Report: Inadequate oversight for inmates' dental provider (Asbury Park Press)

Tanzania Part 3 - Zanzibar

Published in: Internet News Search: dentist July 29th, 2005

Tanzania Part 3 - Zanzibar

Our 3rd week was spent hanging out in Zanzibar.  Zanzibar is confusingly an archipelago, island and town (like if New York City, comprising the 5 boroughs, was on New York island in New York state).  Zanzibar has a storied history.  It changed hands several times and was treasured for its spices.  Shortly after gaining independence, it merged with the mainland Tanganyika to form Tanzania (in '64 I think). 

We flew from Moshi into Zanzibar and headed straight for our hotel called Pongwe Beach resort.  The hotel is a boutique hotel set on a pristine, secluded beach in the northeast coast about 45 minutes from the airport.  The tiny fishing village of Pongwe is about a 5 minute walk down the dirt road.  Since you're kind of in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing much to do, but It was just what the doctor ordered.  We walked along the beach into the village where I played soccer with the kids on the beach, which was a ton of fun, which was about the extent of our physical activity.  The hotel and its staff are very conducive to chilling out -- they have a library of books and games, and hammocks on the beach.  We liked their 'nice touches', like serving fresh cut fruit to you on the beach, and giving olives and these delicious toasted peanuts with drinks every evening.  Speaking of the beach, their beach was probably the best we've ever seen -- clean, uncrowded with water the color of turqouise.  Their owner used to cook at the Ivy in London, so they take their food very seriously, and they didn't disappoint.  Every meal was delicious, well-presented and fresh -- tuna kebabs, soups, greek salads, prawn tempura, pork chops.  Our room was well appointed, if a bit dark.  Since it's 'off the grid', their tap and bath water was salty, which made our hair feel weird (they provide bottled water for drinking & dental care).  All in all, we'd highly recommend Pongwe to folks, especialy couples, wanting a quiet getaway at a reasonable price.

We then went to Zanzibar town, also known as Stone Town.  On the way there, we stopped for a spice tour.  Zanzibar has many spice farms and plantations most of which try to attract tourists.  They set up little plots of land that serve as a showcase for the many types of spices and exotic fruit grown on the island.  The guides show you the different plants and trees and it's fun to try to guess what it is by smelling the leaves.  We really enjoyed the tour and saw all manner of spice plants -- clove trees, vanilla, cinammon, coffee, ginger, cardamoom, nutmeg, as well as fruits like starfruit, lychee and durian.  I think our tour guide enjoyed our tour even more than we did -- we think we was, shall we say partaking in some of the spices in question.  His eyes were red and he couldn't stop giggling, which had Dara and I on the verge of cracking up.  After purchasing some stuff from their souvenir stand (whic is how they make money since the tour is 'free' though a tip is expected), we headed to Stone Town.

Stone Town is divided into a newer and older part.  Most tourists stay in the older part of town, which is famous for its maze of alleys conjuring up visions of Ali Baba and Arabian Nights.  In fact, Stone Town is famous for its ornate doors, many made of sesame wood (hence "Open Sesame").  There are museums and such to see in Stone Town, but one major activity is simply to walk around and take it all in.  We did plenty of this and I have to see we were disappointed.  The architecture and 'feel' was interesting but Stone Town lived up to its reputation of being a 'must see' tourist trap.  We felt like we were in a video game where the goal of the game is to gracefully avoid the various touts, hustlers and vendors that pop up from all sorts of directions offering you -- taxi! spice tour! curios!....  Once we got out of the main tourist thoroughfares, it was much better.  There's plenty of shopping to do, although most of the curio shops stock the same stuff, many of which aren't necessarily unique to Zanzibar, or even East Africa (like masks).  We found one out of the way where we purchased some nice stuff and bargained the guy down.  We ate at the outdoor street market at the waterfront, as recommended by the guidebook, and this was overrated too (though it was very cheap so I guess you get what you pay for).  If you're going to Zanzibar, Stone Town is a must, but I'd say spending an afternoon and evening is plenty.  And I'd do it before heading to the beach.  I will say that the furnishings in our hotel and other establishments were great -- straight out of Arabian Nights.  We stayed at the Dhow Palace hotel, which we were happy with.

Zanzibar was a great place to relax at the end of the trip.  It has world-class diving though we didn't partake as we're not big into that.

Part 1 was about climbing Kilimanjaro.

Part 2 was about going on safari.

Wisconsin : Wisconsin Governor Doyle Announces Plan to Expand Dental ...

Published in: Internet News Search: dentist March 23rd, 2007

Wisconsin : Wisconsin Governor Doyle Announces Plan to Expand Dental ...

All American Patriots - March 22, 2007 -- MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today unveiled a new plan to provide all children in Wisconsin with access to comprehensive dental care. The Governor’s plan will address the shortage of providers that offer care ...

Hominy & Hash

Published in: Internet News Search: dentist October 14th, 2007

Hominy & Hash

American Reporter - I may have never met Sadi or Debeeza, but I was Sadi in my youth, scribbling and carving my love for Nicole Gregalot (the local dentist's daughter) all over anything I could find back in suburban Lake Worth, Florida. A love unwanted ...