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Exotic Zanzibar (Tanzania)

7/9/2014

7 Comments

 

By Caitlin

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It would be easy to make a post about how idyllically beautiful Zanzibar is: the smooth, white sand beaches, the clear turquoise water, the coconut trees everywhere. However, the culture and history of the place make it fascinating to explore and led us to experiences beyond the usual island paradise. 



Zanzibar was previously ruled by independent sultans who used the island as a trading hub between the Arab world, India, Asia, and Africa for many centuries. They grow many spices, teas, and coffee on the island, which were a major source of trade and continue to be found in local markets. The legacy of the sultans and the vigorous trading gave Zanzibar a fierce sense of independence apart from the Tanzanian mainland. You encounter this daily as a tourist, and will often hear Zanzibaris refer to the mainland in a negative light, whether they are referring to the sporadic power outages, soccer rivalries, or the beauty of their beaches. 




We wandered the alleys of Stone Town (a section of Zanzibar) and admired the local appreciation of art and architecture. Zanzibar is famous for their handcrafted wooden doors, and much of the architecture reminded us more of Morocco than of anything else in Sub-Saharan Africa, which makes sense given that the population is more than 99% Muslim. There is also a burgeoning music and art scene, with annual film and music festivals. I could wander the alleys for days looking at the crafts, scarves and paintings that are in every shop.


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The alleys of Stone Town
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One of the many intricate wood doors
PictureAmazing dinner at House of Spice


After a few days in Stone Town (and some of our best meals of the trip), we headed to Jambiani, a beach on the southeastern coast of the island.  It was amazingly beautiful, even on the days when it was overcast or cloudy.  One of the most interesting things about this place, again, is how different cultures have influenced the place. There is the typical beach-rasta vibe with obligatory reggae music and Bob Marley flags.  However, it's a bit strange to be on a beach in a swimsuit, when all the local women have their heads covered. Is it disrespectful? Or is it okay because they have become used to the weird habits of "Muzungus" and furthermore, make much of their living off these crazies? 



PictureClimbing the palm tree to grab us a coconut
The "friendly beach hustle" seems to be the way most people make money. There is a wide and deep network of people affected by our decisions to go snorkeling, take a taxi, or rent bikes.  Take snorkeling: one guy recruits you on the beach, then he goes and rents your mask and flippers from another guy in some random village house, then he hires another huy to take you out on his boat and pays yet another one to climb a tree to get you a coconut at the end. Seemingly, every transaction, we made involved 15 different people. It's fascinating to try and figure out what is going on behind the scenes, One guy, self-named Mr. Jambiani (which is the name of the beach), became our buddy. He made us cool island hats and we enjoyed hanging out with a local who was in it for friendship, even if he did make a few bucks off of us. 


See below for some more pictures from Zanzibar.  
For captions, hover over a picture for captions or click to 
open a gallery with bigger pictures:

With our friend Mr. Jambiani
Our terrace
Enjoying a drink at the bar
Paje Beach
Snorkeling off a sail boat with a sail made of sacks sewn together
Caitlin entertaining the children
Eating at a 3 table restaurant
The night food market in Stone Town, Zanzibar
Making sugar cane juice
Showing the movement of the stars across the sky
Transportation is quite crowded in Africa
Sunset
7 Comments
Brad
7/9/2014 07:33:09 am

This is awesome. I love the star pic and the sunset! And Jed and Mr. Jambiani!

In hair news:
1. The "Rachel" is looking pretty good, Caitlin!
2. IS JED GROWING A BEARD. Will it be done by the eurotrip?!

Reply
Jed
7/9/2014 05:39:16 pm

Ha, i would call it more "hair patches" than a beard. I made a deadline of the end of africa for it to look normal and full or its going in europe. It's not looking good.

I am thinking of asking Mr. Jambiani to come to Poland. Can you modify the reservations? ;)

Reply
Jamie
7/9/2014 09:24:27 am

How long did it take to get that picture of stars moving across the sky?

Isn't our trip to meet you in Europe in like 10 days? Will you still be in Africa?!

Reply
Jed
7/9/2014 05:43:07 pm

I wish our trip to Europe was in 10 days! Our flight to uganda was canceled and we had to pay twice the price for a flight 5 hrs later. Transport here Is starting to wear on us.

The star photo is an hours worth of movement. Might be cool to see what it looks like after a whole night...may try it!

Reply
Rob/Dad
7/11/2014 07:29:47 am

Wow! Zanzibar is beautiful! The two of you look no worse for wear! Hope you are enjoying Uganda as I write this. Stay safe and have a good time. Nate's b-day bash tomorrow. Sending you both my love.

Reply
Dan G. link
8/15/2014 02:40:33 pm

Love the writing and the photos! I don't have anything specific to add, but I'm going to do a Julia Ahn comment binge and reply anyway just for the hell of it. (Julia, if you happen to read this, hi and see you in less than a week!!)

Reply
Jed
8/15/2014 07:54:26 pm

Its cool, we enjoy all comments, even those that don't say much ;-)

Reply



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