Rest of Zanzibar and Moshi

Oops, the power went out...typical! One thing I won't miss about here. Anyway, Melissa and I decided by asking ourselves "what would our mom's tell us to do?" and we both decided that they would want us to spend the extra money since it wasn't that expensive and not suffer in the heat. Riley and Elle wanted to try to stay in the Banda and save money. It was amazing once we got to our room and turned the air on! We haven't really felt A/C since being in Africa. We told Elle and Riley they should just sleep in our room since there was a double bed and a single bed. The room was super nice with it's own beautiful bathroom, outside sitting area and sitting area inside. So cute! After we cooled down we went down to the bar on the beach. We were all in such a good mood after being in the A/C that we decided we would stay there our 3rd night also and all just split the cost of the room. We were worried that we wouldn't find anywhere in Stone Town with A/C and it is a lot hotter in Stone Town, no sea breeze and very crowded. So, we had some food and then the Full Moon Party started, a party they throw once a month on the full moon. They decorate the dance floor/eating area really nice and there are dancers and acrobats and then everyone dances afterwards. Elle and Riley were super tired and we all noticed we looked a little burnt so they went back to the room and Melissa and I stayed and danced for a couple more hours. It was fun but we went to bed fairly early because we were tired too. By Sunday we were all in so much pain from our sunburns. They didn't look very bad, but they were the most painful burns any of us have ever had. Then we understood why they asked us if we wanted wet suits for snorkeling: the water is so clear that no matter how much SPF you put on the salt water washes it off and the sun hits your back the whole time. Even the backs of my knees were fried (sorry, Mom, not my fault!!). We were all popping Advil and running from the sun for the rest of the weekend. We would all be hurting saying how we just wanted to go back to Moshi then we would take some Advil and sit out in the shade on the beach and say how beautiful it was and how we didn't want to leave. We developed quite a love/hate relationship with the island. We just bummed around and relaxed on Sunday and Sunday night on the beach. On Monday we got an early cab to Stone Town. It was super hot and we were carrying all of our stuff so we only hit the main highlights. The first thing we saw was a church which was built exactly where the slave auctions took place. First we went to a building next to a church down some steps into a scary dungeon-looking place. There were two tiny rooms. One held 100 women and the other held 150 men consistently during the trade. It was unbelievable and incredibly sad. It seemed impossible that many would fit in such a small space. Then we went to see a memorial built to honor those who died, then went into the church. It was very interesting. After the trade was abolished in Zanzibar, missionaries came and built the church over the auction site. When you first walk in you see a basin where baptisms take place. A guide explained that they built the basin in that place because below is where the mass grave is located. When slaves died in the small rooms or when women gave birth they threw the dead and the babies into the mass grave. Since baptism is like celebrating new life, they put the basin there. Also, there were Roman columns in the church that were put in upside down because the architect wasn't there that day, and when he got back he decided to leave them, so it's the only church with upside down columns. The altar is directly over the whipping post, where slaves were whipped to see how much they would cry out. If they didn't cry out, they were considered stronger and thus went for a higher price. It was very sobering. After, we went to the main Stone Town museum, which told a lot about the history of Stone Town. It was really interesting. After that it was time to go to the airport. We were very happy to get back home to Moshi, and it was so nice and cool (only about 85 degrees) when we got there around 5:30 pm, it felt so nice to be home! This week has gone by so fast. I've been running around town trying to get last minute things done. Today is my last day with my kids, and we are going to have a little party. I'm super super sad to leave them, but I'm also very anxious to get home. I still look back and can't believe I've been in Tanzania for 10 weeks! Crazy! Tonight we are going to Glacier, of course, and then to Club La Liga (I'm going to go once more since it's my last night even though it's crazy!). And tomorrow we are going across the street to Mzungu Bar for a BBQ. It should be a blast. I'll be so sad to leave, but I'm also getting so excited to get home!!!