Chapter 45 – Kenya and Tanzania

The flight from Harare to Nairobi was about three hours. By the time they landed, passed through customs and exchanged money, it was a bit after noon. Proceeding out of the airport, Ginny was pleased to find that the temperature was comfortable. When she headed for the taxi queue, she spotted a second line that had a couple of small tour buses. Ignoring several taxi drivers, she passed the taxi queue and went over to the buses. She knew Swahili was preferred, but she didn't know a word of it, so she started to inquire in English and was pleased that each person seemed to understand her somewhat. Two of the bus drivers shook their heads at her and insisted the bus was 'private', while the third driver she passed over due to the way he leered at her. The fourth bus driver seemed to think for a minute and then offered to add her to his tour, which was scheduled for a two hour loop of the city before depositing the group at the Windsor Golf Resort. He gave her a decent price, but she haggled him down and he grinned when they settled. The bus was already partially full and soon others arrived. Ginny realized when she got on the bus that she had landed in the middle of a group of British retirees, mainly due to the accents and the fact that she was probably the only person on the bus without grey hair. That said, the older crowd quickly welcomed her and began to fuss over the kids. Ginny wondered if she was gate crashing their party, but it soon became obvious that they didn't mind. She also realized that this was an already paid private tour, which meant the money she had paid the driver was most likely going straight into his own pockets. Shrugging, Ginny settled and decided to enjoy her first views of the city.

As soon as the driver was assured that he had his entire group, he pulled out and began to weave through the chaos of the busy streets. Ginny decided not to focus on his driving skills and instead watch the sights and try to understand his heavily accented English that was narrating the trip. She also talked with a few of the others on the bus and found out that they were all from a social club in Devon and were on an African tour, taking three weeks to see Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Most of them were astonished that such a young woman with three small children was traveling like Ginny was and she told them a bit about what to expect in Zimbabwe. The two hour tour ended at their resort and Ginny was left with figuring out how to get back to her own hotel. For the equivalent of about five more dollars, the driver took Ginny and the kids to her hotel in the Adams Arcade area of the city.

Ginny checked in around five in the evening and was pleased with the small, but clean room that would be hers for two nights. She had fed the kids snacks on the bus, but knew that more substantial food was needed and went down to the front desk to ask for a recommendation. Twilight was just descending and the staff advised that it would be safer for her to use a taxi at night. They also pointed her to a restaurant a few blocks away near the Junction shopping center. Taking their advice, she let them call a taxi and then went straight to the recommended restaurant. It ended up being a good choice and soon she and the kids were stuffed and tired as she called a taxi back to the hotel.

For her first full day in Nairobi, Ginny caught a taxi up Ngong road to Uhuru Park. The park provided a nice view of downtown Nairobi and also had some interesting history, which she had read in a guidebook the night before. After looking around and then playing in the park for a while, she and the kids walked to the nearby Railway museum. While small, it had several interesting locomotives, which the kids enjoyed. After lunch, she hailed another taxi for a longer ride to the edge of town to visit the Giraffe Center. The center ended up being worth the stopover in Nairobi just by itself. They got to learn more about the majestic animals, as well as their conservation. They even got to get up close with them and each of the children were delighted to feed the giraffes. Ginny even got in on the act and giggled when the giraffe's long tongue wrapped around her fingers as she fed it a bunch of leaves. They also enjoyed the nature trail through the park before leaving and catching a ride back to their hotel. That night she and the kids ate at a nearby restaurant, enjoying a traditional Kenyan stew with a side of ugali.

