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Ah, such a life of ease. We start each day with a breakfast consisting of a bowl of fresh tropical fruit, a freshly pressed tropical fruit smoothie, eggs, toast, and coffee. The temperature hovers around 30 degrees. The sun shines all the time. The beach tempts. Always. We alternate between the hammock, the lounge chair, the sand and the water. Through the shimmering heat we lie and lazily observe Zanzibar women and children gathering seaweed and shellfish at low tide. Lunch makes a change in the routine.
We do, of course, find other activities. One day we visit a spice farm (see previous blog). Another day we snorkel. We make our way out to a special spot in a traditional ngalawa – a traditional, simple, one-masted outrigger sailboat made of a dugout log. Despite waves the trip is surprisingly calm because of the outriggers.
Snorkelling opens up a new and totally exciting world for me. I enjoy letting myself float and drift, face down and hands behind my back, just watching the show unfold in front of me. The shapes and colours of the corals and fish are amazing and hard to describe without sounding over the top.
Another day we swim with dolphins that glide effortlessly past us, squeaking in their dolphin language as they go. I try my hand at a few dolphin words but don’t seem to have the right dialect. Or else my vocabulary is lacking.
We spend a day in exotic Stone Town, where thousands of African slaves were sold and shipped from in the past. The slave trade has been going on in Africa for centuries but a major increase took place with the advent of Muslim trade. Then the Europeans got into the game and the slave trade from Zanzibar got even worse. Thankfully, all that is left of the slave trade in Stone Town, the main city of Zanzibar, are memories and a few ruins.
Compared to the rest of Tanzania, Zanzibar and Stone Town in particular are visibly Muslim. Even little girls are covered from head to toe and some women leave only a narrow slit for their eyes to peep through. It must be awfully hot and confining! The men also dress in traditional Muslim garb – kanzu (white robes) and embroidered kofia (caps). And every morning, long before the sun rises, there is a call to prayer from numerous minarets. Who needs an alarm clock? Or, should I say, why don’t they use alarm clocks instead of waking everybody??
Anyway, Stone Town fascinates in a shabby sort of way, with its confusing alleyways, lively markets and beautifully carved wooden doors.
After an incredibly hot day in noisy but colourful Stone Town it is refreshing to come back to my little beach bungalow where the maid has decorated my bed with 24 red bougainvillea flowers.
