ZANZIBAR!

 My mom visited me for 2.5 weeks in July.  To celebrate my big 3-0, we went to Zanzibar!  If you are like me, you may have heard of it, and may even have a vague impression of tropical beaches, but you have no idea where it is.  Apparently it’s an island (or group of islands, really) off the coast of Tanzania.  Like most of East Africa, it was once a British colony, but interestingly, was ruled simultaneously by Sultans from Oman.  It has a very complex mix of cultures from East Africa, the Middle East, and India.  It is now a part of Tanzania and is known for its former spice trade and slave trade and its current architecture and beautiful white sand beaches.

Evelyne and I

On the way to Zanzibar (we flew), we arranged for an 8 hour layover in Nairobi so that we could get out into the city and visit with a friend of ours.  Our 8 hour layover turned into almost 10, but we eventually made it with no mishaps to Zanzibar.  Fortunately our hotel was only about 10 minutes from the small airport, as we were pretty tired by the time we got in. 

 
My mom and I aren’t really the “stay in an exclusive resort and sit on the beach all day” type people, so we stayed in “Stone Town” or Old Zanzibar Town at a cute “boutique hotel” which had only 9 rooms.  It was like a large old 4-story house divided into big rooms and outfitted with Zanzibar-ian crafts and antiques.

Traditional lamps in our hotel

 

The first day, we explored Stone Town and shopped for gifts to bring back.  It was interesting that while there were some similarities to Uganda, Zanzibar definitely has that island-type feel.  Stone Town is kind of like triangle, bordered on 2 sides by water.  It was wonderful to walk along the harbor (the swimming beaches are not at Stone Town) and feel the strong sea breeze (for which we were very grateful, considering the heat).  The architecture of Stone Town is famous, especially the carved wooden doors.

Famous street view found in many paintings

The narrow streets zigzag around buildings, with barely enough room to fit a car.  The buildings seem to have tumbled out of a box of Legos so that each building, although touching it, doesn’t line up with the next, and narrow corridors, sometime too narrow for a human, appear unexpectedly between buildings.  In the evening, we ventured out to the local market, where the street was lined with tables selling fresh dates (I stocked up!) and fresh bread, in addition to tarps on the ground filled with fruits, vegetables, and random household items.  It was exciting to see items (like dates) that aren’t easily available/affordable in Uganda.  I even bought a small bunch of grapes (my first time in East Africa) because they were so cheap!

Each night, a night food market appears in a small park by the water.  Locals set up small tables, charcoal "grills", and lanterns and sell meat, fruit, and other local foods to a lively, international crowd.  Something called a "Zanzibar pizza" has become very popular.  It's kind of like a flat crepe with fillings, either savory or sweet - the definite favorite being Nutella and banana, topped with caramel and chocolate drizzles.

Nutmeg & Mace

On the second morning, we took a “spice tour.”  We had a walking tour around a working spice (and fruit) farm.  We learned about breadfruit (which apparently only tastes good if you cook it, but then it’s very filling) and kapok (a cotton-like substance that grows in pods on a tree) and saw how nutmeg, turmeric, vanilla beans, cardamom pods, cloves, lemongrass, peppercorns, star fruits, lychees, and various other interesting spices and plants grow.  Many of the spices on Zanzibar were actually brought there from India, Indonesia, and other places, but some are indigenous (I think cloves are). 

Peppercorns

We then were treated to a filling taste-test of various local fruits and teas.  Our guides were very friendly and entertaining, and it was a very informative and interesting time.  Did you know that mace is a red lace that surrounds the large nutmeg seed inside a fruit that you don’t eat?  And white pepper comes from regular peppercorns that are peeled before they are dried?  And turmeric is a root much like ginger?  And there’s a fruit/seed pod that is called the “lipstick plant” because it can be rubbed into a bright red paste?  It was also interesting to learn that the growing and sale/export of cloves is regulated by the government, as some of the proceeds are still required to be given to the government.  It’s almost like the government still kind of “owns” all cloves on the island.

"Lipstick Plant"

Vanilla Beans

Fresh Cloves

Mom & I feeding the tortoises

On the third day, we took a small boat ride out to Changuu or “Prison Island.”  It is a small island just off the coast of Stone Town that housed what was intended to be a prison but only ever functioned as a medical quarantine facility for boats of slaves or other travelers as they made their way into East Africa.  The historical ruins are still there, and the island is now home to a small resort and a tortoise wildlife refuge.  Unfortunately the seas were very choppy every morning, so by the end of the 30-minute boat ride, I repeating to myself “don’t throw up, don’t throw up” despite having taken a Dramamine.  It was fun to see the tortoises and feed them (trying not to get your fingers bitten off by their strong mouth), some of whom were over 150 years old! 

Mom wading on the soft, white-sand beach

The resort’s restaurant was closed for renovation, so there wasn’t really any place to hang out, since I wasn’t particularly eager to get back on the boat right away.  We were told that the island had amazing beaches and had planned to spend the day swimming and snorkeling.  Well, we found out that the snorkeling was actually a ways out from the island, so we would have to do it by jumping off the boat.  We decided that didn’t sound so fun, especially since we would also be thrown around by the choppy waves.  The beach was beautiful but only about 20 feet long.  The only place to swim was around the anchored boats, and we didn’t really feel like being the only ones swimming in the 20-foot “harbor.”  So we just spent a little while walking around the (small) beautiful white sand beach and looking and various shells, rocks, and pieces of coral that lined the water.

The amazing beaches on the east side of the island

For my birthday, our 4th day in Zanzibar, we went to the other side of the island (the northeast, which supposedly has the best beaches) to spend part of the day on the beach.  We went to a resort which allowed us in for free, provided we ate at the restaurant.  The white sand beach, and especially the light turquoise of the water, was beautiful!  We swam in the Indian Ocean for a while, although the day was a little overcast and windy, so the cool water wasn’t quite as refreshing as we expected.  =)  Then, after swimming in the ocean, we swam in the pool (well, you know, you don’t have to battle the waves or worry about stepping on coral), then we sat on lounge chairs under a tree and read for a while.  We dried off and ate lunch while overlooking the sand and the waves.

For dinner, we ate at a distinctly “Swahili cuisine” restaurant.  The entrees seemed like a mixture of East Africa and Indian food, and each one came with a variety of sides, including cooked greens, pumpkin, chapatti, beans, and others, all surrounding a pile of delicious, spiced rice.  I think the rice was my favorite part; it was so flavorful – it had whole slices of cinnamon bark!  In all, it was an wonderful, relaxing, and fascinating trip!

I'm now spending a week in Seattle (enjoying family, friends, food, and fun!), and next week I'll be in Colorado for a world-wide EMI staff conference!