PWANI PART 6: Msambweni and Funzi Island

One Saturday, my brother Sudi decided to take me to a neighboring village, Msambweni, to see some traditional dancing. My friend Sarah came along too, since she didn't have anything else to do that day. The day we decided to go was probably the hottest day we had experienced so far. Just the walk from the village to the main road was exhausting. When we got to the road, Sudi decided it would be better to take piki pikis (motorcycles) instead of trying to catch a matatu. The piki piki ride was so much fun! We rode past the beautiful countryside, and we would catch breezes of hot air. It was so hot out, even the breeze wasn't refreshing. When we arrived in Msambweni , we visited a beautiful beach, with water that was clear and turqoise and extremely fine, white sand. After walking up and down the beach, we went to watch the traditional dancing at the festival being held in downtown Msambweni.

Then, on Sunday, our last day in Shirazi, they charter a dhow to take us to Funzi Island for the day (for what I am sure was a little reward for making it through the week). First we took a very small little motor boat out into the mangrove keys until we reached our dhow, which we took the rest of the day. It was a beautiful ride, and we even saw some dolphins! We sailed right to a huge sandbar, right next to Funzi Island. When we got close enough I dove straight off of the hull of the boat into the warm water and swam to the sandbar-- it was one of the best feelings in the world. We spent the morning running around the sandbar and returned to the boat for lunch. But by the time we finished lunch, the sandbar was completely submerged under water. Then we went for a brief tour of one of the two villages on Funzi Island before taking the dhow back to Shirazi.

Me and my classmates on the small motor boat to Funzu

The dhow we took to and from Funzi

Me, sitting on the hull of the dhow.

The Sandbar.

a small fishing boat.

Funzi boats

In addition to fish, they like to eat rays and octopus. (ew)

A small hut on the shore of Funzi island.

Later that night all of the mama's decided to hire a women to paint henna on our hands and feet as a going away present. The whole time we were getting the henna done, the mamas would start yelling "Harusi! Aiaiaaiaiaiai!" and laughing because women always get henna done on the night before their wedding.

Then, the next morning we all packed up the bus and left Shirazi. Except for the fact that I was completely covered in a heat rash… I don't think I was ready to leave. After staying in Shirazi for 10 days, I felt like I was just getting comfortable.

All of the host parents in Shirazi.