The folks from ZLSC and IAs the LHRC was given rather late notice of the date and place of the ZLSC training, we could only book flights for Pemba that left one day early and returned one day later than was necessary for the ZLSC training. On the upside, the delay gave me a chance to see the sights and sounds of Pemba. On the downside, it meant spending two extra days in Chake Chake where a whole lot of nothing goes on.
One of my side trips while I was on Pembe was to Kideke Forest to see a colony of flying foxes. Flying foxes are one of the largest species of fruit bats and they are endemic to Pemba. When I was a kid, I had read various Durrell stories where the author had collected flying foxes. I was intrigued. Kideke Forest turned out to be a small stand of native forest that was hemmed in on all sides by cassava fields. Our guides were small boys ranging in age from five to twelvish who energetically clapped their hands to make the bats fly. Not exactly conservation-friendly. Literally hundreds of dark-winged, tawny-bodied bats hung from the trees, their twittering and wing beats filling the air when they burst into flight. They were a sight to behold.
On Monday, my colleagues from the ZLSC took me on a lightening quick trip of the sights and sounds of Pemba. As all good lawyers do, we started with a quick jaunt to the court house in Chake Chake. A few quick facts about the judicial system in Pemba: (1) there is only one lawyer on Pemba so if you don’t hire him first, you are out of luck and you have to import a lawyer from Unguja or the Mainland; (2) the High Court (which would be like our provincial Supreme Court) only sits once every 6 months or more, depending on their travel allowance; and (3) the Land Tribunal, which was established in 2004, has yet to render a decision. There a few issues with the judicial system. It got a bit more exciting after that, as we headed to the north of the island to visit Vumawimbi Beach, the lighthouse and the Manta Reef Hotel. Vumawimbi was deserted and we were warned by the locals not to walk on the beach, as robbers were believed to be hiding in the forest that is adjacent to the beach. Apparently, due to Pemba’s proximity to Mombasa, there is a fair amount of smuggling that goes on and the smugglers bring in bad elements from Mombasa. Our next stop was a 100 year old lighthouse, of which the most notable feature was the amazing view from the top of the northern tip of Pemba and Kenya. I really appreciated the time my colleagues took to show me around Pemba and the effort they made to ensure I took it all in. Pemba is still a bit off the beaten track, but I am glad I got a couple of days to explore what it was all about.
One of my side trips while I was on Pembe was to Kideke Forest to see a colony of flying foxes. Flying foxes are one of the largest species of fruit bats and they are endemic to Pemba. When I was a kid, I had read various Durrell stories where the author had collected flying foxes. I was intrigued. Kideke Forest turned out to be a small stand of native forest that was hemmed in on all sides by cassava fields. Our guides were small boys ranging in age from five to twelvish who energetically clapped their hands to make the bats fly. Not exactly conservation-friendly. Literally hundreds of dark-winged, tawny-bodied bats hung from the trees, their twittering and wing beats filling the air when they burst into flight. They were a sight to behold.
On Monday, my colleagues from the ZLSC took me on a lightening quick trip of the sights and sounds of Pemba. As all good lawyers do, we started with a quick jaunt to the court house in Chake Chake. A few quick facts about the judicial system in Pemba: (1) there is only one lawyer on Pemba so if you don’t hire him first, you are out of luck and you have to import a lawyer from Unguja or the Mainland; (2) the High Court (which would be like our provincial Supreme Court) only sits once every 6 months or more, depending on their travel allowance; and (3) the Land Tribunal, which was established in 2004, has yet to render a decision. There a few issues with the judicial system. It got a bit more exciting after that, as we headed to the north of the island to visit Vumawimbi Beach, the lighthouse and the Manta Reef Hotel. Vumawimbi was deserted and we were warned by the locals not to walk on the beach, as robbers were believed to be hiding in the forest that is adjacent to the beach. Apparently, due to Pemba’s proximity to Mombasa, there is a fair amount of smuggling that goes on and the smugglers bring in bad elements from Mombasa. Our next stop was a 100 year old lighthouse, of which the most notable feature was the amazing view from the top of the northern tip of Pemba and Kenya. I really appreciated the time my colleagues took to show me around Pemba and the effort they made to ensure I took it all in. Pemba is still a bit off the beaten track, but I am glad I got a couple of days to explore what it was all about.
Octupus hanging out to dry
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