It's Hard Living In Paradise

Pole Pole the say when I arrive at Paje Beach on Zanzibar. It means "slowly, slowly". That's how life moves there, no need for speed.

Paje beach was a last minute decision, which seems to fit the lifestyle as well. The beach is white sand and the water a blue that is astonishingly beautiful.

I found a guest house on AirBnB that fit my budget and was a 2 minute walk from the beach.

Saloum the caretaker, and his pup Sela (I may or may not be spelling their names right) greet me and show me around.

It's rustic and just a quick two minute walk to the beach. I cannot even fathom this blue.
There are housemates who are Dutch and Estonian. As the days slide by, pole pole, we find a German to wander with as well.
I cook for them, simply. Fresh fish tucked with lime and garlic, wrapped in foil and tossed in the coals of the fire.

As we eat one of them, the Dutchman I think, exclaims " It's hard living in paradise..."
We sit outside and watch the night sky as shooting stars put on a show.
Most days the water is bath water warm and your swimming is held captive by the tides.
One night and day it pours rain, so we walk up the beach to visit another guesthouse for lunch. Along the way women are working their seaweed beds while the tide is out.
The following morning I catch the tide before it goes out and the water is refreshingly cool.
I cook once more, my last night.
We shop in the village. As we walk through children play and giggle with us.

I cook fish the same as before and bananas in a curry sauce. The bananas are called Elephant Fingers due to their size. They are best for cooking and in the sauce work well with the salty delicacy of the fish.
My last night I jump in the ocean as the stars fill the sky above me.
It sure is hard to live in paradise.
I'm in Istanbul now and head to work on a farm on Friday.