Dar El Salaam and Stone Town Zanzibar

After a 10 hour bus ride from Moshi to Dar El Salaam I can't watch another Tanzanian directed movie or music video. I'd rather watch Jackie Chan's Tuxedo (my former worst movie) or even Gigli!...actually I take that last part back.

Arrived late in Dar without any accommodation. Luckily I found a room in the city center for only $10/night. Only caveats were it was in the alley of an alley, I was the only non-Tanzanian client in the past month (I actually scanned through the months registry history), and I shared my room with all the insects Tanzania has to offer. Other than that it was a very comfortable room, slept soundly. Maybe I'm getting too used to the backpacker lifestyle.

The ride from the city center to the Zanzibar ferry was interesting. There were 70 people on a bus meant for 30, plus me and my hiking bag. Literally felt like I was in a clown bus. Definitely the only non-local brave enough to withstand the body heat and lack of personal space. But not only did I get some local flavor, I saved myself 10,000 shillings by not taking a taxi (bus cost only 250 shillings). Wish I had taken a picture...but not enough room to get my camera out.

Stone Town on Zanzibar was so relaxing and chill, much needed. Street food was so tasty: fresh seafood skewers, a variety of "pizzas", and sugarcane juice.

A tour of the East Coast of Zanzibar led to swimming with dolphins, both Bottlenose and Humpback, in the Indian Ocean. Amazing creatures but such teases. They'd wait for you to catch up and just as you'd reach out to touch them they'd dart off.