"Hakuna Matata."
I can say with confidence that this wonderful (Swahili) phrase, meaning "no worries," was the first I fully internalized. I suppose I owe my thanks mostly to Timon and Pumba of The Lion King. But if the Disney movie taught me what the phrase meant, Zanzibar showed me.
White sand beaches. Narrow, winding alleyways. Silhouettes of dhows sailing on turquoise water against orange-pastel sunsets. Everything about Zanzibar is exotic and welcoming. And to cap it all off, the phrase "Hakuna Matata" not only embodies the island's pace and way of life, but surfaces regularly in conversations.
I found this phrase remarkably easy to incorporate into my exchanges with the locals during my 72 hour stay on the island...
-Bad pass on the beach-side soccer field? No worries. "Hakuna Matata."
-No, I don't need a taxi, a tour-guide, or a porter. Just walking. "Hakuna Matata."
-You're trying to sell me that painting for three times what it's worth? I'm not buying it, but "Hakuna Matata" anyway.
-No idea what I'm saying in English? I can't understand your Swahili, either. "Hakuna Matata" (and a smile).
Making the most of Zanzibar
Language-training aside, my stay in Zanzibar was superb. Zanzibaris are understandably welcoming to the tourists and foreigners who are driving their economy. And tourists who came to Tanzania to relax could easily spend a week in Zanzibar: the beaches on the east coast are pristine. Snorkeling, sailing trips, and tours of the island's spices are easy to arrange. And Stone Town has enough to fill several days worth of historical sight-seeing alone.
With just two full days and a morning in Zanzibar, I spent a night on a quiet beach on the east coast in the pleasant village of Jambiani, spent Saturday evening walking the winding alleys of Stone Town and eating at Foradhani Gardens, and spent Sunday touring the Old Slave Market at the Anglican Church as well as the old Palace Museums. And if soccer is your sport, as it is mine, then stopping by the sporting grounds to join a pick-up game is an absolute must.
If I could do Zanzibar all over again, I wouldn't have done anything differently. Except, perhaps, pick up a bit more Swahili than just the one phrase. But no worries. "Hakuna Matata."