After one more night in Kenya, they were due to leave the next afternoon and Ginny wanted to use their time in the morning. So, she had booked with a half day tour of Nairobi National Park. She met the tour bus downstairs and they made two more stops for additional tourists before taking them to the edge of the park, where they picked up their safari vehicle. Ginny had been told their tour wasn't full, so she was able to bring all her bags and was glad she did with the careful timing she had planned. The safari was similar in ways to what she had done before, but also different since the setting was so close to the city. It was something to see a herd of zebra grazing with the skyscrapers of downtown Nairobi in the distance. The park was also a haven for rhinos and they saw more than they ever had before. The few hours they had allotted went all too quickly and then they were exiting the park. Ginny and her kids then changed from the safari vehicle back into a shuttle van and were driven to the airport. They arrived with an hour to spare until their flight, which incredibly left on time later that afternoon.

After a brief hour and a half flight, they landed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Since it was now late afternoon, Ginny opted to catch a taxi straight to her hotel. The half hour drive through the busy streets showed her a large, but clean city with tightly packed buildings that stretched down to the sea. The hotel she had selected was centrally located and just a couple of blocks from the famous Mnazi Mmoja Park. After checking in, she and the kids walked around for a bit to get a feel for the neighborhood. The architecture was an eclectic mix, with a couple of nice mosques nearby. After a delicious dinner of nyama choma grilled meats with fruit and the ever present ugali, they returned to the hotel, ready to rest.

The following day saw Ginny reestablishing her routine with lessons and games in the hotel in the morning. Before they began though, Ginny called a local tour company and booked a city tour for the afternoon. After a couple of days out of routine, they easily slipped back into their lessons, with breaks for play that often included baby Wyatt. It was now the middle of July and Wyatt was closing in on a year old. He had a few words and was also starting to attempt toddling. While his feet still weren't coordinated, he was quite fast on all fours and had no problem chasing his older siblings.

The tour that afternoon gave them a good overview of the large city of over four million. The city was surprisingly modern and prosperous due to its busy port. The tour guide was quite good and Ginny was glad that English remained prominent in this city as well. Over the next several days, they explored the city more, including visiting the National Museum, the beaches of Msasani, St. Joseph's Cathedral and the Village Museum.

As her first week in Dar es Salaam passed, Ginny's attention turned elsewhere as she decided that she had seen what she wanted. Next she set her sights on Zanzibar and booked a hotel on the beach just south of Stone Town. It was a bit of a splurge, but she planned on only staying for a few days.

The ferry ride to Zanzibar took just under two hours and then the taxi to the hotel took another twenty minutes, depositing them at lunch time. While she wanted to see Stone Town, the beach was too enticing and Ginny opted to spend the rest of the day relaxing on the gorgeous beach. The following day saw her and the kids taking a taxi into town. She got off near Forodhani Gardens and made that her first stop. She then continued to the nearby House of Wonders and the Old Fort. After a break for lunch she next went to the Darajani Market and was amazed at the range of goods available. The textiles especially intrigued her and she found some inexpensive pieces. She then wound back to the historic Hamamni Baths. All of the old part of Stone Town was fascinating. Although Zanzibar was technically part of Tanzania, it had been the home of sultans and had a distinctly different feel. By the time she finished at the baths, the kids had had enough of history and they returned to their hotel and the nearby beach.

For her second day in Zanzibar, Ginny still had a couple of places to see in town, but she decided to switch it up and take a tour out to other parts of the island. With the recommendation of the hotel, she picked a local company and combined two half day tours. They picked her up at the hotel and the morning was spent on a spice tour of different plantations and touring around some of the smaller villages. While not a favorite with the kids, they napped a bit and then became much more enthusiastic as the tour wrapped with a specially prepared lunch that highlighted the spices the island was known for. After the spice tour, the afternoon was spent touring Jozani Forest, one of the last locations of the rare red colobus monkey. The forest was beautiful and monkeys were everywhere. The afternoon's activities were much more exciting for the kids, although Ginny was glad that Amaia especially had slept some earlier in the day.

As their tour guide was taking them back to the hotel, Ginny talked to him about other tours and began to contemplate her plans. When they pulled up to her hotel, she took her guide's offer for a discount on another tour and booked reservations for a sailing cruise the following afternoon. That night they picked up takeaway from a nearby restaurant and then picnicked on the beach. Later in the evening, as she was getting the kids ready for baths, the phone rang and Ginny was thrilled to see it was Levi. He was his usual energetic self when she picked up.

