Friday 26 March 2010

Safari over ...

... and on to the next stage of our adventure!  But first, whoo hoo!  Dad's finally had his ears syringed so here come the new hearing aids - well, after he's been for a fitting for them on Wednesday.  Docs had brand new syringing machine and lovely nursey let me have a look into Dad's ears (I'm a nosey so and so - *lol*).  Anyway, back to Paradise ...

20th February ... and it's hot, hot, HOT!!!

A lay-in this morning as no morning safari drive - just breakfast by the pool, overlooking the bush, before we said our goodbye's and made our way to 'Terminal 5' for our flight to Dar.

We were woken with the normal knock on the door and the tea/coffee tray left outside. We also had another early morning caller! A praying mantis on the netting but one I recognised and a lot bigger than the previous one that had resulted in Maasai visit *LOL*. Jackie wasn't too keen on getting up close and personal though ... can't think why! Mind you, neither was I really.


It shone like gold ... so pretty that I just couldn't resist a close up.



We watched the plane land on the airstrip and bonus!!  It was a VIP one - a proper VIP one!  Sacha (Beho's manager) said that this plane was used by Government dignitaries when they needed to fly internally.  There were only 6 proper passenger seats, the pilot and co-pilot seat (which was occupied by a passenger).  Real luxury with deeply upholstered leather seats and loads of space ... pity the flight from Dar to Pemba wasn't as luxurious. *duh!*


We had a 3 hour wait at Dar for our connecting flight and that was delayed due to all flights being held back to allow the President of Tanzania to take his leave.  He was flying out on some jaunt so us lesser mortals had to suffer for a while longer!  Suffer because Dar Domestic Airport does not have aircon apart from one small area outside of café - which is where we parked ourselves while 'killing time'

Pemba flight called and ... what a difference to the earlier one taken that day.  This one was on a 'large' plane.  By large I think somebody said it was a 21 seater!  It might have had 21 seats but ... for midgets!  I had a single seat but I couldn't sit properly as there was no leg room.  Had to sit at an angle with legs in aisle (well, gap between the seats to allow people on and off).  It was very hot and none of us could get the airflow working.  Poor Jackie and Anie had squeezed themselves into the back, double seats.  Big mistake!  If we hadn't landed at Pemba when we did I think Jackie would have been carried off plane.  45 minutes of sheer hell and from the 'cor blimey to the ridiculous' in one day where the flights were concerned!

Pemba Airport


Arriving at Mkaoni Port, Pemba. 
Fundu Lagoon (pronounced Foo-n-doo) is not accessible by road so, after a 45 minute, absolutely fascinating, drive from the airport near Chake Chake, the island's capital, we arrived to pick up our next transport.  Nope, not dhows ...


... or this luxurious specimen but ...


... this! 
Wonderful! 
Feeling the breeze through the hair was certainly welcome ... and cooling.


One of the first sights of Fundu.
Hidden amongst the trees it's not easy to see until you're nearly on top of it.


The sea end of the jetty ...
...which all Fundu life seems to centre on ... with view of resort.


View from the 2nd room we were given on arrival and the room we occupied for the first night there.


Unfortunately the first room we were given was at the top of a very steep path with lots of steps. I took one look at it and thought ... there's no way I'm going to get up there!  I followed - very, very slowly - Jackie and staff person (not too sure who it was but it must have been somebody we interacted with at some point through the holiday) up to room ... arriving about 20 minutes after them!  OK, slight exaggeration but only slight.  I arrived, having had to stop half a dozen times to get breath back, collapsed in a chair and cried!  There was no way was I moving from that room to do the climb again that day. 

The view was amazing - well, it would be, being right at the top of the resort - but that wasn't much  compensation *LOL*.  Next thing - Anie is telling us we're moving ... immediately, just for one night,  then we'd go into another room more suitable - and so, we spent our first night in Fundu in a beach front room .... after I'd had to endure another climb to the top of the resort to attend the cocktail and canape evening in the pool area *duh!*
Thanks for dropping by .....

2 comments:

My'scardcorner said...

Lovely pics of Fundu Pam also was most interested in the one of the praying mantis as the only ones I ever encountered in Kenya were green:0)
Myrax

Jackie said...

it was Casey !!!!