Imagine...

You're lying on the beach, the sun is directly overhead and the air is a scorching 34 degrees. White sands stretch for miles on either direction and the sea is a turquoise blue colour. The water is 29 degrees and you can wade out for 100m and still only have it come up to your knees. The wind is blowing from the North carrying a cooling breeze and the coconut palms are swaying back and forward with it, making a relaxing sound. You can see and hear the waves crashing on the coral about 500m out. There isn't another person in sight and you have the whole beach to yourself...

Welcome to Paje - allegedly the ninth best beach in the world...

Alright, I admit the soul purpose of that was to make everyone at home jealous, but it truly was the most amazing beach I have ever been to.

We got the dala dala over to Jambiani on Friday (it was pretty horendous - some old guy next to me was taking up 2 seats and not budging at all, also a chicken was present and laid an egg half-way through the journey!) and stayed in a place called Dhow Beach Village.

The owner - Eddy - proceeded to tell us about how when he 'becomes' president of Zanzibar his first acts will be to legalise Cannabis and give Zanzibar independence from mainland Tanzania. He also came out with some random phrases down and then like 'because the sky is very high' and 'life is easy is you're busy (it rhymes if you say it african style!), but crazy is you're lazy'. Totally random.

Tina and I have put lemon juice in our hair in an attempt to lighten it - it's worked a treat in mine! I'm pretty burnt, however, and presently look something like a slimey raspberry due to the copious amounts of aftersun I have applied.

Leaving Jambiani, we went to Paje, after a natter with the local children - I managed to learn a fair bit of Swahili from them. The place where we stayed was amazing if majorly over-priced. This is where I think I'll do my scuba diving course in 2 weeks time - I seriously can't wait!

Back in Stone Town now, where it's dinner time, and I'm off to get some more lobster, Zanzibar pizza, coconut naan or whatever culinary treat takes my fancy...

Lala salama rafiki... x