After breakfast the next morning we walked a few blocks to the van that would take us to Pongwe Beach, our last stop on this Africa trip. We began the 90 minute trip through the outskirts of the city over some rough roads being repaired in preparation for the upcoming rainy season. The roads the rest of the way were in good shape and appeared to have been well made, something not always true in Africa.
Pongwe Beach Hotel consists of several cabins stretched out along the beach away from the main lodge, restaurant, and bar. The temperature is still high, but we have a nice sea breeze to keep us somewhat cool. The beach is flat and the tide goes out about a mile. The water is cool when the tide is in during the morning hours and bathtub warm in the afternoon after the sun has had time to warm the shallow water.
We have everything we need here which is fortunate since nothing is within walking distance. We can take a boat ride and go fishing or hire a guide to take us on a tour to a spice farm or a forest where we can see monkeys or even a trip to another island. We were happy to just stay here and enjoy relaxing in the sun and water.
We are joined at dinner by singers and bush babies. Bush babies are small animals that live in the trees and only come out at night. Cute little things, this one came in part for the bananas guests are encouraged to feed him. Unfortunately for the species they are a popular food item and in great danger of being eliminated.
Our flight to Dubai left at midnight so we had an evening drive to the airport. We passed several mosques, reminders that this is a Muslim island. Each village we passed included several speed bumps to slow the traffic. Once we reached town, the traffic slowed considerably. Crowds of people were out for an evening stroll, food, and shopping. The many bicycles and scooters zipping along the side of the road made driving even more fun. Fortunately, the roads are plenty wide for cars and trucks.
The airport is quite small, but security was tight as it must be for an international airport. We passed through two security checks and three passport checks including one where our pictures were taken. Our one worry was that we had been told we could only have one carry-on. Nevertheless, the guard tagged both of our carry-ons and we passed into the waiting room where we had access to a gift shop filled with books, clothing, and souvenirs. After a short time, we walked to our plane and took off for Dubai having ended our sojourn in East Africa.
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