Tanzania Part 3: “Do Not Disturb in Zanzibar”
We left Kilimanjaro in the sunshine and after only 30 minutes in the air, we began our descent into Zanzibar’s only airport. It got dark, quick. It was clear we would be landing through a storm. It was surprisingly calm to be such a small plane, but as we got closer to the ground through the dark clouds, I didn’t see roads - just tiny brown lakes with cars going through them and dark skies above. My mind wandered to “are we landing in a flooding field?” and I tried to make out where we could possibly be landing.
Smoothly enough, we landed with a splash on the single runway I simply couldn’t make out through the window. Rain wasn’t stopping anything!
Zanzibar is an archipelago island off Tanzania, and while it is a part of the United Republic of Tanzania (with a woman president) and uses the Tanzanian shilling, Zanzibar is self-governed and has their own flag. You also need to apply for a separate tourist visa upon arrival at the airport. One of those DMV “does anyone have a pen” type of scenarios, but fast and with welcoming smiles.
Once through customs we were greeted by a sea of taxi drivers surrounding the door, like we were a new R&B group topping the Zanzibar charts! “Hectic” is usually the adjective used for these tiny island airport energies, but this was giving TMZ “no pictures”. A scene, if you will.
It’s not necessarily a flex to have your hotel book your airport transfer, but walking up to a sign with your name on it, regardless of the car, felt like we were flexing in front of all these taxi drivers. Hoopla - ALL of these men wanted us to get in their taxi, but we’re getting in the one with my name on it. In the rain, no less? Seeing that van was such a relief. I understand any type of “arranged car” is peak Rich Auntie behavior, but we were fully stepping in like “no pictures”.
The rain had slowed and our van drove through the flooded streets of Zanzibar City with ease and at a good pace. Rain in Zanzibar is old hat! The city was starting to buzz again with people walking in the streets, open businesses and lively markets. Our driver was super friendly and was the one who taught us about Tanzania’s woman president. We were completely in a city until we arrived at barely the edge of anything urban, to the gates of the Zanzi Resort. We drove through the gates under a canopy of coconut and banana trees through green, lush and manicured plants with vibrant flowers, down a seemingly dry path that had been covered by the massive palm leaves.
I burst into tears and I didn’t realize why until a few days later and some journaling. Zumunda was unfolding before me down a magically dry gravel path and I was in awe. We were here! All of the dreaming, planning and anticipation brought us here. It was a heart explosion of seeing my imagination in real life. This was how I imagined my “happy place” or “my peace”. The silence of a city fading into the sounds of birds is how I center myself on a daily basis. And this was it? Here? I had found it? Now the rainstorm was on my face.
Linsdey looked over at me, and I felt like I got caught crying at an animated movie, but she hit me with the sincere “no, i get it” face. We were both feeling it deep, rolling down this driveway like queens, with plants that looked like they could talk. The resort attendants rushed to get our bags out of the car and led us to a waiting area off the dining room, where we were instantly served fresh coconuts with flowers in them. I was still emotional sipping on the coconut when they came back to lead us to our villa.
Again, I understand the use of “villa” in any sentence is top-tier Rich Auntie vernacular, and my dear nephew, it was lit.
For probably a full five minutes we just wandered the rooms, backyard with pool, and the private beach in awe, the rain now just delightful droplets. The pool overlooked a private slice of the Indian ocean and we were set up so sweet for the next 2 nights. After the rush of Kilimanjaro, it was incredible. We OoOed at the room service menu and had a fabulous lunch served to us in under an hour from our new concierge friend, also named Alex.
We soon learned that it rains at least once a day in Zanzibar, which is part of the charm and undoubtedly part of their November. Less than 10 minutes after we were checked in, the sun peaked out, inviting us to chill by our pool. Lindsey and I had one of the best chats reliving the trip with deep sighs of gratitude.
During the whole trip, we shared the unspoken realization that we had created this reality years ago. It was our words that had power and this wasn’t even us at maxed-out potential. So we started dreaming bigger, speaking life into the next steps of life after this trip. Sharing with Lindsey was like pulling my spoken dreams closer to me, and that was perfect, because we had proven just by being together, we could make things happen.
That’s what they mean by “surround yourself with positive people”. Literal positive energy that ignites your own dreams. Forever grateful for Lindsey, and speaking our dreams to life.
To be honest, the biggest attraction in Zanzibar City is the birth home and museum of Freddy Mercury. I’m a huge Queen fan, but I picked “private beach” over the museum. People in Zanzibar are chillin’, so that’s what we did.
After a much needed nap, we got dressed for dinner in the gorgeous open dining room which had live entertainment and a set 5-course menu each night. During dinner, Lindsey started cracking herself up under her breath and just said “do you watch White Lotus?...”. I don't, but I knew EXACTLY what she was talking about. These tourists were straight off the set of White Lotus. If you looked at a table for too long, you could start to imagine their storylines, and find the curiosities. “Is that her brother or husband?” levels. Remember the “modern” Maasai tribesmen? They were there too, partying. A wild sight you’d only find in a well written TV script or at a luxury Zanzibar resort.
