mosaic in zanzibar
I was really not ready to leave south africa when i headed for the renowned paradise island off the coast of tanzania. I was on my own for the first time after 2 months of travel in Uganda, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. however, I was ready to stay in one place for a good chunk of time and work on some form of project.
I cant say exactly why i picked Zanzibar as my next port of call. There was a project that had caught my eye months before i left that was building a healing centre. It was the beginning of her project and she said it was walking distance to the beach. she needed someone to build things and as i wanted to improve my diy skills i thought it would be a great oppurtunity to develop those skills with intervals of relaxing on the beach in paradise. she would be away for the summer so i would have the place to myself - even better. i still remember the fantasy I had of it.
One thing ive never been very adept in is research and planning. I dont know if its becasue i like surprises or if i’m addicted to propelling myself into the unknown but i will never make the mistake again of not researching the weather before i go someone. I was there for april-may. the only month ofthe year where there is monsoon season.
one of the cats that we adopted/that wouldnt leave the property was amita. i did not like amita. she was so needy and clingy and was always there wherever i turned. although she was a life line for my fremch friend there whos room was worse than mine, no security, no windows, bare concrete walls and floor. a matress on the floor. a few weeks into her arrival, i suddenly grew fond of her. she was docile, calm and so naturally cuddles began. it wasnt til a few days later that imma began to notice her dribbling. rabies. the cat had rabies. and i chad been snuggling up to her in very close proximity. at first i wastn too concerned as no bite had been had, i had no open cuts her siliva could have seeped into and no symptoms. so i quickly forgot about it. until a few days later something made me go back on the internet and research more about rabies. there are no sympoms for weeks, months and by then its too late, your imminent death is coming and nothing can stop it. mnaturally i went into full kirst freak out mode where i cannot get my mind off the thing. i made imma get on the scooter and drive us to the hospotal, ordered the rabies jab and got injected the next day. then there was the question of what to do with amita. neither of us could kill her. so that left driving far far away to the middle of nowhere and leaving poor amita there we did our best not to get rabies getting her in a washing basket, covering the lid and me holding her on the back of the scooter.
the living conditions here were unlivable. workers in and out of my room, dust everywhere, i got violently ill on day 2 from the living conditions. made me think how fortunate i am that this is not my reality. i was sick in my bed, workers coming in and out