Treve & Katrina Travel The World

Here we are again at the trusty Safari Inn guest house, having survived the choppy waters back from a week spent on Zanzibar.

The first few days in Dar were spent exploring what is, in all but name, the capital of Tanzania. This place seems to be teeming with banks, government buildings and mosques, but is essentially a very welcoming and relaxed african city.

We have been staying in the muslim quarter, at the top end of the aptly named Mosque Street. We have the pleasure of being woken by the guy next door with the megaphone screaming the call to prayer at 5am every day - inconsiderate neighbours, eh?!

Mosques in Dar es Salaam

Our first outing to the fish market proved to be a very smelly experience (reminded me of Newlyn at home - TK). There was the usual hustle and bustle of the fish auctions. Otherwise, people sat around mending nets and leaving guts on the floor for us to slip on!

We ventured north out of town in a 'dhala-dhala' (as they call mutatus in Tanzania) to visit the local TingaTinga painting cooperative. This very surreal style of painting captures everyday Tanzanian issues on canvas, as well as bright animal scenes. It's almost child-like and slightly reminiscent of the 70s psychedelic era. The style was pioneered by Mr TingaTinga himself, in the slums behind the present cooperative building. Before his untimely death (he was 'accidentally' shot by the police in 1973) he gained some international recognition, notably in Switzerland. The artists were surprised to hear that Katrina taught painting in England, and simultaneously became less aggressive with the sales patter!

Traditional Tanzanian painting called TingaTinga

After 3 nights in Dar, we took the choppy 2 hour crossing by catermeran to the spice island of Zanzibar (the birth place of HRH Mr F Mercury, don't you know?) What was the first item on "in-flght" entertainment? Yes, the theme from Titanic! (coming back we were treated to a showing of the movie Castaway - excellent!!

We passed numerous desert islands, with sick bags at the ready (Treve only just managed to hold onto his greasy breakfast - KL), as finally the imposing harbour front of Stone Town emerged from the turquoise sea.

Approaching Zanzibar by ferry from Dar

We were warned of loads of hassle from the touts at the ferry terminus, but we seemed to get away from the grabbing taxi men - perhaps we don't look quite as green these days? We were delivered to another grubby guest house by the name of Manch Lodge (other names sprung to mind!), which was to be our home for the next 3 nights. The place was full of muslims from the Commores islands, who had descended on Zanzibar for the annual religious festival and decided to have a good clear out each morning in time for the 5am call to prayer - delicious!

We timed our visit perfectly to coincide with the 8th running of the annual music and film festival. Stone Town, the ancient muslim quarter of Zanzibar Town, was buzzing with tourists, live world music, film and fish BBQs on the sea front.

Fish market in Stone Town, Zanzibar

Stone Town is a laid back place, where people seem to find to the time to relax and enjoy life, gathering on the sea front to watch the sun set each evening.

Sunset on Zanzibar

Sunset contemplation

The local children (& some adults!) had a really good time, throwing themselves into the sea to cool off after a hot dusty day in the sun. Some of the diving on show was excellent, including back-flips, somersaults and full pikes. Others just opted for kamikaze belly-flops (more my style - TK). Usually, they dived in fully-clothed and then dried off in front of the BBQ-ing fish. Katrina was tempted to do the same most days, but modesty prevailed in this most conservative of towns!

Watching the boys

We enjoyed the free show as we tucked into fresh octopus tentacles and the local fast-food of choice - Zanzibar Pizza - complete with chilli sauce (which Treve seems to have become addicted to since arriving in East Africa - KL). The pizza is a kind of cross between a pancake, an omlette and a samosa (if that makes sense?!) Very morish and at only 35p a throw, who can complain? (Our stomachs are still intact, by the way!)

Fast-food Zanzibar style - Zanzibar pizza

The old fort built by the Portuguese (and later fortified by the incoming Omani arabs) to defend their spice-trading interests stands guard over the harbour in Stone Town.

