Charlotte's Web: Week off in Dar Es Salaam

This week has been the perfect antidote to the hecticness of last week's conference schedule. I've been staying with friends on the Msasani Peninsula in Dar Es Salaam, and making the most of getting up late, swimming in their pool, drinking coffee with non-powdered milk, reading, sleeping in a comfortable bed and having showers with hot water. I feel like I've fully recharged my batteries and am ready to get stuck back into work (and bucket showers) next week.

It was also great to hang out with Kate (our Programme Manager in Nepal) as, like me, she'd tagged on some leave after the conference. We started the week by going to Bongoyo island (one of four tiny desert islands, a bit closer to the mainland than Zanzibar). It's part of the Dar Es Salaam Marine Reserve and absolutely stunning. We spent the day swimming in the sea, reading under a beach banda and eating freshly caught fish and calamari. Heaven. On Tuesday we treated ourselves to body scrubs and massages at a spa just round the corner from where I've been staying. It was so good I (slightly guiltily) went back again on Friday. On Wednesday we ventured into central Dar to go fabric shopping. I'm looking forward to getting some dresses and skirts made by Mr Mansour (the tailor next to the office) when I get back to Freetown. Kate (who speaks fluent Swahili from her time as a volunteer here) managed to get "local prices" and I ended up with four huge pieces of brightly coloured fabric for just over a tenner. Bargain.

Tomorrow I'm flying to London via Dubai and then have a day of meetings in the London office on Tuesday before heading back to Freetown on Wednesday. Wonder if I'll make it to O'Casey's in time for Open Mic night?!