Tulisafiri katika Bongoyo

Bongoyo

On Sunday we went went out to Bongoyo Island, this island that is about a twenty minute boat ride off the peninsula in Dar.  We took taxis and bajaj to get to Slipway. Slipway is a tourist center on the peninsula, with shops and restaurants mostly for rich foreigners.  We first took a small boat that ferried us out to a large boat that took us up to the island.  The end of the island is covered in white sand beaches and little tiki huts to relax under.  There was also a little bar and small restaurant that served seafood and chips.  We went swimming in the warm, salty Indian Ocean and hung out under the warm sun.

Then Mary, Greg, Kash and I went to explore the Shark's Lagoon.  On the way there we saw some eels and a starfish in a tide pool.  We walked through the jungle-like growth on the island until we came to the Lagoon.  The lagoon was only about 6 inches deep at first.  We saw crabs along the wall skittering along.  There was a giant rat eating one of them even!  As we waded out we found some sea anemone and  more starfish.  Then along the rock wall emerged a cave that we also explored.  Inside there were some strange pre-historic looking creatures.   Down past the cave, the waves were breaking beautifully and there were large ships on the horizon waiting to get in the harbor.

We walked back to the beach and headed back to shore.  On the way back a giant yacht went past our boat.  As they went past their wake pushed our boat sideways.  I screamed and clung to the highside of the boat.  I thought for a second our boat would tip over with all 50 or so people on board.  Luckily we didn't and steadied ourselves.  On the way back we stopped at the parked yacht, and our captains yelled at them for a bit.  No port authority here it seems to carry out the laws.
Afterward we enjoyed pizza at a restaurant on the Slipway and watched the sunset over the harbor.  The evening was quite beautiful.