The old fort in Stone Town

It was amazing wandering around the labyrinth of dark, narrow streets - every so often, catching a glimpse through dimly-lit carved doorways of real Stone Town life - people sewing behind old Singer machines, women doing their washing or people crashed out for their afternoon siestas.

Keeping an eye on things

The town seemed to be crumbling before our very eyes and living conditions seemed far from adequate in many places, with children making toy aeroplanes from scraps of wood and rolling old tyres along the ground with sticks (as if in Victorian England, and very much the clicheed view of Africa). The stench of rotting rubbish was in stark contrast to the beautiful views that appeared unexpectedly around the next corner - Africa House hotel attracted many tourists for 'sun-downers' each evening.

Friends

We were surprised to see so many Rastas on the island, given that the population is said to be 95% muslim. They obviously enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the island and were loving the live reggae on stage at the festival. Have we been transported to Kingston, Jamaica?!

Hungry Rasta

Given the conservative nature of the muslims present on the island, some of the outfits were surprisingly loud.

Funky head-wear

The women took every opportunity to escape the household and gather for some gossip. This photo was snatched from the roof of the Arts Centre where we saw some of the local paintings and heard musicians practise the violin and double-base:

Women gather outside the mosque

The local council had taken the time to restore the public baths originally constructed by the Sultan of Oman in the 1800s. While slightly decrepid, they certainly gave a picture of past life behind the closed and intricately-carved doors of Stone Town.

Local Zanzibarian at the Persian baths?

Everywhere you looked people seemed to take time out to relax and were always readily calling out 'Jambo!" greetings to us - sometimes in jest, no doubt! If we ever hear the words 'Hakuna matata' again... (know the song from the Lion King?)

Chilling out

Hanging out in Stone Town

Initially, we thought we had been conned into going on a 10$ Spice Tour of the island (everyone looked so miserable in the photos in the booking office). However, it proved to be an interesting day, with a free Swahili lunch thrown in at a rural village along the route, made by local women and extremely delicious.

At a rural spice village

Zanzibar is world famous for the production and trade in spices. It is for this reason that the Portuguese, and later the Omani Arabs, held the island in such importance since the 1600s. Spices of all descriptions are grown here in abundance - Zanzibar being most famous for the trade in cloves. Pilau rice (which originates from Zanzibar) wouldn't be the same without them.

Fresh nutmeg

We were brought back down to earth with a bang when the tour took us to the hidden slave chambers in the north of the island. These were used by the Omani arabs after slave trading was banned by the Brits in the 1880s. Up to 150 slaves were imprisoned in the dark and cramped conditions for up to 3 weeks, before they were taken overseas or put to work on the spice plantations of Zanzibar.

Hidden slave chamber

Our final days in Zanzibar were spent on the east of the island at Bweeju beach. We were told that the east coast was extremely laid back and free from the tourists who congregate in the north - the thatched cottages of Robinson's Place did not disappoint. We spent 2 really good evenings in the company of two scandinavian couples, listening to reggae and eating the freshest fish at the local beachside bar run by a couple of rastas.

School's out in Bweeju

Life was so demanding here, that the main object of the day was to battle our way into the coconuts that seemed to rain from the palms around us - narrowly missing a person or two. Several attempts at lobbing them at rocks proved fruitless, until a local offered to put us out of our misery with a swift blow for the princely sum of 1000 shillings (50p - think we were diddled!)

Local transport in Bweeju

So now, we find ourselves back in Dar, preparing for the next leg of our trip towards Milawi and Zambia. Tomorrow we catch the trusty Scandinavian bus (reassuring company slogan - "In God We Trust") to Iringa and then on to Mbeya in southern Tanzania 2 days later.

NEWFLASH! 11/07/2005 - We are now stuck in Dar for 2 more days. All buses full. Will now be travelling direct to Mbeya on Thursday. 12 hours straight on a bus with no loo - joy! In God We Trust!!

Hope you have enjoyed reading this latest rivetting lecture from us?

Look forward to the next exciting installment from Livingstone in Zambia!

Bye for now & lots of love. Kwaheri!
T&K xxx