Diving the Indian ocean with Big Blu

Started at 5 30 am had to catch a motorbike or tuk tuk to utende for the dive. Arranged a ride with a nice local I had me the day before. 10000 tsh. Another 30000 for the park entry fee and made it well on time. I was greeted by the dive master. Mattia a 28 year old dive instructor who works there with Mario. Both from italy. We geared up then relaxed as the team stocked the boats. 2 dives $70 is a good deal to. The water was calm and clear. My other diving companions were three Italians traveling together. Good thing the Italians speak with their hands I pretty much understood what mattia was saying to them. Our dive started with a positive event. The skipper spotted a sea turtle caught in a net. We turned the boat around and Mattia grabbed his knife and tried to free it from the net.





Cutting the turtle out of the net





Mattia Saves the turtle.

It was slack tide so the dive was a breeze. The water was warm and bright blue. We could see well over 80 feet. The coral was bright and full of life. On both dives we saw parrot fish, lion fish, and I guess we saw some large groupers but I did not see them. On the 2nd dive we were joined by a nice dutch guy who it turns out speaks a fair bit of Italian. We chatted about diving and because of him I did not miss seeing a lovely and large manta ray to our right by a coral shelf.

It was cautious but interested in us as we were of it. After a short time it started to drift away into the deep blue.

All around a successful dive trip.

The people on this island are wonderful. The price is the price. No haggling, just a fair price. People like to practice there English and are happy to help me with my Swahili when I ask.





All geared up for a wonderful dive


Last day on the island. Glad for the change of pace.

Location:Utende beach , mafia island Tanzania

Dalla days

This is all Dalla Dalla
The driver and proud owner is Mr Fortunatus, Kajuna. His name is perfect to suit the Dalla Dalla "fortune"
About to find a ride for the main village and there in front of me stood the one and only great Dalla Dalla of Mafia island.

I sat in the very back. the seat in front was broken and rocking back and forth. The tires were bald with some tread actually coming away from the tire itself. The sliding doors did not shut, nore did the passenger door. Not one panel was still intact. You can see beside my feet the hole in the floor. The frame was fractured in at least three places. The man beside me spoke English and being a Tanzanian this one even had him smiling. It was a wreck.

Then a voice from the driver Mr Kajuna. " this is africa if it runs it's good" we all smiled. Having being in many third world countries this was not a new thing but the level of disrepair was almost alarming. Now once the 5 young men push started the van, we we were off. Surprisingly the suspension was pretty good.
Once we stopped I politely asked Mr Kajuna if it was possible to photograph the Dalla. He happily agreed. Even posed for me.


At least there was head room


Seriously. And there was a bigger hole.


The proud owner to the right


The broken seat


Wiring issues


Nothing a hammer and tape can,t fix

Location:Mafia island, Tanzania

Preparing to swim with the fishes

Day started with the fruit toast and tea. Carlos was moving me to a smaller room today. Beds for 6 seemed a little much for one guy. Decided to go to Utende to see about my dive tomorrow. Walked to the village in the morning heat about 2 KM. There was a Dalla almost loaded and ready to go. 1000 tsh to the village. It did not take long and we arrived at the gate for the marine park. For a tourist to use the park it is 20 usd a day regardless is you use the water. If you keep the park clean great happy to contribute. Made it to the village and their was big blue dive shop owned by an Italian named Mario. We arranged for the trip the following day. The beach was small the sand heating up under my feet.

Location:Utende village and marine park , mafia island , Tanzania

Opting for a road less travelled

GPS
S 07 54.382
E 039 40.023


When choosing the road less travelled remember to read the fine print. The morning in Dar was hot. The hotel manager told me the correct instructions catch a Dalla Dallas to the town of Bungui. I hoped a small Korean made bus with about 30 seats plus the extra 4 seats that are welded on where possible. My bus pal was great and gave me all the instructions on where to get off and where to go. The map showed the island a short morning trip be in by 1pm at the latest. That was a slight oversight. The Dalla Dalla that took me the remainder was jammed with up to 26 people at the most. At one point they stopped to let on three women with little babies strapped to their backs . The two men hung out the side while the Bus bounced and banged down a gravel road. Some hills were so steep it looked like it was a roller coaster.

