Zanzibar Part 4: Under the Sea

Hours before the tide was in, there was approximately 25 ft of beach, now the tide has receded back into the wide open ocean and all you can see is white sand and patches of water that have gotten trapped when the rest of the waves rolled back into the horizon, they look like aqua-marine mirages against the glowing sand. My friends and I walked on the ocean floor for a mile or so until we reached the water again, there the dhows were sailing around. A fisherman asks if we would like to go sailing, of course why not, so we jump into his boat and begin to make some distance between the shallows of the sea and deeper waters. The rice bag sail holds strongly and the captain; “Captain James” is bare foot out on the glider singing and playing games with the winds. 15 minutes pass and we set anchor, jump out and swim in the crystal blue waters. Captain James has some snorkelling gear in the dhow so we gear up and explore the treasures of the ocean. Brilliant fish flash their colors everywhere, the coral stands like a grand statue; magnificent star fish the size of dinner plates decorate the sand floor glowing bright red and grey-blue. Giant shells and oysters sparkle as the sun diffracts through the water molecules; everything is dazzling. Hours pass and we have happily tried our bodies out, we climb back into the dhow and we are on our way. My skin was deep brown and salted by the sun and sea, my body was relaxed and well worked, my imagination was entertained by the life under the sea, and my mind still from the radiant wonders of the day. Oh life. Another day in paradise.