Well, here we are...my solo debut on TBPLTB. I thought that since Nikki has the text niche rather expertly occupied, perhaps I would describe our recent trip to Zanzibar (a small island off the coast of Tanzania) in the format I most enjoy: photos. For those of you, who do Facebook, I'll post a link to additional photos posted there. So, without further adieu, for your enjoyment, I give you...Zanzibar!
Jerry and Ricardo keeping vigil
Nikki, immigration forms, and hills.
Our journey began with catching a train from Kasama, Zambia to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Aside from sitting in the train station from 0100 to 0400 and spending the better part of two days careening through the bush in a rickety metal box, it was actually quite enjoyable. The
views were beautiful, and we even got to see some animals!
After arriving in Dar, and subsequently hauling ourselves back onto our feet after being hit by the oppressive heat (it is much cooler in Zambia), we took an (thankfully) air conditioned (!!!) ferry to Stone Town, Zanzibar, where we were greeted by a beautiful sunset. Following are some typical scenes from around Stone Town (alleys, markets, etc)
The most amazing thing about Stone Town was how the city was arranged around this dendritic, meandering system of alleys and streets, and the way people tore through them at break-neck speeds on tiny scooters. This combined with the intricacy of the architecture and the dynamic, friendly people gave Stone Town the depth and color surpassing that of the spices sold in it's markets.
By day, we explored Stone Town and went to bea ches, but by night, we spent time at the music festival, watching various acts from all over Africa. Some were very good, some...well, you understand. One of the highlights was a white artist who performed in Kiswahili and dubbed himself "Mzungu", meaning white person, or foreigner (Musungu in Bemba). One of the low points was a Tanzanian rapper who growled his lyrics, and simply appeared to be trying too hard. Unfortunately, I don't remember the actual names of any of the artists. Here are a few pictures...
Besides music, markets, and beaches, we also had opportunities to go snorkeling on coral reefs, see dolphins, walk through a 50+ year old red mahogany plantation that was bristling with red colobus monkeys, and visit a spice farm where we got to drink from coconuts. Later, we traveled to the north coast to enjoy other beaches, and wonderful fresh seafood. For more photos of all these things, please check out my facebook album here:
All in all, we didn't want to leave Zanzibar. This feeling was intensified during our hellish journey back to Zambia, but I'd rather not dwell on the negative. Zanzibar was a very pleasant change of scenery, and a lot of fun. I think I'll leave you with a sign we saw at a petrol station on the way down Tanzania from Dar. It, I think illustrates beautifully the difference between countries with a strong Muslim influence, and ones that do not:
Well, thanks for reading, I had a great time taking these photos, and I hope you like them!
-Chris
Well done Chris!
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