"Hi Jen! How goes the travels? Where are you now?"

"Hi Levi. We're on the beautiful island of Zanzibar."

Ginny heard a shuffle of noise and what sounded like papers being moved as Levi paused before answering.

"Zanzibar…okay, let me see…I have an atlas handy. I figured I would need this to keep track of you. My geography is seriously improving being your agent. Ah, here we are, off the coast of Tanzania. Ooh, I'm sure that is quite nice."

Ginny laughed and shook her head.

"Yes it is Levi. We just enjoyed a wonderful picnic dinner on the beach. So, you know what's up here, how are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing as exciting as you. I love this city, but it's no African beach party. Anyway, I called for business. I read your manuscript and I really like this one. A bit long, but it ties things up nicely. I showed the publisher your rough draft and they are enthusiastic. They are really looking forward to finishing the trilogy, so I negotiated you quite a deal. You're not a bestseller yet, but you've started to make a name for yourself. So, care to hear the terms?"

"Really? If you were five thousand miles closer I'd be coming to slap you."

Levi chuckled and shook his head. Jen always did lighten up his day.

"Alright. Here's what I got you. I don't like to brag but…"

"Yes you do."

"Alright, maybe a little. So, the offer I got you is for a printing of 80,000. After fees and editing, your check will be a hair over 92,000."

Ginny fumbled the phone as she turned around and sat down on the bed quickly. Levi was laughing at her silence. Eventually she recovered enough to respond.

"Alright Levi, I'll admit that you've earned your keep this time. Wow. I suppose editing is the next step. I don't plan on leaving Africa soon though."

"I'm so glad to be appreciated. As for the editing, this is why we praise modern technology. If you can give me your address, I'll send a contract. Once that's signed, we'll start the process. Then we just have to ship the editorial changes back and forth. Maybe a couple of conference calls as well. We'll figure it out."

"Alright, that sounds good. We do need to take the time change into account. As for sending the contract, when should I expect it?"

"Well, knowing how often you move around, I'll get it on the first plane. You should have it not tomorrow, but the morning after."

"Alright, I'm on a ferry the morning after tomorrow, heading back to the mainland. I don't want to get stuck here waiting for a delivery. I'm sure the last hotel I stayed at will take it for me. Let me give you an address in Dar es Salaam."

Ginny gave Levi the information and they talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. She was still in a daze, but she had half naked children still waiting for their baths.

For their last day in Zanzibar, Ginny caught the taxi back into town first thing in the morning. Their first stop was the Heritage Centre. After an hour spent in the museum, they next made a brief stop at the house where Freddie Mercury had been born. As a fan of classic rock, Ginny found it fascinating that an icon like Freddie had started his life in such a remote place. They then wandered town a bit longer, stopping in some smaller bazaars before heading for the waterfront. Along the way, Ginny picked up some snacks before meeting up with her boat tour.

The afternoon boat tour took them around several of the smaller islands with traditional native villages. Along the way they spotted a pod of dolphins and watched turtles on the beach. They also did some beachcombing and swimming in secluded coves. They arrived back in Stone Town tired and hungry, but it had been a fun day. After a stop for dinner, Ginny and her tired brood caught a taxi back to the hotel. She briefly contemplated skipping baths, but they were salt sticky from the water and it wasn't really an option. By the time her head hit the pillow, she was instantly asleep.

The next morning they caught the first ferry back to Dar es Salaam and then took a taxi back to the hotel where Ginny had stayed previously. The package from New York had arrived about an hour earlier and Ginny thanked the staff for holding it for her. She reviewed the contract and found that it was much the same as in the past. The hotel staff directed her to a nearby business office where she was able to sign the contract and post it back immediately. With that done, they caught a taxi to the airport for their flight that was due to leave in a couple of hours.

