Matemwe, Zanzibar (posted subsequently)

The taxi ride from Stone Town to Matemwe was beautiful; the three of us were pretty much silent, just watching out the window as we passed through small towns in the interior of the island on our way to the eastern coast. We turned onto a sandy dirt road and eventually we started seeing signs that said Matemwe but we continued on this dirt road for what felt like forever, passing through a local village but seeing only a few tourist type accommodations. I began to wonder where on earth this hotel was and since I had chosen it, I hoped that it wouldn’t disappoint. We reached a tall gate that bordered the village and waited for someone inside to open up. After a few honks and a lot of waiting someone finally showed up to let us in. It wasn’t the warmest of welcomes and the vibe was a little off; it was hard to place, the resort was really quiet, not another soul in sight. And while the prospect of a pool was wonderful and the room was pretty nice, the restaurant was formal and deserted and not at all appealing. Um, and there was no bar. We inquired about the bar and were told he could buy us a few beers in town or we could walk down the beach to check out the bar at other locations. Hmmm…

Judith was quick to point out that we should just pay for the first night and we set off for a stroll down the beach in search of a frosty beverage. I had heard about the beauty of Zanzibar’s beaches and had wondered how they would compare to Madagascar. The water was similar, an inviting crystal clear, light aqua color - but the sand! The sand was unbelievable. Not just white sand but soft and powdery - like walking in flour! We didn’t have to walk far, we passed a local soccer game that had drawn a large crowd from the village and looked up to see a large hut with Bob Marley playing and a smiling Rastafarian dancing and beckoning us from the doorway. I couldn’t resist and said we should at least pop in for a beer. There were a few men inside the hut, one behind the bar and the rest seated around a table watching a soccer game on TV. Everyone greeted us warmly and we were ushered to a table where they were quick to bring us cold beers. 

After a little conversation we asked if they knew of a place in the area that had rooms available. Our hosts were happy to let us know that they had bungalows available on site! The owner, Ally Keys as he called himself, showed us some rooms, we made a deal and we decided to move into our new room the next morning before we headed off for our snorkeling trip! We spent the afternoon relaxing and getting to know our new friends and even had a delicious dinner (of perfectly cooked octopus) at Keys’ Bungalows.

I planned our snorkeling trip to Mnemba for the morning because my experience and everything I’ve ever heard was that snorkeling/diving conditions are best in the morning. I didn’t factor in the extremely low tide at Matemwe which required that our boat driver to hop out fairly often and pull the boat through especially low water areas. I kept having visions of him spearing a foot on the sea urchin that were literally everywhere but he was an experienced local and thankfully made it through without any incident. We finally reached the gap in the reef and were able to get the motor up to full speed and blast out towards the picture perfect island of Mnemba. I was confused why we were veering away from the island until our guide pointed out the group of dolphins nearby. 

He asked if we wanted to swim with them and before I could even say yes I was scrambling to put on my fins and my mask. The water was quite deep but was still incredibly clear. It was just wide open water and the dolphins swam around this general area, allowing snorkelers and divers to swim with them. With GoPro in hand I took my first stab at underwater video and my first take was of the group, two of which were mating! The group would rise to the surface to breath and swim along the surface for a while before they would again dive deep below. I was able to keep up with them along the surface as they swam deep below me. I counted seven dolphins; five adults and two babies that swam just below their mothers. As they began to rise again, I maintained my speed and then suddenly realized that our paths were about to intersect. I was startled by their size as I drew closer to the group. I had been in water with dolphins once before in the Florida Keys - but only with two trained dolphins, not a group of seven wild dolphins in the open ocean.

I didn’t panic, but did feel a bit conflicted. I was amazed at the experience of being able to swim so close to them, I could hear their chirps and squeaks in the water, and as they continued to rise I considered that I was close enough that I might be able to touch one. I wondered what would happen if I did touch one, would it be upset? Would it just flick it’s tail knowing that it could swim far faster than I could? Would it turn and swim towards me to chase me off? I couldn’t imagine that it would attack me but it certainly could, especially given the two babies in the group. These considerations were at odds with my desire to feel their smooth skin as they swam by me and in the moment of truth I reached out tentatively but didn’t swim any faster and they skimmed along just out of reach - probably all for the best. You can watch this video HERE.

I swam along behind them and occasionally above them taking a few more videos and photos until I grew tired from trying to maintain their pace, knowing that there was still snorkeling ahead. It was an awe inspiring experience to be so close to them especially because they were allowing it. They could have easily swam away, but they allowed me to observe them gliding along so close to them. We continued on to the nearby reef and enjoyed a few more rounds of snorkeling with the incredibly vibrant tropical fish. It’s too easy to lose track of time diving under the water to follow another beautiful specimen here and there. Time, sun, hydration… all quickly forgotten. I’m used to being the last one to get back on the boat; almost every snorkeling trip I’ve ever been on I tend to linger in the water and this was just the same. 

Our guide cracked open young coconuts for us and we quenched our thirst with legit coconut water and then scraped out the sweet soft flesh from the inside. Next was pineapple and some watermelon, all freshly chopped with our skipper’s machete and handed around the small boat. Laying on the bough to dry off in the sun after our little rehydration snack, it was bliss, the motion of the boat, the perfection of the water, the sun, the salt. Even our trip back, I know I will never forget the feeling of those boats in Madagascar and Zanzibar, skimming across the most beautiful pristine water I’ve ever had the fortune to swim in; every which way I’d turn was another postcard worthy landscape, I felt bliss and lived purely in the moment, savoring it, knowing that it was temporary but something I hope I can hold onto forever.

