Casa del Mar overlooks the Indian Ocean from a platform of sand protected by a concrete seawall. At low tide, exposed sandy flats and tidal pools stretch for hundreds of yards to the ocean's edge. At high tide, waves pound the seawall relentlessly and frequently splash up into the courtyard. Houses and small resorts up and down the coast are simillarly sited, though many have bamboo posts, or wicket fences, or just a sand bank in lieu of a seawall. How long this can last is anyone's guess. According to a ranger at Jozani Forest, the sea level in estuaries has risen about a meter in the last 40 years, and the Indian Ocean keeps rising.

 

 

 

 

The setting has an idyllic effect on visitors as the wave's rhythm is like a background soundtrack for meditation or yoga. When the tide's out, Casa del Mar is soothed with the sound of birds and breezes in the coconut palms and mkungu trees (thick, big-leafed trees similar to magnolias). Even the mosquitoes leave us alone.

We're here, apparently, at the best time of year–“winter” 6 degrees south of the equator–as the daily high temps don't leave the 80's and cool sea breezes are steady. Daniela, our hostess, says she tells her friends NOT to come in February and March because of the heat–there is no air-conditioning–, and Casa del Mar is closed in April and May during the rainy season.

But now, the staff is always smiling and everyone seems content and happy. Is it an illusion created for guests? Perhaps. It's an effective illusion. The testimony on the internet suggests this part of Zanzibar is home to happy people, even if the average daily income is $1/day. Hakuna matata is the national motto, and that was the case long before Disney popularized it.

Everything is not perfect. The wifi sucks and quickly bogs down when more than a couple users sign on. It make downloading photos and uploading a blog post difficult. The coffee is not what one would expect in one of the great coffee-producing areas of the world. The food is average, which probably makes it above-average for this strip of coast.

Those are paltry details given the low-key vibe and natural beauty of the Zanzibar coast. Around us local women gather seaweed on the sandy flats at low-tide and men wait by their dhows for the tide to come in. Small clusters of kids in Islamic dress skip home from school. Life goes on. Hakuna mutata!