Having completed my first two years of medicine, I chose to
come to Zanzibar
to get a feel of how things are done in the developing world. Despite my flight
being delayed, I was still greeted at the airport and whisked away to the house
in Mbweni (approximately 7km south of Stone Town).
Upon arrival, I was shown around and given an orientation on
how things are done in the house. All the bedrooms had their own bathrooms and
housed 4 to 6 people. Everyone I met was very friendly, which immediately
calmed the expected nerves of landing in a foreign land for the first time. My
first night treated me to the truly amazing food that the resident cook and Zanzibar has to offer –
barbecue night! A weekly occurrence, it was something that I and the rest of
the house looked forward to every week. Otherwise, breakfast and dinner are
served at the house Monday to Friday (all equally as appetising). The house
itself was a very sociable place, obviously with dinner times, but also with
the large 1st floor living room, which proved very popular for
general socialising and lazing about! Furthermore, safety was never an issue in
the house as we had 24 hour doormen/security guards. In fact, Zanzibar is a very safe place overall!
The following day, I was shown around Stone Town,
giving me the information I needed with regards to internet cafes, changing
money, reliable places to eat, ATMs etc. I also had a chance to explore…and
promptly got lost! Stone
Town is unique and
atmospheric, with plenty of things to discover throughout your stay, including
the old slave market at the Anglican Church, the House of Wonder and the Old
Fort. But I strongly suggest you go with someone who knows their way around the
first time! Don’t worry though; after a week, you start to find your bearings.
The hospital orientation was very informative. We were shown
all the departments of the island’s government hospital, Mnazi Mmoja, so we
could decide where we would like to start. During my stay, I spent time in
maternity, paediatrics and surgery. The time I spent in all of these was
excellent and, even though I have limited clinical experience, the doctors were
more than willing to teach me. I also recommend the various clinics which run
throughout the week, which include HIV, TB, leprosy and cardiology. The
hospital also offers outreach opportunities, where you can travel outside of Stone Town
(e.g. surgical outreaches in Makunduchi in the south and even to Pemba Island).
Despite being outside Stone Town,
travel was never really a problem. We had our own daladala which took us to the
hospital each morning, as well as a list of reliable taxi drivers
(approximately £3 shared between 4 people) should you need to go at other
times. Catching the daladala back from town is certainly an experience in
itself! But I was soon able to negotiate my way through the very busy Darajani
station.
I spent some of my afternoons exploring Stone Town
and the plethora of shops, markets and stalls on offer. Other afternoons
warranted a stroll across the road from the house to Mbweni Ruins Hotel. This
fantastic secluded place has a great bar, restaurant with veranda and a beach
which we could use for free. On the weekends there is no shortage of things to
do; visiting the northern beaches at Nungwi and Kendwa, heading east to the
Jozani forest and the beaches at Jambiani, the various dive centres found
throughout Zanzibar, the giant tortoise sanctuary on Prison Island and the
Spice Tours. In fact, I wish I had more time to explore all of these things!
