After breakfast we drive back to the Olasiti Lodge at Arusha, where after lunch the group will break up with some heading back home, some to other African locations on their own, and the bulk of us to Zanzibar.  Ronald will accompany us on the Zanzibar extension, although we will apparently have another trip leader when we arrive there.  The drive to Arusha is on main paved roads, where we still pass the occasional zebra or giraffe or termite mound, with cars pulled off the road taking pictures.  Now safari veterans, we regard all this as NBD, having seen thousands of these creatures; however, we do remember the oohs and aahs when we saw our first ones.  We make a couple of stops, once at Joseph’s favorite tee shirt shop and later to pick up the art work several of us had ordered back when we were in Arusha before.  We arrive back in beautiful downtown Arusha to find the same loud crowded streets, dusty roads, endless roadside stands selling shoes (who could possibly buy all these shoes, we wonder??) and other sundries, jam-packed minivans which serve as taxis (think four seated abreast, 3½ rows, crammed in a Volkswagon bus and you get the idea). 

After various goodbyes, the smaller group headed to the Arusha airport to catch a Tropical Air flight to Zanzibar.  We were expecting a small plane, like the Cessna Caravans we had seen everywhere, but instead were in a good-sized twin prop plane similar to, but substantially bigger than, a Dash 8.  An hour and a half later we landed on the main Zanzibar island of Unguja.  Zanzibar is a coral archipelago and this is the largest island.  We were met by Job, our trip leader for this part of the trip.  Ronald is serving as a management observer since this is only the third group OAT has sent to Zanzibar and the itinerary is still a work in progress.  It is also the first time he’s been to Zanzibar since childhood and he’s going to be a bit of a tourist along with us.  Our first impression of Zanzibar is that it is as hot (or hotter) than the Serengeti, and a lot more humid, but with ocean breezes!  Highs in both places are in the mid-nineties during our trip, but the Serengeti is a dry heat whereas this is much different.

We survive the trip from the airport to the hotel and arrive just in time for happy hour, a cool ocean breeze, and sunset up on the rooftop bar.  The hotel is in the middle of Stone Town, the historic old city, and has been recently refurbished so is very comfortable.  Phyllis was quite happy up on the roof, drinking her wine and taking in the skyline sights; Craig, of course, was wishing he was in Juneau.  However, a welcoming dinner in the rooftop restaurant, and the fascinating itinerary we heard we would follow for the next several days, convinced him he was better off here.