Zanzibar, Tanzania

January 2011

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Nungwi Village, Zanzibar
Monday 10 January 2011

The black clouds rolled over Dar es Salaam this morning, bringing wind and rain just in time for our ferry ride to Zanzibar. Believe it or not this was a welcome change from the oppressive heat of the city. At least it brought some cooler weather with it.

The wind did blow and the rain fell during our crossing to Zanzibar but we were safe and sound in the first class Air Conditioned room on the Azam Fast Ferry. The trip was almost an hour later than usual and the sky was overcast for our arrival but it wasn’t raining and it was cooler than the mainland.

We even felt energized enough after checking into our room to set out to explore Zanzibar Town. It reminded me very much of Morocco with its Islamic architecture. The streets of the Old Town are narrow and twisty, shaded by the walls of the buildings on either side. Most of the buildings are built around a central courtyard with just a solid concrete wall front to show the street. The doors provide individuality. They are sturdy wooden structures with intricate carvings on the lintels and down the sides of the door. Some are reinforced with steel studs, like a suit of armour, harkening back to the days of frequent enemy raids. We had lunch in a traditional restaurant near our Guest House where you choose your food from covered Stainless steel serving dishes and are charged minimal amounts for each dish. There are many western style restaurants as well but we prefer to eat locally if possible. We can always eat pizza at home.

You can’t go to the legendary Spice Island without going on a Spice Tour, even if tourism has taken over as the main industry. Every one of the Hotels and Guest Houses in Zanzibar offer a spice tour. We were promised a visit to a Spice Plantation, a visit to one of the ruins, lunch and a swim. It sounded enticing.

We are staying in a very simple Guest House on the edge of the old city. Our room In Dar was simple but this room is a bit simpler. We are watching our pennies at this stage, saving our bigger budget for the Game Parks later on. The rooms are clean, they have an “ensuite” bathroom and the beds are comfortable. I don’t miss hot water in this climate and the water soon dries on the floor after a shower with no shower curtain.

All in all we are much more relaxed in Zanzibar Town. We are rested now, mostly over jet lag and ready to experience island life, and a bit of beach time. What could be better?

Saturday morning we joined nine other young tourists on a day outing in a minibus. One was a Korean girl travelling on her own for more than a year. An American fellow was on holidays from his job teaching in St Andrews, Scotland. His girlfriend had taken a break from her studies to join him. The others were all working in Africa. Two Canadian girls, in the Occupational Therapy course at McGill, had just started a 3 month assignment in Zanzibar Town. So far their schedule seems a bit light, just 4 mornings a week, leaving lots of time to tour. A Dutch girl had just finished a 3 month internship at a Malawi hospital. He boyfriend had been in another hospital in Malawi the year before and had joined her to travel for a month before returning home. Two more American girls were teaching at the American school in the Congo. One was a Kindergarten teacher who had been there for more than a year; the other was a nurse who had a one year contract. It sounded as if they were confined to the very large American compound as the city was too dangerous. Rounding out the group was a driver, a guide and 2 other fellows, one who went along for the ride.

Most of the farms on the island are no more than 3 acres, owned by one family group. Some of the larger holdings welcome tourists to their plantation. We passed several signs along the highway north of Zanzibar Town offering spice tours. Our tour began at a large Spice Plantation right next to a Government Agricultural Research Center. Our guide, who was of East Indian Descent, led us to many different trees and bushes, explaining how the fruit or spice was harvested and eaten. There were teak trees, red Mahogany, breadfruit, jackfruit, lichee, passion fruit, clove, ginger, cumin, turmeric, chilli, a spice used for tandoori, pineapple, star fruit, and another star fruit variety, banana and coconut. We tasted pepper corns, the biggest crop on the island, but didn’t dare swallow them whole. A few of the local boys followed our group weaving bracelets and cone purses for whoever would accept them. Of course he would expect a tip at the end. Our guide had one boy climb a coconut tree using sisal rope around his feet. He cut down a bunch of coconuts which he and our guide cut open and gave us to drink. The two men cut off the coconut top to reveal the jelly which we scooped out with a bit of the shell. I thought it was delicious.

We were led to a long table with a wide array of spices and teas packaged in cellophane, similar to what we purchased in the Bali market. We all sat down and sampled several fruits that grow in the area. Leaving the Farm, we stopped at the Sultan’s Baths, built of coral and limestone more than 150 years ago. The sultan was the most powerful and rich man on the island as he controlled the spice trade. He used the baths only as a rest stop when visiting the area. He had 3 wives and about 90 concubines from many different countries, including Europe. The Sultans were banished in 1964 when Tanzania gained independence.

Our lunch was in a concrete shelter a short distance away. We sat on woven mats on the floor and shared rice, spinach and a veggie stew in sauce. It was very tasty. The walls extended half way to the roof so sitting on the floor gave almost no breeze. We were glad to stand up at the end of the meal and experience the cooling breeze.

