Zanzibar!

After our 5 day Safari and camping it was time to head back to Dar Es Salaam then catch a ferry to the Island of Zanzibar.  There's not much to say about "Dar", except that I wouldn't really recommend going there.  It's not the nicest or safest place to be, as was proven to us again when we checked in to our guest house and the first thing the host said to Dy was to really really watch her bag outside. Unfortunately it's your only choice if you need to catch the ferry to Zanzibar.

This is Dar Es Salaam from the window of a cab.  The only view I recommend.

Zanzibar was once a country on it's own (Sultinate of Oman then gained independence)  and Tanzania used to be called Tanganyika.  Fifty years ago both countries were combined to form Tanzania (taking the first 3 letters of each name to form a new one).  We know it was 50 years ago because it was the anniversary on the night we stayed in Dar and there wetre very loud fireworks.  We were sleeping soundly when it began. It's funny looking back, but at the time hearing all those explosions suddenly jolt you out of bed you don't know what to think!

Culturally, the 2 places feel very different.  Zanzibar is almost entirely Muslim, whereas mainland Tanzania is much more diverse with a more tribal feel to it.

We caught the 9:30 ferry without issue and were well on our way.  The crossing took about 2 hours.  Arriving in Zanzibar (otherwise known as Spice Island) we were surprised to see all of the immigration formalities we had to go through.  This was the first time we had to show proof of having yellow fever vaccination.  We had to fill out foreign visitor cards.  Our passports were required, and stamped!  We aren't even entering another country!?! Clearly Zanzibar still values independence from Tanzania.  They even searched our bags, and when done, marked the exterior with a greasy chalk to show it's been searched.  Good thing I didn't opt for the Dolcé and Gabbana designer luggage on this trip or I'd have been pissed...! (Because that's how I normally roll...)

At the port arriving in Stone Town.  Karibu is "Welcome" in Swahili.

We made our way through the streets of Stone Town, where we docked and began our search for a guest house.  There are many many (many!) people here that are willing to help you....always at a cost...  It can be too much at times so it a good test of your patience.  As Wikipedia puts it, the sentiment feels like they figure you are only going to be here once, so they will try to take you for everything you've got. Sadly this seems true.

Some back streets in Stone Town.

 Once settled we had a good walk through the winding old streets of Stone Town, which definitely has a charm and an old colonial feel to it.  Historically it's been known as the center of the spice trade and unfortunately the slave trade in the 19th century, something they seem oddly proud of.  I guess its history and brings tourists.

We spent one evening at the port watching locals jump off the elevated walkway along the shore into the shallow waters.  They were pretty funny.  They couldn't all-out dive, so they would run really fast and jump into the air and make some crazy gesture to each other, then have to pretty much "belly flop" into the water!  I thought about joining in on the action...actually...no I didn't!  Oh yeah!  One last note of interest... Farrokh Bulsara was born in Stone Town!... Who the heck is that, you say!?  You may know him by his stage name Freddie Mercury!  true story...  Born and partially raised here!

This is the building that Freddie Mercury lived in when he lived in Stone Town as a child.  One of the 4 balconies was the apartment.

One of the crazy divers just before "impact".  Honestly this was like the Monty Python of diving!

Typical architecture of Stone Town.

Sunset in Stone Town

From Stonetown we caught a "Dalla dalla" (the back of a flatbed pickup with benches and rails) to the town of Nungwi on the Northern tip of the island.  Once there we made our way through the many offers for help and followers to the beach.  We figured the beach was the most direct way to find a place to stay.  It was very hot and humid so we were actually thankful that it started to rain!  After a few stops we found our home for the next 5 days at a place called Saphinas.

The back of the Dalla dalla.  This was full with 26! people on our way to Nungwi.

Dy walking with a friend along the beach in Nungwi as we were searching for our place to stay.

Nungwi is not really what we expected.  It's known as the "active" village of the island.  It really has more of a remote village feel to it, especially now that it's low season.  There's not a paved road in sight (except the main road leading from Stone Town) and finding food is actually a bit of a challenge, which is OK considering how well we were fed on Safari! The homes and buildings are made mostly of old coral stone with thatched or tin roofs, and seem to be scattered in no real uniformity.  This creates road and alleyways that are pretty easy to get lost in. (and full of goats and chickens I might add!) The beach is obviously what people come here for, as the sand is like icing sugar and the turquoise water is crystal clear and warm.

The beach and some restaurants in Nungwi.  When the tide was out you could walk in front of them on the sand.

The streets of Nungwi after a good downpour.

Fishing boat coming home with the catch of the day.

Typical scene on the streets of Nungwi.

We have spent our time here mostly catching up on emails and blogs and just plain old relaxing.  Our last day was spent back in Stone Town where we began.  We walked along some more old narrow streets and alleys taking it all in.  We had a nice walk along the sea wall for the last time, and low and behold we run into half our Zimbabwean  friends the Smiths from the Tazara train!  They were leaving the next day so it was very fitting to spend our first and last moments of Tanzania with them and their cool kids! We missed the other half the Mathiesons by a day... Too bad.

The Smith's and Dy on our last night in Stone Town, and Zanzibar.

I can't say I've caught on to Swahili as much as I have other langues on this trip, but at least some of the lyrics to Lional Ritchies "All Night Long" have been cleared up for me... Hey! Jambo Jambo....!  And Hakuna Matatta really does mean no worries!

Well that's it for Zanzibar, and Africa actually (and the southern hemisphere actually!!). We're off to start a new chapter in our journey to a place "where all roads lead".