After a nearly two hour delay leaving Dar es Salaam and a flight of an hour and a half, Ginny and the kids arrived in the north of Tanzania in the town of Arusha. The flight had been bumpy and the delay had been frustrating, but it was still a much better option than a long fifteen hour drive between the two cities. Arusha was a good size city of about 400,000, located between several major tourist areas, including Mount Kilimanjaro and the Ngorongoro Crater.

After leaving the small, open airport Ginny and kids caught a taxi the short distance to the center of town. She had reserved a room at a modest hotel just north of the Central Market. After checking in, she and the kids spent a couple of hours with lessons and games before leaving the hotel to find dinner. Surprisingly, where they ended up was a pizza restaurant. The pizza was a bit different than traditional, with the crust being more of a flatbread and the toppings being local goat cheese with barbequed meat, but it was still quite good and the kids were appreciative.

Upon returning to the hotel, she stopped at the front desk and gathered flyers and brochures for the different tour companies. She also talked with several other travelers who were enjoying a wine reception and each gave their opinions on tours and companies. That night after the kids were asleep, Ginny perused her materials and started to make decisions on what she wanted to do. Arusha was a nice town, but the city itself wasn't the big draw, the natural areas that surrounded it were, which meant she would need to take tours. Once she had her decisions made, she decided to call it a night.

The next morning Ginny ordered breakfast to the room and then made phone calls to reserve her tours for the next couple days. Once the kids were awake and had breakfast, they worked on lessons and played during the morning hours. They left around lunch, which they found nearby before walking around the central part of the city. Next, they visited the Old Boma history museum and then visited a the small Tanzanite Museum, highlighting the unique blue gemstone that was native to the area. After the museum, they drooled through the attached store and Ginny impressed herself as she was very controlled and only bought a new nose stud. Once they finished at the museum, they left to find dinner before going back early to prepare for their day trip the next day.

Ginny and the kids were downstairs early the next morning just as the sun was beginning to rise and their tour company van was waiting to pick them up, as well as one other couple from the hotel. They then stopped at another hotel on the way out of town to begin a full day's excursion. They started by heading east out of town before turning north to go through Arusha National Park. About a half hour into the park, they stopped at a scenic overlook with views of Mt. Meru and their guide set up folding tables where he served them a light breakfast. They then continued on through the park as the guide narrated the history of the area, as well as what animals could be found nearby. They were treated to quite a scene an hour in when they stopped at a small lake and it was covered in pink flamingos by the thousands. When one corner of the group startled and took flight, Ginny had her camera ready for the magnificent view of hundreds of the large birds in the air. The drive continued to wind through the unique forest of the park and soon they also sighted a number of black and white colobus monkeys. At a number of points, they also had spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Shortly before lunch they drove out of the park and past farm fields as they approached the highest mountain in Africa.

After another half hour's drive, they arrived in the town of Sanya Juu and stopped at a local restaurant. As they had been getting closer to the mountain, the landscape had grown into thicker forest, and houses and small towns began to cluster together. They enjoyed a delicious lunch buffet served by the kind family who ran the restaurant and then the van continued on A23 for a while more before then turning north and heading straight at the mountain. The new road was decidedly rougher and they slowed down greatly, but it allowed them a chance to see more of the growing forest. At one point the van stopped and their driver pointed excitedly to the left. In the trees about twenty meters away were a dozen deer like creatures. Their guide informed them that they were a small antelope called an Abbott's duiker and were quite rare to spot. After taking a couple of minutes, he slowly continued their drive up the beginning slopes of the mountain to the village of Machame, the closest they were going to the mountain. While Ginny had investigated day trips, even the hike up the beginning of the slope of the mountain would be too much for her small children, so she had opted for this tour instead. Once they were in Machame, they stopped at a local market where Ginny enjoyed talking to several women who gravitated to the young mother and her children. She bought some fresh fruit and then rejoined the tour as they circled out of town and back to the main motorway to make their way back to Arusha.