A bit farther north are the Mangapwani Caves and a nearby beach. Some of us paid an extra 1000 TS to a local guide who led us into a large natural cave. After slavery was banned at the end of the 19th C the cave was used as a holding pen and to hide slaves who worked on the plantations in the vicinity. The slaves used ropes to enter or exit the deep cave but we had a flight of concrete stairs to go down. That was precarious enough for me. Our guide showed us a small fresh water pool in the main body of the cave and pointed out the route to the sea, used by slaves to escape. The route was 1 km long and very circuitous. It took our guide, hired by a brave tourist, about 3 hours to get to the ocean. Part way along the route is a deep lake. Many of the escapees who could not swim drowned in that lake. Of course many others died of the extreme conditions inside the cave.

Those who elected not to visit the cave went directly to the beach for a swim. We followed after our cave visit, walking through a hot, treeless field and down steep concrete steps built on the side of a cliff to the beach. Looking south we saw the limestone cliffs with many small caves, one of which opens to the cave we visited. We changed behind one of the karst rocks at the edge of the beach and went into the water. It was quite shallow and we had to be careful not to step on the washed up coral rocks but it was refreshing. We walked part way down the north end of the beach past a small fishing village lining the shore. Many young boys were swimming in the water while their fathers were mending some of the fishing boats. We had time for one more swim before having to change and return to the minibus for the trip back to Zanzibar Town.

That evening we walked to Forodhani Park Night Market on the waterfront. It was a bustling place, full of tourists and locals sampling food from the many booths set up each evening. We succumbed to the entreaties of one tout and shared a plate with a skewer of lobster with tandoori sauce, coleslaw and Naan. I think we paid a bit too much (6000 TS or $4) but it tasted good, eaten sitting on a wall alongside the water. The texture of lobster was much softer than our northern lobster and tasted different but was fine. We bought a second plate of food from another vendor, this time a skewer of Barracuda and four round falafels. The chef threw in some salad and a few chips for our 5000 TS. We shared a soft drink and watched several of the local boys take running dives into the harbour. They didn’t look as if they were looking for tips, just having a great time.

We walked back to our guest house via a different route. We had to ask several locals the way to Flamingo Guest House. Eventually two men saw we weren’t turning the right way and took us almost to the door. They were very kind.

Today, Sunday, we took another minibus to Nugwi, a beach village at the extreme northern tip of the island. We tried to phone for a reservation the evening before but were unsuccessful in reaching anyone so we took a chance that there would be something in our modest price range. There was.

We had a quick trip, less than an hour, up a decent highway to Nungwi, but the main road through the original village was in the worst condition we have seen to date. It was unpaved and full of pot holes big enough to hide a child. The tourist accommodation is strung out along the beach, on the far side of the village. Our minibus driver stopped at two side by side resorts and after touring both, we settled on Jambo Brothers Beach Bungalows. It is a bit more expensive than Dar or Zanzibar Town, but the room is nicer and it is just a few steps from the beach. We signed up for a minimum of three nights.

Nungwi has a reputation for being a party place but so far it is very quiet and laid back. Neither is it full moon time when the younger set gather for all night beach parties. We had time for a long walk on the beach before lunch and went for a swim in the afternoon when the tide was higher. Like the beach yesterday at Mangapwani, the water is shallow close to shore. Some of the sunbathers lie down in the shallows at the edge of the water at low tide to stay cool while baking. Most people, like us, wait until higher tide to swim. Then the water is very pleasant.

Nungwi has our favourite night time restaurant, a collection of small tables set right on the beach with fresh fish displayed on a table next to a grill filled with glowing coals. We shared our table with a South African couple here for a two week holiday. Ray and I shared a whole Sea Perch that came with rice and vegetables. It was cooked perfectly.

We Linger by the Sea

Nungwi Village, Zanzibar
Wednesday 12 January 2011

Our big wooden fishing Dhow with 17 tourists aboard for a day of snorkelling on a reef motored past the small tropical island of Mnemba, just off the north east coast of Zanzibar. I could see a flotilla of boats about 300 M past the island. Sure enough that was our destination. Inwardly I groaned. It had taken us more than one hour to reach the reef that already looked full to capacity.

We had come to snorkel regardless. Ray and I donned the fins and masks we had rented and piled into the water. I manoeuvred past as many swimmers as I could and made my way along the edge of the reef as far from the crowds as possible. Below us were some hard corals and lots of soft corals with their resident guardian anemone fish. The colourful fish that draw us to the reefs were there in schools. Columns of bubbles indicated divers below. The reef was a perfect place for beginning divers as it was not very deep. We ended up spending more than an hour in the warm waters enjoying the fish.

We were supposed to go to Mnemba Island for lunch but the boat captain said it was too windy to land properly so we would be eating where we were anchored. That was OK by us. Most of the other people had returned to their boats by then so we had the reef to ourselves, much more enjoyable. Lunch was surprisingly good. Several large tuna were wrapped in foil and cooked over coals. With it we had a type of chapatti and a good mixed salad. Desert was pieces of mango, pineapple and banana. After lunch those who wanted to swim again for ½ hour.

