“We were on honeymoon in Zanzibar and rented a scooter for the day to explore the island and see the local culture when an unexpected downpour forced us to pull over. We found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, beyond the touristy areas, with nowhere to take cover. A little further along, next to the road, a few men were sitting around a fire under a thatched shelter. They gestured to us to join them and wait out the rain. We tucked in tightly, looking out at the deluge and smiling mutely at each other without a common language. Then my husband spotted a snake seeking shelter in the roof above us. He desperately tried to tell our companions, even drawing a snake on the ground. They didn’t understand his urgent antics but laughed gamely at what they thought was his joke telling. Luckily, by the time the mirth had died down, the snake had disappeared! As the rain cleared, we parted company; returning to our very different lives, having shared a moment I’ll remember forever.”
