Lunch

The first day I had lunch at the Archipelago, a restaurant that one of the USAID Tanzania staff recommended. He described it as, “Nothing fancy, but good lunch food and a great view if you can get near the edge of the deck.” Well the deck is actually the whole restaurant, it’s open-air, though covered, and yes, I got the small table at the southwest corner as close to the beach as possible. And because it’s on the second story of a building (an antique store and travel agency are below), the view is great!

After having wandered around for a bit, I was ready to rest my feet and enjoy the food and the sights.  The grilled marlin with roasted tomatoes and grilled vegetables was delicious.  But I spent quite a long time just watching the activity surrounding me.  

Beyond watching boats pass by, there was the boat repair/construction going on just below the deck.  Off to my right I watched a guy build a new boat - placing several planks on the frame and gluing/sealing between the planks.  Then a couple of guys sat down on the wall next to the boat-in-progress and they started playing checkers.  They were so animated it was a show in itself.
 

I watched another guy hand saw planks for a dingy, and then yet another guy start working on his boat on the beach.  If you watch people long enough, you’re bound to see something humorous!