One of the fun things about overseas travel, I remember reading in a Rick Steves guide years ago, is that, at some point, you'll need to buy toothpaste in Hungary, or bug spray in Singapore. I agree with this statement to an extent -- it can be like a little product-hunting adventure when you run out of shampoo in a very foreign country, sent searching for the right label in a different language and measuring the impact of imported L'Oreal on your daily budget.So far we've found both extremes in terms of both selection and price: In Cambodia, for example, American products are hard to come by but mysteriously cheap (e.g. $1.25 for a large bottle of Johnson's Baby Shampoo), while in Australia, the choice of product in large drugstores could keep me busy for hours, though comfort brands like Neutrogena and Maybelline are locked behind the "exclusive" glass-paned section of the pharmacy. I have nearly nothing left from my original, carefully selected cache of toiletries, and after six months of daily use I've accumulated a pretty interesting set of replacements.
When we arrived in Zanzibar, I'd jotted down a long list of drugstore needs. (Since we had a very strict, 15 kg weight limit for both Kili and African domestic flights, I'd abandoned any full-sized jars and tubes in Thailand and now was left with a -- the horror! -- nearly empty toiletry bag.) The six of us ventured into Stonetown yesterday, Zanzibar's tiny city, after taking a three-hour "spice tour" on a local plantation. The pharmacies we've seen in Africa so far have been among the most, um, challenging I've yet encountered -- usually offering one of each item and charging $18 for a bottle of sunscreen. We finally found a shop that had a decent selection, and I was able to tick almost all the items off my shopping list. It wasn't until we sat down for drinks on the beach and Drake took an inventory of my loot that we discovered the even-more-exciting origin of the goodies in my bag. Here's what I bought yesterday in Zanzibar:
1. Small pack of Glory 3-ply tissues (2). Made in the United Arab Emirates.
2. Garnier "clean feel" face wash. Made by L'Oreal, in India.
3. Johnson's Baby Lotion. Made in Paranaque City, Philippines.
4. Garnier "ultra doux" hair conditioner with lime extract. Made in Mumbai.
5. Always with wings. Made by Procter and Gamble, in Cairo, Egypt.
6. Colgate toothpaste, original flavor. Origins unknown. Instructions in French.
7. Reach interdental toothbrush, soft. Made in Skillman, New Jersey.
So I guess you can understand why the shops in East Africa need to charge a little more for such goods. Quite the import hodgepodge. I'll let you know how I find the lime-scented conditioner.
Besides one day trip to buy toothpaste and to smell African spices, our time in Zanzibar has been delightfully lazy. Our bed-and-breakfast couldn't be more charming or conveniently located -- we're literally five steps from our own little private beach spot, where hammock-style chairs with pillows and food-and-drink service await. The colors of the water are breathtaking and the sand is the finest I've ever set foot on.
We spend just one more night in paradise with our four friends, before splitting up tomorrow as some of the girls go home and some continue on with us to South Africa. Bryan, Sarah, Jen and I will arrive in Cape Town in the late evening, ready for two days of sightseeing together before Sarah moves on and the three of us begin our five-week volunteer stint. More on that soon.
I'm also planning to do something I don't usually do -- I'll soon add some back-blog posts that I wrote on the laptop but was unable to upload due to connection issues in Africa. Hopefully they'll still be somewhat relevant. It's been frustrating since I have so many safari photos I want to share, but I only succeed in uploading one or two in an hour online. As for photos from the Kili climb: I left my digital cameras at sea level, having read that many fail after reaching a certain altitude. Thus, I've got some film to develop (and a lot of organizing to do!) before I can show you exactly how completely dirty and disgusting we all looked. Also, my toenail's turned black and is about to fall off.
Stay tuned! ..........
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