Hakuna Matata

And I thought that was a Disney invention - but it does mean no worries, no problem. Easy to say when youre facing a gorgeous, secluded beach with enormous palm trees tilted just enough to give you shade, on a white sand beach, with very few people around.

So 600 bucks and a day long ferry boat ride later, i'm in Zanzibar with these two ladies. You can probably read about the more raucus times on Paige's blog, as she's sitting next to me updating it right now and doing a good job at keeping herself entertained. Do check. (www.xanga.com/lostinthelevant)

I dont think I ever want to leave this island. But alas, Arusha and the Serengeti await us on Sunday ( life is so difficult!).

So here's a quick recap of things beyond Nairobi. We took an allnighter to Mombasa, which was very, very uncomfortable. We cut our stay there by one night, moving on to Dar Es Salaam. But Mombasa was our first coastal town and it felt like I left Africa - at least the Africa of Uganda and Rwanda. Suddenly I was hearing Amr Diab in coffee shops and eating Biryani.

Mombasa was nice, but if youre planning a trip don't do more than one night, it's tiny. We spent a long day wandering the streets of the old city and checking out the Old Fort, I had my first baby coconut (they actually have a name but who remembers these thing) - after drinking the milk you can carve the flesh out with a spoon it's so soft.

In Mombasa we found quite a few Shi'as. Gul sought them out, tracked the nearest Julus down (it was Ashura season...) and so we went to that. For those of you who don't know - these are the ten days where Shi'as commemorate and mourn the killing of Hussein and his family at the battle of Karbala. The point is you're supposed to wear black, and everyone was wearing black. Paige and I follow Gul into this mosque with our heads covered (respectively) in a bright pink sarong and a Hatta - dirty feet, flip flops, and maybe a little too much leg. We turned some heads, needless to say.

So word on the street in Mombasa was that the night of Ashura is much better in Dar, where there is a Shi'a community of about 12,000 - so we reshuffled our itinerary, got on the next bus to Dar, and made it to the march. This time i wore black and managed to blend in somewhat - unless Paige was right next to me flashing her camera and her arms (head covered, arms bare). The procession was all men, and the women were on the side. In other words, it was an amazing meat market - coastal men are totally hot, lots of mixed blood as Arabs and Indians have been here for generations. Gul managed to get a couple marriage proposals and I wished I could speak Urdu. But when that plan failed Paige and I just hung our heads and searched for the nearest watering hole while Gul went to pray some.

Of course, our encounters with Israelis on ferrys and in Dar Es Salaam's "Subway" (yes, the sandwich shop) continue to provide much entertainment. I have repeatedly proven my skills at spotting them from a mile away (literally, sometimes) and deserve some kind of award.

Me: Paige, these two are Israeli, they're from Raanana!
Paige: Hi! did you guys just finish your military service?
Israeli: Yes, just a few months ago
Paige: So uhh... did you get a chance to visit Lebanon this summer?

Smoothe, Paige. Smoothe.

PS: Happy Birthday Dad!