I woke up a bit sore with inevitable sunburn. Looking at myself in the mirror I had a bright pink face and my body looked as if I had been splashed with a strange pink paint, running in odd patterns down my otherwise white torso depending on how well I had applied sun cream and the angle I had been sitting. I looked like some kind of gay Braveheart. I always manage to do this. Hopefully it will even itself out and go brownish rather than becoming plasticated
like it did after my most severe burning.
I had slept well and did nothing much but still felt really exhausted. It's amazing how relaxing can tire one so. I tried to go to the gym but chose a hot part of the day and only managed 15 minutes today and was saddened by the fat pink face of the man looking back at me from the mirror (it was my own reflection in case you were getting scared). I dread stepping on the scales when I get home - but for the moment will carry on living it up and just hope I get dysentry for the last couple of days.
The staff at the hotel seem unfailingly cheerful, which is of course a lovely thing, but I was quite pleased to be served by quite a surly and grumpy waitress in the Zanzi-bar (that works on two levels by the way - it's the name of the island, but also it's a bar where they serve drinks and so forth. I am worried some of you might not yet have got that). She took her time getting us our drinks and didn't smile or say "jambo" or "thanks too" or any other pleasantries. I am glad there are some grumpy people in Africa. It's fitting too as the Zanzi-bar (it's a bar and it's in Zanzibar) is a bit lacking in atmosphere. We were the only people drinking there (most of the other guests were down at the barbecue by the pool being entertained by a band playing strange cover versions of Western songs) and it reminded me a bit of an airport lounge.
We were serenaded at dinner by two much more cheerful and charming men who sang us some African songs, one playing the guitar, the other sensitively and gently on a muted trumpet. Usually this kind of thing embarrasses me, but there was a quite dignity to it all and they were very good and not too in our faces even though they were only a foot or so away from us. They seemed to be singing "Poulet salsa" over and over again and I wondered if it was a song about a spicy chicken dish, but they told us it actually meant "Slow, slow". Anyway, they sang us another song and moved on without fuss. They were wearing identical brightly coloured suits with little hats that had they had arrows on would have looked like prison uniforms. But they were too colourful for that and had an odd little design on them which looked a bit like a lollipop or maybe a heart with an iron bar going into it. They disappointed slightly by not climbing a massive tree and jumping around on it while singing, but there's only one Mr Butterfly.
On the way back to the bar we walked by a light in the path that was surrounded by a cross-section of African insect life: thousands of large ants, a strange worm, some flying wasp like things. There seemed to be a little food there, but maybe they were mainly attracted by the light. We stopped and looked a while and then we headed back to the main part of the hotel. I checked my emails on the computer suddenly seeming troubled by the sunburn that had newly appeared today on my leg (I learn nothing). But when I pulled up my trouser leg I saw I was actually being bitten by a dozen ants that had managed to crawl up my trouser leg. Their little nips burned and I shook them off and tried to stamp on them, but they were surprisingly hard to kill. It was nice to interact with Africa again though, as the hotel lovely and relaxing as it is could really be almost anywhere tropical in the world. But it's a good five day break in the middle of the African adventure and I think I will feel more back to my roots (hey we all started here folks - I am wondering when last one of my ancestors walked these African plains) when I am on safari next week. A man got gored by an elephant last year on this same safari, but only because he disobeyed his guide. Still that would be exciting hey? Don't worry mum. I'll obey the guide.
