Hello from Corn Island, it’s Monday and after a month long absense from things that still matter; it’s time to get back on track. The photo is from a ride I took on a traditional dhow from Zanzibar to Pangani. Pangani is along the coast of Tanzania across from Zanzibar and through a chance meeting at some messed up barbershop; I ended up living outside it in Kikokwe(sp?) for a few weeks in early 2011.
Those weeks were some of the best of my life; when I left I helped a massive straight edge Masai guy buy a house for $100. He had saved $40 of his $50/month wage so I gave him $60; it was roughly a 1/4 acre not far from the ocean. Granted the roof was collapsing and there was no water pipes or electricity for miles; still a good deal I reckon. This guy only worked out and was the private security guard / right hand man of the guy running the show. Turns out boss man left and it was just me and the work camp for weeks.
The main ferry to get to Zanzibar leaves from Dar Es Salaam which is known to most as Dar Es Slum if they have been there. It’s one of the few cities in the world that I never want to go back to and I hope you don’t have to visit it yourself. I needed to visit the embassy so I spent some time there and it’s a dodgy place; as dodgy as anywhere I’d been / have been.
So dodgy I wouldn’t get in a cab; walked everywhere.
Long story short, I had no desire whatsoever of returning there and came across this option going direct to Pangani. The dhow leaves every few days and it makes the 42km trip from Zanzibar to Pangani in a few hours. I was off to Lushoto before heading back to Arusha so it just made sense. It was also a unique experience and one of the more memorable ones yet.
Will always remember that about a mile out this speedboat came up and dropped off a big old cardboard box and then sped off again as fast as it came. The water was crystal clear and the rest of the passengers and crew onboard were super chilled out. They used to go only by sail but these days they have a motor as well and it was a mix between the two. What’s cool is there is an island on the way that you can see at lowtide but it disappears at high tide.
The dhow drops you in Pangani which used to be a big slave trading hub, not much going on there these days but lots of dilapatated buildings and the like. It’s a small place and I became a known character by the name of “Mr. Avocado” as I’d order avocado smoothies from this gent by the seaside in egregious quanitities. It was my only “escape” from living at a work camp isolated from everything and sleeping in a cashew tree fort; I’d buy countless and ensure anyone whose company I was enjoying was enjoying one as well.
Zanzibar… It’s even nicer than it sounds and love Stone Town.
Click here for the full story.
Comments »