The Outward Journey

I was seven when we departed for East Africa and what a journey lay ahead of us. First the Suez canal which felt like you could touch the opposite bank as we sailed through them. We saw plenty of crocs and native people hard at work planting and growing crops dressed in very colourful long robes Then out into the red sea on our way to crossing the meridian date line Back then in 1958 Neptune board the ship and a ding dong party took place welcoming him aboard. On we went to Zanzibar and The trade people looked pirates These natives ware the first dark skinned people we had met and many of them bore horrific scars with ears and limbs missing we stuck close to our mum while she reassured us they meant us no harm we weighed anchor and set off on the last leg of our journey and docked in Dar-es-Salaam on my eight Birthday and to ten years of pure bliss what a place to grow up in I often wish I was still there