This time last week, I was swimming in the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean ... this week I am just about managing to keep my head above water in the sea of paperwork and endless tasks that mark the end of the school year.
The long awaited Zanzibar trip lived up to all expectations. I had worried that some of the children would get homesick, but in the end, we had trouble dragging them away.From the moment they spotted the famous 'Blue Beach' it was clear that this was going to be a week to remember. The kids loved their little beachside abodes, adorning them with flowers on the beds and welcome mats for the daily room inspections. One group even tried to bribe us with welcome snacks on arrival for extra points, but unfortunately their method of melting the marshmallows by dunking them in the kettle did not put them in good stead!
I'm beginning to think that the animals of the African continent must be having a good giggle at my expense. In the past three years, I have trekked through almost impenetrable forests to spot gorillas and chimps, driven around fig tree circles in search of tree climbing lions and spent hours on safari seeking out lions and other majestic creatures. This time, it was the turn of the dolphins. Now swimming with dolphins is one of those activities that is somewhat over-romanticised. What they don't tell you, is that you have to get up at the crack of dawn, to board a vessel that does not look worthy of the village duckpond, let alone a tumultuous ocean. A few of my group, who had better sea legs than I did, dived in at every opportunity to swim with Flipper and friends. Meanwhile, myself and a couple of the girls turned an insipid shade of green and I was little comfort to them as I hurled over the edge! I was relieved when somebody else decided the white horses were too big and that we should head back to dry land.
The final day's visit to Stone Town was a little hurried for my liking. We spent some time in the former slave quarters and learnt about Zanzibar's colourful history. However, we barely had time to get lost amongst the maze of ancient alleyways and I was too busy helping the girls decide what they should buy for their little brothers and sisters to have any time to shop myself. I will have to book a return visit sometime!
The trip marks the end of Primary for these children, many of whom I have known for 3 years, having taught some of them twice. Soon they will be teenagers and will leave behind the fun of building sandcastles and peering into rock pools. I will miss them next year, but they are ready to fly the nest.
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