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Published: July 19th 2008
I was so excited about Zanzibar
a) to have a bit of a break from sitting on the truck and
b) to get a bit of beach action!
To get to Zanzibar off mainland Tanzania we had to get a ferry. Prior to getting on the ferry though we got herded on to a barge which you stand on. It was a funny experience standing in between the cars (which are also being transported on this thing) and alongside women that have kilos of stuff (for lack of a better word - could be in a bucket, basket or boot) on their heads. After getting on the ferry I was advised to go straight to sleep because it's a super bumpy ride but fortunately I got to watch a little of "The Ghost Ship" (film about people all on a boat that all get killed in mysterious circumstances - very appropriate(?)) Once we cleared Customs (housed in a wooden shack) I couldn't believe my eyes. Stonetown is like going back in time!
We went on a spice tour with a clown of a guide, Ali. He was a local man but was learning English from an English
guy from East London so in his East London accent he would say things like "init" (isn't it). When I introduced myself as Australian he replied "You must be up shit creek without a paddle." Everyone thought that was very funny. I, the only Aussie am the butt of everyone's jokes 90% of the time. He was also learning Cockney Rhyming Slang. A serious character. Between the frequent G'Days, the bad British accent and the cockney Rhyming Slang we did manage to be shown around Stonetown and do a Spice Tour.
Stonetown was the heart of the East African Slave Trade. It is an interesting combination of African, Indian and Arab influences. He took us to the former slave market. It was one of those places that just didn't feel real. How something so absurd ever took place is beyond one's imagination. We also went to the Mahubi Palace, built by the Sultan for use of his secondary wives for as Ali put it "Comfortable Times." These days Zanzibar's fame lies around it's spice production. The Spice Tour was great. They grow everything you can think like tumeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, lemongrass. We then got taken to someone's house
for lunch for traditrional Beef Pilau. Stonetown is so cute. The water is impossibly clear. The markets sell heaps of nice scarves and things and the Swahili cuisine was yum!
We were to travel to Nungwi up North in a somewhat rickety van which broke down in the middle of nowhere. A large number of people from a nearby village came to stare (rather than offer help.) I couldn't contact Juliana or Riaan so we sat there for quite a while before the problem was eventually solved!
Nungwi looked a bit like a movie set or something! The shops are like shacks in the sand, the beach was amazing, crystal water with the dhow boats in the distance. Riaan had warned us against the "beach boys." Basically, they're male gigolos (bizarrely in traditional Masai dress.) I saw so many white women with these "Masai Warriors."
Took it pretty easy in Nungwi, was a much needed break from waking up at the crack of dawn. We had few movements in the ranks. Ana and Clemence left to go back to Germany (not before forcing us to cheer for Germany in the Euro Cup) and we picked up two
gorgeous Swedish girls, Sara and Lisa.
The ferry back to Dar was a nightmare, the staff were handing vomit bags out everywhere. Some of the things I experienced on this ferry cannot be published but we were very relieved to get back to Dar. Rach and I spent one more night in our little beach bungalow before we were woken up by the "call to prayer" at sunrise.
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