diving Archives - Richards Rambles

This is a very old post – 2007, but I thought I would update and bring it in line with modern technology. There is a more extensive set of pictures here but the page is old and needs work.

We left Cape Town International early on Monday morning and arrived in Dar-Es-Salaam on Monday afternoon and were rapidly transferred to the domestic arrivals and departures concourse.

Our destination? Chole Island off the coast of Tanzania. The transition from jet planes to prop planes was the start of an amazing adventure.

The sea beneath us as we headed for Mafia Island was studded with coral islands.

We arrived at Mafia Island Airport

The tar is the aircraft parking zone. The dirt is the actual runway. And yes, that is the plane we arrived in!

The taxi drive to the other side of Mafia was an experience all of its own. Land Rovers are the ONLY vehicle in use and they have their own resident mosquitoes. The roads are all dirt roads, they do have speed signs up, but I doubt if any one tries to enforce the speed limit mainly because I personally never saw any of the drivers take the vehicles out of low range.

You don’t drive on the roads as there are too many potholes. You drive next to the road.

We arrived in the Mafia Marine Park in the early evening.

Amanda fleeing the underseat mosquitoes

The next stage of the trip is a boat trip to Chole Island. The boats used are small dhows. I never got to learn the actual name of the type of dhow, they had the typical lateen sail and were used as we might use the family car to nip off to the shop or to take the kids to school.

I am not sure if this one qualifies as a dhow, but you might think of it as a laptop! Actually if you want to be thoroughly boring, it is an outrigger canoe carved from a single mango tree and having a lateen sail. From what I could see, they used this sort of boat for fishing mainly. Note the Mangrove trees growing out of the water in the background.

Bicycles are another way of getting around. You see bicycles everywhere and even bicycles turned to other uses.

But our boat wasn’t ready, so we had beer on the beach.

Darkness came and along with it the boat.

Of course it does splash a bit.

Thanks to Amanda’s persistence we stayed in the Chole Mjinji Resort.
The resort consists of a number of tree house and for those who can’t take the height, ground chalets are provided.
Every effort has been made to ensure the minimum impact on the surrounding nature.
There is no electricity, no TV and no running water.
The trees around the tree houses are baobabs.

Music to eat by! I must admit it must be an acquired taste!

This guy shinned up this mast like he was ambling down Adderley Street.

Searching for Whale Sharks and not finding them. The one disappointment of the trip. But a good outing in any case.

The Village tour

Arranged by the hotel. The village is scattered across a huge area. No motor cars, trucks or rail. Just bicycles. Oh, and satellite TV.

A chicken coop. Just a miniature house.

Building materials are mud, coral, rocks and ground up coral.

Everything is done outside. It is just too hot to sit inside.

A makeshift but very comfortable bench outside someones home.

A fruit bat. And yes they are as big as that one looks. About 30 to 40 cm across the wings. Also called flying foxes.

Boat building is a dying craft. Everything is made by hand, even nails are hand made.

School Children on the beach waiting for the ferry to Mafia Island.

Going diving on the dhow.

Hamisi setting up the cylinders.

Last minute diving instructions.

Hamissi taking a break before the dive.

Amanda before her first scuba dive. Looking very cool in a wet suit.

That water is WARM. Richard diving in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Both for sunburn, rather than warmth. This is the way to dive and only 6 kgs on the belt. Heaven!