My Honeymoon with Julie Ita!

Greetings from Nairobi! Arrived safe & well last night! Now to catch up on the last few days in Zanzibar...

After our first night in Stone Town, Julie and I checked into the luxurious all-inclusive Mapenzi Beach Club (Mapenzi means "Love" in Swahili). I'd never done the all-inclusive resort thing before: get a wrist band at check in, never leave the property, have unlimited access to activities (archery, aerobics, volleyball games, pool & ping pong tables, snorkeling equipment, etc.), a huge staff on hand to meet every need, a bar within arm's reach at all times, fresh towels waiting whenever you need one, nightly entertainment on the "main stage," etc. It was sorta like being on a cruise ship, and definitely felt like a place built for honeymooners. Thank goodness, Jules and I met far more PLUs than honeymooners!

Our first big adventure was a snorkeling trip. There were four other guests on the boat, all Brits, who later told us they were less than pleased when they learned "two Yanks" would be joining their boat. Thankfully, they also told us we won them over and changed their impression of "Yanks"....whew! The first pair was a spunky older couple, Jean & Martin. They have three grown kids, and were an absolute riot -- drank us all under the table! The other pair were single girls our same age, Shelly & Deb, and we all had so much fun together. Although Jean and Martin still insist I am the loudest person they've ever met, and swear they've never heard anyone actually talk through a snorkel while under water before....OOPS...guess I was scaring off the fish! :) After we returned to shore, we made camp at the beach bar and enjoyed some beers together. Around 3 or so, Jules and I headed off to grab a bite of lunch...the Brits decided to make it a "liquid lunch" day, and stayed at the bar!

After lunch, Julie and I met a rowdy group of six young South Africans, and joined their fun game of Poker Dice. We wound up staying with them through dinner, and then we all tore it up on the dance floor (the evening's entertainment was a great band)...all the while, the four fun Brits were still in the bar! :)

The next day, my two favorite Overlanders, Steve & Erin, joined us at Mapenzi (they'd continued on an Overlanding truck from Vic Falls, and had just arrived in Zanzibar). I was so glad it worked out that we could all see each other again -- we have so much silly fun together, and Jules could finally meet these people I'd been telling camping stories about. We had a great afternoon on the beach, and after a somewhat odd Massai tribal performance, we tore it up on the ping pong table -- watch out!

I can't say that much about our time at Mapenzi was uniquely "African," but it was a great beach holiday with many fun new friends who I know Julie and I will stay in touch with in the years to come!

Mere

P.S. -- For those who know Julie Ita, ask her if she knows how to swim next time you see her! :)