Upon arriving back in Arusha, Ginny was tired after the long day, but thoroughly amazed by all that they had seen. She had taken nearly two rolls worth of pictures and could hardly wait to see how they turned out. At the kids pleading, they returned to the pizza restaurant that they had eaten at two nights previously and then returned back to the hotel.

The next day saw Ginny and the kids meeting a different tour company to take a trip to Ngorongoro Crater. They left town at six in the morning and drove west for a couple of hours before stopping near Lake Manyara for a break and light breakfast. They then drove for another hour and a half until they reached a lodge on the edge of the crater and switched to a safari truck. From there they began the steep descent into the crater. As they wound through the forest on the crater's rim, the first animals they spotted were leopards and then a group of mountain redbuck. When they finally reached the main descent and the first expansive view of the crater, the vehicle paused so that everyone could take in the jaw-dropping view. Once they reached the crater floor, they next spotted a group of elephants and then the largest herd of zebra that Ginny had seen. Next was a group of rhino and then a herd of antelope. While Ginny had been on safaris before, the sheer quantity of animals in the short of time was amazing. Shortly after mid-day they reached a small cluster of huts and their truck stopped as they were greeted by a group of local Maasai. The group was not permanent to the area, but catered to the tourist safari business. They had a large lunch buffet set out on tables and greeted everyone warmly. The children were especially popular. As they ate the delicious lunch, the group performed a traditional dance and then one of the group talked a bit about the history of his people, speaking in impeccable English. After lunch was finished, they continued on another loop around the side of the crater for another couple hours. In that time they spotted lions, eland, gazelle, ostrich, wildebeest, and storks. As the afternoon grew late, they began their ascent back out of the crater. They stopped at the same lodge as they had before to switch to the van that would take them back to Arusha, where they arrived around six in the evening. Although they were all tired, the day had been one to remember for a lifetime.

After a couple of long days, Ginny decided to take the next day off to plan her travels. She had seen the major sights in Tanzania and now had to decide on what country to visit next. After a bit of contemplating, she decided to return to Egypt. She had gone with her family during the summer before her second year at Hogwarts, but she had still been recovering from the Chamber of Secrets and hadn't been able to truly appreciate it. She also remembered that their time in the Valley of the Kings had been cut short when a local group of diplomats had arrived and they had to clear out. She had been reading more about the Valley, as well as Karnak, and wanted to visit again while in a better frame of mind and with a better grasp on the history around what she was seeing. With this in mind, she had to plan on the most efficient way to get from Arusha to Cairo. She quickly found that the best way to get a direct flight was back in Nairobi. From Arusha, Nairobi was a four hour drive north and she booked a bus that would leave first thing the following morning. The company advised that she should allow plenty of time for the border crossing, so she made sure to book her flight late in the day. She had seen Nairobi and it was interesting, but she wanted to continue on to Egypt. That night as she packed to leave, John called to check with her and they talked about her travels and where she was going next. He was a bit concerned about her being in Cairo, but she assured him she would be careful and keep her wand handy. It was obvious he cared and she was glad to count him as a dear friend.

The bus ride north began the following morning promptly at seven, delivering them to the border shortly after nine. The ride had been hot and boring, with the only thing of interest being a couple of small villages and one large herd of goats. As she had been warned, the border crossing took an interminable time as the bus was inspected and all the passengers' paperwork was looked over. They finally crossed at ten thirty and continued on to Nairobi. They arrived in the city at a quarter after two and Ginny gathered all of her things and took a taxi to the airport. Once they were checked in and through security, she and the kids still had over an hour and they were finally able to get a late lunch, which much improved everyone's attitudes. Snacks on the bus had been fine for a while, but a real meal was much appreciated. Their flight to Cairo surprisingly left on time at four thirty. With Cairo being an hour behind, they landed at half past eight in the evening. Ginny was tired but excited as usual for their new adventures.