Waking up every morning to the sounds of crashing waves might be one of our favorite things. Brian, not being a morning person AT ALL, woke up with such ease in our sun-lit, sea-breezed room. I was loving it! We even woke up to catch a couple sunrises (video below). Our daily routines were simple but glorious
Anyone who knows me knows that while I love the beach, I'm not really a beachy person. I get restless sunbathing, I don't love getting in the ocean, and I despise seagulls (oh god, I'm getting a flashback to that horrible day at the Ferry Building in SF with Brit when a Seagull landed on my head and snatched my $5 waffle right from my hands). So while I was happy to welcome a week of relaxation, I also needed a little adventure.
When we were researching which part of the island to spend our week long retreat we knew we wanted three things: a beautiful beach bungalow, as few tourists as possible, and a white sand, turquoise water beach. We picked the eastern side of the island and opted for Matemwe, which is a little further north. Both the north and south parts of the island have more of a, "beach resort" vibe and are known for their full moon parties, something Brian and I had zero interest in (32 going on 65 apparently). So, Matemwe felt like the perfect choice, plus Brendan and Brit stayed there as well. Bonus points! After searching through AirBnB, (sorry, Parker! I tried Homeaway too!) I found a fifteen room property called Panga Chumvi and asked if they could work with our budget. It never hurts to ask, and I'm so glad I did! They were kind enough to waive the second person fee bringing the grand total to $60 a night (including breakfast and free WiFi, which was the best we've had so far)!
Thirsty for beer, Brian and I decided to explore the wandering streets of Stone Town. Even in the dark, the narrow, windy streets reminded me of that game we played as a child. You know the one with the marble in the square box with all the wooden paths and holes haunting your path to the finish line using two round knobs on either side to lean the platform this way and that? A wooden labyrinth transformed into a tiny town.
The next three days were pure bliss (as far as bliss in a prison-esq cell can go). We agreed we probably could have tolerated one more night, (as long as we had more snackies of course) but we're grateful we arrived on time. We joined all the locals for traditional meals of nshima (a Zambian staple made from maize flour), relish, and your choice of chicken or beef for lunch and dinner, drank the train dry of Kilimanjaros (local beer) while partying at the bar. I even managed to get pawned off to the bartender for free beers by a local woman who kept telling me, "Marriage, no matter!"