Matemwe is a beautiful beach, despite the fact that it isn’t terribly swim-able. There is a large reef off the shore so low tide is quite low, revealing sea urchins colonies almost everywhere. I asked if anyone ate them but apparently uni is not a normal part of the local diet. Perhaps they are a different varietal than the delicious specimens I’ve had. If it was edible I’m sure they would have eaten it; the village Keys’ resort was nestled into was a fishing village and as the tide came in midday so too did the fisherman, sailing in on their dhow, handmade sails billowing in the wind, to sell their catch at the portico next door. Everything from snapper to octopus and squid to sea slugs, if it was edible it was caught and for sale.

We were undecided what to do for our last full day in Matemwe; Judith was itching to do something as she’s not one to sit still for long. Jennifer was content to explore more of the island and the bartender had offered to take Jennifer where-ever she would like to go. We joked that he was going to propose to her if he got her away from us. I had every intention of staying put at Keys and doing a bit of relaxing and working. I wanted to explore the fish market and I had seen a job posting at a big Portland company that was of great interest. The tricky part was that this application process required a video submission in order to be considered. That is certainly one way to narrow down the number of applications! I was to intrigued to let the opportunity pass by but also in a quandary for how to produce a decent video with my limited means in Africa. It was me and my MacBook Air and whatever little spiel I could come up with and I hoped that the viewers would give me a little extra leeway when I disclosed the circumstances. I spent a good portion of the day trying to figure out how to approach this project and twiddling with my laptop in the breezy shade of the main bungalow.

When the fishing boats came in one of the locals came by and asked me if I was interested in seeing the catch. He escorted me out to the boats where I got to see the assortment of beautifully fresh fish they caught. The sea slugs were curious looking and something I’ve never tried. Lots of the young local boys beat the freshly caught octopus into the sand with sticks of driftwood to tenderize them. For the most part the locals ignored me, moving around me as if I was invisible, eager to make their sales and then get on with their day. I hoped that Keys Resort would be buying some of that octopus so I could have some for dinner that evening!

I returned to the main bungalow to resume my work but before long an elderly local man wandered in, fascinated by my laptop. He was hardly the first, quite a few of the locals peered at me and my laptop curiously. I waved him over and we took a few photos together on the Photo Booth application which fascinated him. He didn’t know English and I didn’t know much Swahili but we were able to communicate a little through gestures. I showed him the video of the dolphins and he was amazed and entertained. It was a pretty special memory sharing these new-fangled technologies with that sweet man.

That last night was bittersweet. Jennifer and Judith returned from their adventures, having taken what sounded like a very interesting dalla dalla ride in the back of a pick-up truck version. They had fun and enjoyed getting out for the day and I made some progress with my project so we were prepared to enjoy our last evening with a nice seafood dinner, cold beers, and a few Konyagi and sodas. Konyagi is a clear flavorless liquor like vodka that is common all over Tanzania and Zanzibar. It’s sold in pouches (like Capri Sun!) or bottles and is one of the reasons that when police stop a dalla dalla they always check the driver’s breath - apparently it’s not unusual for them to pour Konyagi into a water bottle, which would certainly explain the driving!

Ally had promised us a bonfire on the beach for our last night and true to his word, Simba built us an awesome one! We dragged chairs out from the restaurant and sat around the fire. At first it seemed like they just expected us to sit alone there but we insisted they join us, all of the chefs and staff that had made our stay so fun. Ally was of course ready to join, already quite buzzed. Everyone eventually floated out and we learned a typical Swahili song about being welcome to Tanzania, or in this case Matemwe. We sang and giggled and toasted to each other (Maisha marefu!) and talked about our local traditions. They had never heard of marshmallows and I promised to send them some so they could roast them on a future bonfire. Ally insisted on finding a star for each of us in the sky; the sky was so black and the stars were brilliant, and I still laugh when I look at the photo I took of Simba and Ally huddled together with Ally pointing out which group of stars we were.

Eventually we all drifted off to bed; Jennifer and I returned to our bungalow as Judith has already turned in earlier. We joked about this being the last night we would need to listen to Fred, who I haven’t mentioned yet. The big beautiful teak bed I slept in apparently was the home to a couple of woodworms. I could hear them at night and I named the loudest Fred. You can’t really see them, they are deeply burrowed into the wood but he was so loud! It sounded like constant gnawing but it sounded like he must have huge teeth! I even googled woodworms to see if I could get an idea of what his teeth looked like but googling bugs is never a very good idea. Judith was horrified and said that she never would have been able to sleep in that bed with Fred chomping away. Once I realized they weren’t going to come crawling out on me I was able to ignore them, although I preferred for Fred to hold off on munching until I at least fell asleep.

I will always remember my friends at Keys’ Bungalows and I hope that one day we do meet again. They were a sweet group of men, genuine and sincerely welcoming. They even cared for a momma cat and her two little kittens in the back hallway of the main bungalow. They took such good care of us and in an usual way it makes me think of the movie The Beach. It wasn’t the crazy party scene Leonardo DiCaprio had when he finally arrived at the beach. That’s hardly the kind of scene we were looking for. But it was a pretty magical place; I can imagine giving up a lot of in exchange for the simplicity, kindness and joy of the people I met in Matemwe.