One Day in Zanzibar

On By Jennifer PrestholdtIn Culture, Family, Photography, Travel, Weekly Challenges
House of Wonders and Stone Town waterfront, Zanzibar
House of Wonders and Stone Town waterfront, Zanzibar

A little more than 10 years ago, I had a rare moment of clarity.  I was sitting with my second child, who was 9 months old, on my lap while my 2-year-old danced and swayed around me.  Everyone else in the Mommy and Me class was singing – with gusto – the Barney song “I Love You”.  Glancing at the clock, I realized that the week before – at exactly this time – I was being interviewed live on national TV in Peru about that country’s truth and reconciliation commission.

The stark contrast made me realize that I had chosen a life in which there might never really be a “typical” day.   Setting aside the insipidity of Barney, I realized that these small moments with my young sons were as important and valuable as the other, more high-profile moments of my career, which often takes me to exotic locales.  I learned not to compare my days.  Not to sift through the experiences of each day and measure the worth of one against another, but to see them all as a whole.  To acknowledge that each endeavor for work and for family gives me strength for the other. To realize that I am fortunate to have these varied experiences, which, woven together form the rich tapestry of my life.

So for the Weekly Photo Challenge: A Day in the Life, I am choosing to share one day that I recently spent in Zanzibar for work.  As I write this, my daughter is sitting beside me, looking at the photos and talking about them with me.  One day in Zanzibar, one day of spring break at home. Days and experiences, knitted together – so many days to be thankful for!

Sunrise in Dar es Salaam
St. Joseph Cathedral, on the waterfront in Dar es Salaam
View from my in Dar es Salaam
On the ferry, waiting for it to leave Zanzibar Gate
Birds over the harbor
Commuters at the Kigamboni Ferry Terminal
Early March – on the brink of rainy season – brings sudden, dramatic rain that quickly ends.
Rainbow over Dar es Salaam Bay
Stone Town waterfront
View of Stone Town harbor from hotel terrace.
On the ferry to Zanzibar
Stone Town rooftops
Looking down on the roofs of Stone Town, Zanzibar
Old Fort in Stone Town, a World Heritage Site
Stone Town, Zanzibar
On the way to Zanzibar Town, the capital of Zanzibar.
Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania with its own government – known as the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar. A proposal to amend Zanzibar’s constitution to allow rival parties to form governments of national unity was adopted by 66.2 percent of voters on 31 July 2010.
Interviews with non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
This poster is part of a campaign to end Violence Against Women in Zanzibar
Coconut tree at the office of an NGO in Zanzibar Town
Children’s rights
Back to Stone Town
Lunch. A new discovery – Stoney Tangawizi, a most delicious East African ginger beer!
Forodhani Gardens during the heat of midday
Window
Intricately carved door
House of Wonders during a sudden rain shower
Gizenga Street, Stone Town
Stone Town manhole cover
Mosiac
On the way to mosque
School girl heads home from school.
Forodhani Gardens at sunset
Zanzibar sunset
Zanzibar sunset
Cooling off at the end of the day

 

(See more Weekly Photo Challenge entries here.)

21 thoughts on “One Day in Zanzibar”

    1. Thanks! We have figured out a pretty good work/home life balance for our family, but it definitely works best when I keep the overseas trips to 7-10 days. My kids are older now, too, and will use facetime and g-chat to talk to me pretty much whenever they want to. (I do love that photo from the deck of the ferry, too! 🙂 )Thanks so much for your comment!

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    1. It was a gorgeous sunset – especially since we were at the start of the rainy season and the day began with pouring rain! People were so very friendly in Tanzania. I hope you get a chance to visit Zanzibar one day.

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    1. Oops! Sorry I missed your comment, Nicole! You would absolutely love Zanzibar – there’s so much history. And I didn’t even make it to any of the beaches! I definitely want to go back one day. Your life is pretty exciting, too. I sure wish I was getting on that plane to Paris with you! Have a good trip!

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