Stone Town

I have a cold, fear of malaria rattles my brain, but i am sure it is, just a cold. We have entered Stone Town and are staying at Karibu Inn, Our room is accommodating, however it also feels like we have been put in a jail cell or asylum of some sort. Barred windows look at cement walls. To exacerbate the situation I have been lying in bed staring at a tin celling, feeling ill. At night, bringing down the mosquito net, I form a pod of isolation and 'quarantine.' I was woken up by many sounds, from the call to prayer and cat fights to the terentual downpours of rain bouncing off tin roof. I lay in bed believing this room could be anywhere in the world. I allow my exhausted mind to take me to those far off places. The orchestral sounds of dripping water and pouring rain take me far from here. As I drift off I hear the rooster crow and know morning is coming. That I am in Zanzibar during Ramadan. I dream of traveling far but forget how far I really am. Realization of this comforts me. I finally fade back into sleep. The rain has stopped. The sun of Zanzibar will warm me tomorrow and remind me how far from home I really am.

Stone Town, Tanzania