The next day was similar, which included naps to the sounds of rainstorms and the David Beckham Netflix documentary with occasional dips to pool when the rain slowed. There was a beachside spa, steps away from our backyard but we were spa’d out from Mombasa. It was a real Swahili exercise in pole-pole: Luxe Edition.
While Lindsey relaxed on the beach, I opted for the cabana to do a bit of journaling to “unpack” what made me so emotional arriving at the resort. It really was like feeling my entire life's journey showing up in a single moment. I’ll share a piece:
(name has been removed because it’s not about a person it’s about the lesson)
“..It is notable that when we first got here, I burst out crying while we were being driven from the cab and I was just looking around like “yooo, look what the Lord has done.” And I don’t know what made me think of it, but I started to think about somebody-that-i-used-to-know. I still say his whole name because he was never a friend to me. In the back of his mind I think I was just “that girl” who was just “doing something for him” and kept bothering him about his album. At least that was the energy.
But the thought was just an interjection, again, “look what God has done”.
The revelation I had while being driven down the driveway, on the way to a person who would insist on carrying my luggage; My 54lb, 26.6 kgs of luggage - I thought about how I was ready to quit my job because I was such a fan of his. My new job. I was ready to quit this company to be his manager. Because I felt so strongly about him as an artist. I told him “yea, I can do project management - I know how to make a timeline”. I had just learned Microsoft Project at the new job I was about to quit - and I was terrible at it. What was I talking about? I didn’t know what I was doing. Not really. But I had the audacity to tell him I could and I believed I could, for him. I called Nikki (who was managing a popular British artist at the time.) and we had dinner in Columbus Circle. I said “hey, I think I want to manage this guy” and she encouraged me. She just warned that “musicians can be a lot”. BOY DID SHE KNOW!
It was all of that in a moment. You were ready to bet it all on your favorite song for your favorite album. Still one of my favorite albums. But because you thought this guy was so good, you were willing to work for that. I was ready to quit because I thought he was so good. You thought that album needed to happen. It needed to be in the world. You were willing to spend your time and energy to.. what? impress him? To make him want to see your value? It’s every self-love example of life, but that one was so huge because I was so defiant. Like NO! I am willing to fight for this negro because people need to know him. But as we drove up here it was “Damn Alex. You believed in yourself so much, you got yourself here. You broke your neck for yourself.”
I wrote that and just looked at the blue skies above. My dream, that I fought for.
The next night we dressed up for dinner, now embracing the surreal adventures of White Lotus: Enter the Sistas! Another set menu with intriguing descriptions. We both thought the “double pepper soup” was going to the chef’s “Zanzibar reimagination” of a Caribbean double. Perhaps a spicy sort of pepper-seasoned chickpea soup with a side of roti. No, it was red pepper soup on one side, and green pepper soup on the other. Double. Pepper. It was beautiful and delicious, but we laughed like “I could make this..” and just whispered “see, White Lotus”. We walked back from the dining room and it was still raining.
But we still had a pool for one whole more night.
Lindsey jumped in the pool in her white dress like we were in a music video. We eventually switched to swimsuits and ended up swimming in the rain, the only light being the moon and the pool itself. We sang every verse of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and it was a starlight night I will never forget.
The morning we checked out, the idea of having grown men fetch our bags in the rain really seemed like “doing the most”, so we walked our bags through the gardens for the last time. when we showed up to checkout with our bags in hand, the concierge was bordering on furious. “I told you to call me! You should not be carrying these”. I didn’t even really laugh, I apologized. Their hospitality is serious and he meant that we should not be lifting a finger. I felt that. And I appreciated it - a sense of care that I’ve never experienced anywhere else in the world.
We took the new fast ferry to Dar es Salam, The Capital of Tanzania, where we had an overnight stay before heading back to the States. The ferry ended up being another pseudo-luxe experience as we ended up getting the $60 business class seats which give you VIP access to a lounge on the dock full of Lazy Boy recliners. Still a bustling ferry dock, just in a leather chair. The boat however, was dope. The (red!) seats were plush and we were served snacks and drinks like we were on a plane. The boat looked like a rocket ship, and after barely an hour long speed-boat-ferry ride we arrived.
Once at the hotel, we enjoyed peri-peri shrimp overlooking the Indian Ocean in the drizzling rain. Lindsey left for NYC first and our final emotional hugs were heartfelt, tearful and real. The culmination of everything. Every moment, every person we had met, every star.
Lindsey, you are a fire in this lackluster world and I am so grateful for every step of this incredible journey with you. We broke the limit on the sky, Sis!
Thank you to the amazing people of Tanzania who touched my spirit in ways I’ve still yet to grasp. I know I will return soon.
The Kenya Playlist that fueled this entire trip drops Weds. June 5th.
Y’all know I express myself through albums :)