managed to pick up some sort
of stomach ailment (not counting my own altitude problems), and stays in bed.
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A particularly nice alley in Stone Town
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It is a beautiful morning, and we have time to waste and I can spare $12. That's all
I can spend too, because, of course, nobody takes plastic. These people don't even know
what a goldmine of potential impulse buys they are missing! After diligent shopping, I end
up with a very good carved buffalo, a pretty good elephant, another lesser elephant thrown
in to close a deal, and a carved letter opener. These items, together, set me back $11.
Bruce has offered to have the hotel minibus take us back to the airport for $10. We
agressively wave away the tip-hungry porters homing in on our bags, and carry them ourselves
for the 20m to the checkin counter.
Our flight this time is on Kenya Airways in an older (but clean) Boeing 727-200.
The pilot announces that those on the left side of the plane will see Mt. Kilimanjaro as
we will fly right by it. So that, of course, is where I sit, but for viewing Zanzibar
it is the wrong side and I don't see Stone Town, or Fuji Beach where our hotel is.
We do, indeed, fly right past Kilimanjaro and photograph it. I am a happy camper because
the flight serves lunch, and when I asked for a vodka and orange juice, they brought
me two.
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Kilimanjaro from the air
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In Nairobi, we get off on external stairways again, just like last time. Our stopover
is nine hours. We while it all away in the terminal building. We had considered leaving
the airport to go to the famous "Carnivore" restaurant and - this is Africa - without even
mentioning that to anyone, three different transportation consultants offer us taxi deals on
just that. Our bags will sit in the baggage handling area for hours, and a camera was
stolen out of Yi's bag since she checked it in in Zanzibar, so I reinstall the little
travel padlocks. All my valuable stuff is in my knapsack anyway, and that never leaves
my sight.
Pu rejoins us now. He has spent an enjoyable three days on the mainland, socializing
with the family of David (our cook on the safari), staying at the YMCA in Moshi, going
on some more tours, and taking the overland bus back to Nairobi (at half price - everything
is negotiable here).
All pictures for this day
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