Doing things differently

by Ursula Mokoma (South Africa)

I didn't expect to find Tanzania

My girl pals and I recently decided that we’re going to form a traveling sisterhood group that takes trips together, one of which has to be an international destination each year. The decision came about as a sigh of frustration with the standard celebration of birthdays and other big achievements of theme parties, cake, guest list drama and braaing of meat of course. Same old, same old. The new decade had to be different. So, travel it was! Our first destination? The dreamy island of white sands, Zanzibar. With no further contemplation, we began to search for accommodation, suitable dates and flights. We landed greeted by the heat of the island and warm greetings from the locals. The airport staff on the ground were not as formal as I am accustomed to back at home. We were ushered through border control and my excitement was through the roof. I had no sight of the dreamy white sands as yet, but my anticipation was mount. I was not even bothered so much by the heavy hot air. As we headed through arrivals, our host was waiting for us readily, showed us to our bus and off we went. As we passed through the town, it was nothing like I imagined. Simple. Underprivileged. Unpretentious. Hawkers one the sides of the road, selling mainly fresh fruit and other consumables. Similar to some of the informal markets in Johannesburg. The roads however, were narrow and we didn’t seem to be driving in a straight line. Cyclists carrying all sorts of goods were also on the road maneuvering around cars and potholes. Luscious trees swishing by. This scenery was nothing like I imagined. The villa that we booked was about thirty minutes away and at this stage I couldn’t reconcile the luxurious images that were shown on their website with the town. I knew we were approaching our destination when we turned into a smaller, bumpy road. As we move slowly in the winding dirt road my eyes are peeled. The bus stops outside a wooden door and our driver announces that we’ve arrived. Hurriedly, we rush out as the door is opened for us and there it is. The exact villa we had seen on the site. So inconspicuous. Running through each of the rooms, each individually decorated and designed, Joya was beautiful. The ocean views captivating from the deck. A hidden gem. Some of the locals could be seen walking down the beach, on the dreamy white sands just as I thought they would be. Small fishing boats were floating on the water as if they were ornaments. So much so that it was surprising that the scenery behind us was very different. What I didn’t expect to find on this beautiful, unpretentious island is the harmonious and peaceful energy in the atmosphere. No hurried city bustles. No corporate suits. No skyscrapers. No smog-filled skies. This was pure peace. A refreshingly relaxed environment with its sparkling waters and clear skies. Our villa was not surrounded by security guards, large boom gates nor electric fences. Yet, I’ve never felt safer. The way and quality of life on the island had me questioning the real purpose of life. The corporate craze of chasing deadlines, endless board meetings, investor roadshows and rat race of the city is surely not connected to the essence of life. What appealed to me even more was the diet on the island. Fresh fruit, picked and chopped daily on a platter. Fresh fish, lobster and prawns; also freshly prepared. I could live like this forever. This was such an amazing experience for all of us that we are planning our next trip and we have decided that this will be an annual affair. Seeing a different world from our own has given us a new lease on life. Zanzibar, however, was much more to me than the island with dreamy white sands I had first imagined. The awe of that little island touched my soul.