This little trip turned out to be a all day event. My pack was on my lap for 4 plus hours the sour smell of sweat filled the bus with the heat it was becoming a little unbearable. Closing my eyes clicking my heals anything to make the ride end. After hours and hours we came to our destination. A very small port , we all piled out as if it was a shriners show and walked with wobbly legs to the dock.

Ok the dock was 7 concrete steps down to the murky water. The boat about 60 feet long with a upper and lower deck. It was painted a bright blue and the age was undefined. It did look sea worthy. Being aware the trip could take 3 to 4 hours so braced myself for another adventure.

After an hour we departed. It was slow and steady then we reached the open ocean. The waves grew in size smashing against the boat. The trip was nice, and then it was exhausting. Wave after wave. I placed my head between knees my hands to balance myself the seats were wood benches and people were all over the deck sleeping. On the way back I will play the local card and find a place to lay my head. The boat arrived just before sun set. It was a 11 hour travel day. The boat was to large to come to shore so another smaller boat came to collect us and drop us off to the beach.

I sat to catch my breath . I caught a tuk tuk to whale shark bungalows to the west of the town. Was greeted by the owner Carlos. He quickly checked me in and showed me around. It is a lovely property only 6 bungalows and you could easily fit 4 to 5 more without crowding it

The restaurant is open and sits on a cliff overlooking the blue ocean. The sun had just set and the sky was pink. I did not take pictures on the boat trip. I was the only tourist on board and looked like they do not see to many Muzungu. So wiping out the big camera may not have been so cool.

Had a lovely dinner of prawns and rice retired to my room at 830 to read. Tomorrow is another day.

Diving is booked for the day after tomorrow. $70 for two dives. Hoping for whale sharks.







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Location:Mafia island, Tanzania

Planning the next adventure

Mafia is 80KM south to Nyamisati where there is a simple ferry that runs on rubber time that will make the 30 KM sail to the island. It is known to wait till its full. So not unusual for you to board at 4 pm and sail at 1am.

As I sit here in Dar ES Salaam I have only the one regret. Due to being so sick not being able to dive in Zanzibar. Was going to head off to get on a safari trip. Then in the book was MAFIA island a marine sanctuary and WHALE SHARKS, where do I sign up. Will leave early tomorrow and wing it. The island does not have the push or the touts like in other destinations. Getting off on the ferry those morning was the repeated taxi taxi taxi. There are so many taxis here. I can imagine why that all fight for the business.

The city is hard to shoot as the people do not like to have there picture taken. A woman who was crippled was asking for money on the street about an hour ago. She was maybe 28-30 hard to tell life can be hard here when you cannot walk or work. She looked up at me with a large smile her hands clasped together like she was praying for me. I returned the smile stopped leaned down reaching into my pocket and pulled out about 800 shillings. I gently placed it in her hand the whole time she looked into my eyes. And for a moment she held my hand. And for that moment in time I just felt better. Better about the trip , better about being sick, better about everything. I smiled till I arrived back at the hotel. She was not angry she had no use of her legs, she did not seem spiteful at all. She was just happy for the kindness of strangers. For the record there is no social system here to help the sick or unemployed. Every time you see a person at home asking for money , or spare some change. Look at there legs. The only people I have ever seen ask for money here are people who have lost the ability to walk and are forced to ask for money or food to survive. So when you look at them again at home. They get the cheque from the government they have access to free health care. Take the money you may have given them and go buy an ice-cream for a senior citizen instead.

I had a man approach me with a sheet asking for me to donate to an orphanage. Yes he really did. It had a bunch of random stamps on it. I smiled and asked for his papers to do this. He said it was a good Christian company. I told him that he should be ashamed of himself. He shrugged his shoulders and went off and tried to find someone who would fall for it. See it happens everywhere. There is the good the bad and the ugly. I have mostly seen the good.

Here are a few pics of the days wandering the streets.






Well this was in Zanzibar. Thinking bc ferries should try this.





Thriftys the street version. The price depends on what you have.



This was lunch. Plantains , with I think they were cocktail wieners , and a simple salad. With water it went to a grand total of $1.60 cdn. Not a pretty picture but finding a local place to eat was not easy. When asking the hotel manager he said most people make food eating out is to expensive. The toothpick was my fork. Worked pretty well quite environmental really.

Location:En route to Mafia island