Arriving in Stone Town on Zanzibar
Island, we walk through the centuries-old white-washed stone buildings with
narrow European-like alleyways that lead through a maze of artisan and gift
shops, lodges and restaurants. Doors are both open and closed. One can feel the history and cultural significance
of the region; mosques, crumbling Arab fortress walls, slave trade buildings,
and colonial architecture within a 360 degree view. The central plaza along the waterfront unfolds
in front of us, as does the feeling of beach life in paradise.
We are invited by the turquoise blue waters,
the white sandy beaches, and even the hustlers exclaiming “hakuna matata… you
can look for free”. We watch hundreds of Tanzanian boys (hmm, where are
the girls?) under the sunset light as they dive, flip, and jump their way
across the beach and into the water. Ending at an outdoor market, dinner booths
hosts fresh seafood, indian breads, and Zanzibarian pizzas (chipatis loaded
with fruit and Nutella). We feast while people watching, as the boardwalk
lights up for the evening hours.
Note: Our cab driver told us that 90% of Zanzibarians are of strict Muslim faith. One thing we notice is the evident separation of men/boys and women/girls. Early the next morning from our hotel room we can see women and children splashing in the ocean- it is obvious that evening play is for boys, and morning hours are set aside for girls.
Note: Our cab driver told us that 90% of Zanzibarians are of strict Muslim faith. One thing we notice is the evident separation of men/boys and women/girls. Early the next morning from our hotel room we can see women and children splashing in the ocean- it is obvious that evening play is for boys, and morning hours are set aside for girls.
There are a few tourist
adventures that Zanzibar is well-known for: swimming with dolphins, snorkeling
and diving, and spice farm tours, just to name a few. We of course will take advantage of all of
these. Heading to the south end of the island, we join a dolphin safari- chasing
dolphins by boat and jumping into the water to try swim with them. We are put off by the craze of it all, but still
admire the majestic creatures and their tolerance. We spend the
afternoon at Jozani National Park, a small but significant part of the islands’ natural areas. Mangroves, mohagany trees, and palms are all protected under the Park’s umbrella, as well as a few species of monkeys. The red colobus monkeys perform quite the acrobatic jester-like act for us.
afternoon at Jozani National Park, a small but significant part of the islands’ natural areas. Mangroves, mohagany trees, and palms are all protected under the Park’s umbrella, as well as a few species of monkeys. The red colobus monkeys perform quite the acrobatic jester-like act for us.
Spices are a main export here on
Zanzibar Island, both now and historically. It makes us think of the origin of our
chai tea and regularly used spices at home: vanilla bean vines, turmeric root,
the cinnamon tree’s bark, peppercorn shrubs, cardamom seeds growing from the
roots on the ground. We tour a local demonstration garden that tours us through
the farm to describe each spice plant/tree, its uses and tastes. It is very
informative and entertaining- even the kids love it (they were dubious and
complaining before starting). After an hour and a half, we’ve been fed amazing
array of fresh fruit from the trees, are introduced us to the native trees and
flower scents of the region, and conclude our tour introduced to a throng of
packaged spices we can purchase. And as a special touch, they adorn us
with palm leaf crowns, ties, and handbags! What fun!
Mnembe Island |
Heading to the north end of the
island for a few days, we have read about Zanzibar’s coral reef shoals and Mnembe
Island is visible and inviting from our beach bungalow. We collect
seashell treasures during the succession of high and low tides as we
walk the endless beaches. We find a well-respected
SCUBA dive shop and literally dive into a package deal that includes a
boat
ride, 2 dives, another couple of snorkeling locations, and a two day
Discover
Diving course for Amelia! At the reef,
we see an amazing array of fish in all colors and sizes, as well as the typical
but amazing assembly of sea stars, cucumbers, anemones, lobsters and stingrays. The water was incredibly clear (turquoise
blue) with visibility at 20-30 meters. While we are diving, Emmet is watching
us from above in his snorkeling gear with one of our boat guides. Pretty
awesome for all of us! Amelia’s strength
and comfort in the water shines bright as she calmly follows the dive guide and
gives frequent thumbs up of approval to her mom and dad!
After a few days of solitude and
sunrise on the north-eastern side of the island, we head to watch the sunsets
and the hoppin’ beach scene on the north and western side of the island. The
water is still perfect, the seafood dinners are still cheap and fresh off the
boat, and the people watching only gets better here. European, Middle eastern,
and Indian families gather along this more tourist destination beach; all sorts
of accents are audible, except American.
We wonder if there is anywhere farther away from the influence of the
good ol’ USA, and find this quite pleasing!
We hear about the Baraka Sea
Turtle Aquarium, a 20-minute beach walk from our bungalow. This natural lagoon
is used to house green sea turtles that are caught by fisherman in their nets
in the surrounding area. The tourism
dollars pay the fisherman to bring in the captures turtles, inspiring the fisherman
to keep them alive and not kill them for meat. Close to the breeding season,
the turtles are released back into the ocean, close to the protected islands
where they will breed and lay their eggs on the beaches. We were unsure if the
turtles migrate from this area, so still more research to be done… Swimming
with the turtles in the lagoon is encouraged, and the docile nature of these
animals make it tons of fun. We spend at least two hours snorkeling alongside to
watch their movements, feel their leathery skin and watch them feeding on
handpicked seaweed they are provided daily.
Long and full days of beach, salt,
sun and sea give us a true sense of holiday relaxation. Its hard to believe we only have a week left
til our time in Tanzania is over. We
have one more coastal safari north of Dar es Salaam to go… and a ferry ride to
get there.
Love and missing everyone. See you soon though!