STONE TOWN - ZANZIBAR (Tanzania)
06 December - 10 December 2017
06 December - 10 December 2017
How cool a name is Zanzibar!? How
cool a name for a country would that have been? Actually, even when it became
part of the United Republic of Tanganyika,
it was still pretty cool sounding. It was one of those places on my global
map that would always jump out at me as the mysterious named conjured up images
of something exotic & unreachable.
Also, for those that aren’t aware
of their rock history, Freddie Bulsara was born here in 1946, part of the baby
boomer era, and if that name is still confusing you then just have a look at
Live Aide from 1985 and spot the front man for Queen, that’ll give you some
sort of clue as to the most well known export from the Sultanate of Zanzibar.
On the tarmac in Dar es Salaam - Tanzania
We were told that we couldn't bring our drinks onto the plane.
So we asked security to take our photo whilst we finished them - it was a WIN-WIN
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
In the middle of an afternoon downpour
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Considering the proximity for
Johannesburg the idea of making it to Zanzibar was influenced primarily by
dreams of turquoise waters, exotic heritage mix, spice trading and all things
Stone Town related, which to me felt akin to being a version of Fez or
Marrakech on the Indian Ocean.
In part that what Zanzibar felt
like when we arrived. Certainly a tropical feel, but then you get hit instantly
by the obvious mix of cultures, African, Arabic, Indian and a dash of European.
That type of fusion always makes for a fascinating and engaging environment,
one where the ebbs and flows of dominant cultures can be seen in the
architecture, culinary offerings and social etiquette.
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
We had this guy make us up a painting exactly like that - it now has pride of place in the Inga's mum's living room
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
To me, more than anything, I had
the feel that Stone Town was more Arabic than anything else, although my
readings stipulate Swahili, which is
a unique mix of Arab, Persian, Indian and European elements. Still, when you walk through the narrow
alleyways of the centre of Stone Town, lined with shops, bazaars, mosques and boutique
hotels, I can’t help but thing of Morocco, which in itself is a mixture of
Berber & Arabic.
The name of the town itself comes
from the ubiquitous use of coral stone as the main construction material, which
gives the town a characteristic, reddish warm colour. For me, both the warmth
and the entanglement of passage ways/alleyways it what makes this a place of
mystery and discovery. For me there feels like there’s always something new to
discover behind every door, up every obscured staircase, in the back of every
bazaar.
Slightly dishevelled and a little
gritty in part, there has been a concerted effort in the last 20 years to
undertake restoration work which will bring the true feel of Stone Town back to
life. From my perspective it’s working.
Historically however, what I didn’t know before arriving was that Stone Town was
the host to one of the world’s last open slave markets, presided over by Arab
traders, until being shut down by the British in 1873.
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
This is what happens when your team gets beaten - you drink to forget
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Slaves were shipped in dhows from
the mainland, crammed so tightly in confined spaces that many fell ill and
died, being thrown overboard on their journey to the island. Again, its one of
those things that you understand that happened but can’t in any real way put
your mind to the sheer cruelty of action from one set of human beings to
another. How there could be no understanding to the extent of human suffering,
to the mental torment, to the total eradication of any freedoms.
Kendwa - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Kendwa - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Kendwa - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Kendwa - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Kendwa - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Love this photo - just managed to catch that bird in-flight to the right of the photo
All I tend to feel in situation
such as this is overwhelming pity, and also, fury and rage for those that
simply treated humans as a business transaction. How could you ever think this
was the right thing to do? Where is the compassion?
Markets - Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Stone Town - Zanzibar - Tanzania
Outside of Stone Town, we took
some time out to head up to the north of the island and spent a glorious
afternoon on the beach in Kendwa. A
beautiful area on the calm Western side, this area has a number of stylish
beach bars where you can laze out in the sun, order drinks, have a spot of
lunch, and even indulge in some sheesha, which was quite an easy thing for us
to do.
Getting on the water is also
quite a pleasurable thing to do here, although options are still kind of
primitive, we did manage to take a boat ride out to some of the nearby islands
and spend a glorious afternoon on the water, doing not much really other than
admiring the view.
Zanzibar is a marvellous place. I
feel that on this occasion we didn’t quite get the most of it in that we spent
a lot of our time in Stone Town without exploring the island entirely, but one
day, one day we’ll be back, and its beaches will come under attack!