Our return trip was longer than the trip to the island and a bit rougher. Both directions the crew put up the single canvas sail to help the motor. The water was a bit rougher for the return voyage and one poor Aussie girl was sick over the side several times but she was the only one. Dolphins were spotted yesterday but all we saw was a school of tuna jumping out of the water near some fishing boats on the way to the reef.

Other years I have written my blog in internet cafes. This year I decided to bring a small netbook. That would give me the option of writing my journal and blogs in our room, plus I could download both Ray’s and my photos to the netbook each day. Then it would be easy to get an internet connection and download my blog complete with photos. Downloading a word document to a computer in an internet cafe is easy but getting photos onto Picasa and into the blog is another matter. I had difficulty locating a WiFi site so I decided to go to a nearby internet cafe. It was a frustrating experience. The internet connection was slow, loading photos into the blog wasn’t working and the computer timed out before I was half finished. I decided to search for Amaan Bungalows, further south on the beach, where there was the possibility of WiFi.

Off I went with my netbook in my travel purse, through the village. There is a big contrast between the village and the row of guest houses and resorts lining the beach. The local people have been welcoming and kind but the village is still very poor despite the number of tourists who come for the sun and swimming. Our place is next to several small shops, all of which look thrown together and half finished. Garbage is a problem in the village. There doesn’t seem to be any organized pickup and piles of plastic water bottles and other non-biodegradable refuse are found everywhere.

I passed a large school complex where young girls, all dressed in long blue skirts and a cream coloured cape with a headscarf, were playing an organized game. Boys in blue trousers and neat white shirts were playing in another area. A dirt road ran next to a corrugated steel fence separating the resorts from town. I came to a sign for Amaani Resort but the entrance was barred by a large wrought iron gate. I went to the next opening and found myself at another resort with an open gate. Being an older Western tourist has its advantages. I invariably just greet the security guard on duty and walk right past unchallenged. This time I found the entrance to the beach and started along it towards Amaani. It was high tide and one small section was blocked by a huge rock. There were stairs over the top but people were sitting on the steps. I decided to wade through the water in front of the rock. I miscalculated. Half way past the rock a large wave crashed against the rock and soaked my shorts and part of the front of my shirt. Thank goodness the netbook stayed dry.

Finally I reached open gates leading to Amaani Resort and found the internet place where one young man sat waiting for customers. There was no WiFi but I could connect directly to their system using a USB cord. The connection was fast and I was able to load my blog and Picasa, and read and answer emails. The young man fell soundly asleep. I had to shake the young man awake but I didn’t want to leave without paying as I will probably return.

Zanzibar does have tropical storms. It started to rain during breakfast on Tuesday and then it poured. We stayed where we were for the next half hour until the storm passed and the sky started to clear. It was a typical storm of short duration and the rest of the day was clear.

Tuesday was our quiet day, time to do laundry, read our books and generally do nothing. We were entertained during lunch watching local fishermen haul in their catch. One boat with about three men inside was moored about 100 M offshore. Five more men were spread out in a straight line almost to the shore. It was close to low tide so the waters were no more than chest deep all the way to the boat. A net was anchored at one end on the boat and held by each of the five men in the water. Each man beat the water with long sticks, herding the fish into the net. Eventually the man closest to shore walked slowly in a semi circle closer and closer to the moored boat. The waiter at the restaurant said they would be catching small fish of different varieties such as red snapper and sea perch. We probably eat some of their catch each night at dinner.

Later in the afternoon we went for a walk around the east side of the point, passing a group of women all dressed in identical robes, in town for a conference. There are a few small resorts on the east side and a few more luxurious ones with a few shops selling paintings and handicrafts for tourists. Fishing dhows, each filled with several men, were starting off from a small village between some of the resorts for an evening of fishing. The trademark triangle white sails were raised and one by one they formed a line out to the fishing grounds. A swim in the warm ocean was the perfect way to end our walk.

Just as we finished our dinner the electricity went out all over the beach. I wrote this blog by the light of my battery powered netbook. Ray said the lights went out in the middle of the night both last night and the night before but they came back on after a very short while. This time the lights were out for an hour before coming back on for another few hours. The second time the power and therefore our ceiling fan were off for the night and didn’t get restored until after noon the next day (Wednesday). There are stories of power outages of several days so we got off lightly.

We spent the last days in Nungwi swimming and walking the beach. We made it all the way to Kendwa Rocks, more than 2 km south along the west coast. The first day we tried the tide wasn't low enough to along us to get past one section without getting soaked but the next day we timed it better and made it. We had considered going to Kendwa rather than Nungwi and I think we made the right decision. Kendwa is a lovely but it is full of pricier, big resorts without the variety we like.

We left by minibus on Friday to return to Stone Town for the night. We spent the day wandering around taking more photos of doors and generally enjoying the old town again. We took the fast ferry back to Dar today, Saturday, chatting to another Canadian couple, Karen and Tony Allen, from the Eastern townships on the way, so the time passed quickly.

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