Mzungu

Stone Town, Zanzibar 8:15pm - So, picture two fantastic Canadian travelers out to experience the real Africa. How better than to try the local food at the outdoor night market...perfect.

Kim and Grant wander down to the Forodhani Market for a bite to eat...Kim appropriately attired in long skirt and long sleeves (not to offend any of the locals - who are largely Muslim)...which when you are in 28C+ weather, it is not that comfortable. Imagine hundreds of food stands - outdoor BBQ's, tables of kebabs with every variety of protein known to man, souvenir stands, fruit stands, sugarcane juicers - you name it, they have it. Our friend Sonny said you haven't experienced a country until you have eaten on the street with the locals - him having worked in Africa for many years also added the following advice - eat well cooked meat and bread only, forget everything else. So with our mind set on experiencing the local action and filling our tummies, we quickly made friends with Arif. To our suprise, Arif's brother is living in Toronto - so Arif earns himself a Canadian flag pin!!

At this point we feel like we have found lost kin. Arif talks us through the process and selection. Prawns, lobster, calimari, chicken, beef, tuna, mussels, naan bread, sweet bananas, samosas. With our selection made they toss everything back on the BBQ for a quick heat up. A few photos are taken, we laugh, we cajole - Arif finds a table to sit down...he also pitches a "spice tour" to us for tomorrow - we need permits, etc - we say we need time to discuss...I reach into my pocket to pay - Arif says no, we collect after, you enjoy the food first - Hakuna Matata!!

We quickly make friends with our table mates - Amina and her friend who is a civil engineer from Dar. Amina is a tour guide from Moshi (where we started our adventure) - once again flag pins are flying!

At this point lets make something else clear...our guide book - Lonely Planet - which did so well in guiding us to Sazani Beach Resort, comments that cheap meals - 500 Tsh ($0.50) can be easily had at the market. Also several other travelers we have met have confirmed the cheapness and goodness of the meals. Being of Scottish decent, this place is calling out to me...

Arif comes to check on us, we decide that to top off our very excellent and successful food adventure, we need to try a sweet banana. Moments later a banana appears and is chowed down...delicious!

Now, time to pay...Arif once again pitches the spice tour, we decline...no hard feelings...what do we owe for dinner? He thinks for a moment, I am expecting 5000 Tsh ($5)...he says 18,000 Tsh ($18)...the look on Kim's face must have said it all...because he then began to explain that you could get a meal much cheaper, but the quality wouldn't be the same - the vendor would just be trying to clear out inventory...so I hand over 20,000 Tsh...keep the change...always tip the guy who is swindling you...this is where hs face looked like Kim's earlier...not only did he swindle us, but gets a $2 tip...what a night (for him)!!!

We are compiling a list of the top ten things we learned in Africa...a hint to one of the items on the list...even if the guy's brother lives in your country, you've given the guy a flag and you think you are brothers, ask the price before you order at an outdoor market!!!

g&k