Dial-up connections, eh?

Not this one, fortunately - they have broadband in Stone Town, which is where I am now. Pemba, however, is a very different story (1000/= for the first minute and 300/= a minute thereafter, and very very slow. And I was there from Sunday before last until Monday. Hence the lack of emails, etc, for the last week and a half.

So, finally made it to Tanga on Sat 14th. 'Nuff said. There's nothing there. Despite being the third largest town in the country.

Left the next day for Pemba, with Althea - got to the airport at 9am, after being told to arrive at 9.30 for the 10 o'clock flight (without booking). Eventually the staff turned up around ten, and told us that the plane would leave at 2pm. Woo-hoo: four hours sitting in Tanga Airport. And we thought the town was dull. Eventually, at about 3pm, the plane arrived, and we took off at quarter past.

The pilot got on shortly after the plane had filled up (it was a really itty-bitty plane so that didn't take long), and asked us if we were going to Zanzibar.

"No, Pemba."
"Oh." He turned to the Spanish couple in front of us. "Are you going to Zanzibar?"
"Pemba."
"Right, okay."

Fortunately, this little conversation was only slightly worrying because I'm quite dumb, and I didn't know that all the planes go from Tanga to Pemba and then on to Zanzibar. The pilot's slightly-confused expression didn't help all that much either. When we arrived in Pemba, we waited a little while for them to find the key to the luggage compartment (just like being back at the SPW office, trying to get into the safe), and then went to Swahili Divers' hostel.

There really is absolutely no development on Pemba, so unless you're diving or snorkelling, or just want a few day's peace and quiet, there's not much reason to go there. Because there's not much choice in the way of guest houses either, they're all pretty expensive.

Everyone at Swahili Divers was really friendly and helpful with our diving course (guests as well as staff), and it's a very sociable place to go and stay. There's quite a few interesting people there as well - two lads from the Frontier camp (volunteers doing marine conservation research) that was attacked recently are now working there, and a few days ago a man from Exeter (would you believe) arrived. He's been traveling around the world for four and a half years, on a home-made motorbike, for charity. I think his website is http://www.millennium-ride.com/ (He can't spell). There were also two birthdays, two engagements and a honeymoon going on while we were there (well, the engagements weren't exactly while we were there, but there were plenty of excuses to enjoy ourselves, anyway). One of the birthdays, of course, was mine, so we celebrated it with a Harry Potter quiz (Althea is embarrassingly good at this) and a movie. Oh yes, and we drank some alcohol.

Will leave it here for the moment...