Tuesday,
2 February 2016
I
woke up just after midnight and couldn’t sleep thereafter. This would become my
pattern in Africa for the duration of my stay. I finally got up at 06:00 to
perform prayers. It started getting noisy as the dawn turn into morning and
before long, I heard children’s voices, chattering excitedly.
I
went down for breakfast after 08:30. It was a simple affair: a small banana and
half of a dry orange followed by a plate of four slices of bread and a simple
yokeless omelette. Alhamdulillah. I met a German bloke who was also travelling
alone and he told me he paid USD720 for a 3D 2N safari package covering Arusha
and Serengenti National Parks and Ngorongoro Conservation Area (if I heard
correctly). That sounded very reasonable. Much more reasonable than USD650 for
a 2D 1N safari that was quoted to me!
I
set off to explore Stone Town after breakfast. I walked back out to New
Mkunazini Road to take in the landmarks and then I set off in the direction of
Darajani Market. I passed the Anglican Cathedral which was built on the where
the site of the former slave market but didn’t enter. After taking photos, I
continued on and turned left at Benjamin Mkapa Road where I was approached by a
local who offered to take me on a tour for a fee (I declined him of course) and
walked on to Darajani Market. This is the main market and bazaar in Stone Town.
I braved myself and went in to take in the atmosphere. Everything was colourful
and exotic. You can find practically everything there: fish, meat, vegetables,
fruits, spices, baskets, dried fruits such as figs and dates, grains... I had a
great time there despite the heat.
Darajani Market from Benjamin Mkapa Road
Darajani Market
I
then walked out and walked along the main road. There were some dala dalas
there and while I did consider riding one, I decided it would be too hot and
cramped being in one. And besides, I still had a lot to explore. I wandered
around, getting lost in the alleys, stumbling onto new alleys and new sights.
One lane led to another, one alley to another and before I knew it, I had
reached Hurumzi area. I walked on into neighbouring Malindi and then crossed
over to Azam Marine Office. Now, there are several sea ferry
companies that ply the waters between Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam daily and I’d
read that Azam Marine is the largest and most efficient. I had made a booking
for a ticket on Friday, 29 January 2016, and I needed to exchange the booking
voucher for a ticket and pay for it. The ticket cost USD35 (and yes, I paid in
USD).
The Old Dispensary
After
paying for my ferry ticket, I walked up to Malindi and the fish market. Just
beyond was the sea and a crowd of people waiting for the fish to be hauled back
from the boats. I went closer for a better look. It was an atmosphere alright.
There were the fishermen shouting at the men walking chest-deep in the sea
towards them with buckets in their hands or atop their heads. There were the
men returning back to the shore with bucket(s) of fish in their arms. There was
a lot of noise and it sounded like a carnival. What an atmosphere indeed and I
felt very lucky to be there witnessing it. It may seem a normal daily
occurrence to them but it looked and felt like a unique sight and experience to
me. Sure, there was that almighty smell but hey, that’s part and parcel of an
experience right. And besides, it wasn’t as if the smell would linger and stick
onto my clothes. I stayed there transfixed and trying as hard and as much as
possible to capture the scene with my camera.
I
left after 15 minutes and walked around Malindi, trying to spot the guesthouses
I had booked and subsequently cancelled. I then turned back and walked down
Mizingani Road until I came upon The Palace Museum (Beit al-Sahel). There was
an admission fee of TZS5,000 or USD3 so I paid in TZS of course. I spent 45
minutes there.
The Palace Museum (Beit al-Sahel)
From the first floor of the museum. See that powerful wave there
I
continued down Mizingani Road to the House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib) – but
before I reached it, what do you know, a man came up and walked with me, trying
to persuade me to ask him to bring me around at a fee of course. I declined him.
To shake him off, I turned and went to the waterfront to enjoy the view.
Another bloke came up to offer me a tour at ‘local rate and not Mzungu rate’ as
he put it (yes, different rates apply for most things with the locals paying a
fraction of what the foreigners do). He warned me to be careful of the sea waves
and true enough, I was showered almost immediately. I laughed out aloud in
surprise and walked back to the House of Wonders. Now, the House of Wonders is
the largest and tallest building in Stone Town and occupies a prominent spot
facing Forodhani Gardens and flanked on either side by The Palace Museum and
the Old Fort. It was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity and
also the first building in East Africa to have an elevator. Unfortunately, the
museum is now closed due to disrepair. What a shame for it’s a fine old
building from the outside. There are two 16th century Portuguese
cannons at the massive entrance to the palace. If you come to or leave Zanzibar
by ferry, this is one of the buildings on the seafront that you will see and
identify so yeah, I was gutted that I was not able to step into it and discover
its secrets within.
As
I’d mentioned, the Old Fort is next to the House of Wonders. It’s the oldest
building in Stone Town and was built in late 17th century to defend
the island from the Portuguese. The courtyard has now been adapted to serve as
a cultural centre. I chatted with the man at the tourist information desk and
he advised me to book any trips with them as they were the authorised,
registered and licensed tour operators and not with anyone who approached me.
The packages were priced reasonably, well, definitely less than what the bloke
at my lodge quoted! I asked for a guide book and left after thanking him.
House of Wonders (Beit al-Ajaib)
The Old Fort and the House of Wonders
I
crossed over to Forodhani Gardens and sat down for some snack, enjoying the sea
breeze and watching the scene around me: solo Caucasian girls with their
respective guide, Caucasian couples walking together holding hands, a group of
tourists... it was a great place to people-watch. I reluctantly got up after
half an hour and set off on a leisurely stroll down Mizingani Road and then
Shangani Street, well as leisurely as it could be in the blazing heat of the early
afternoon. The posh hotels are along Shangani Street. I then turned into an
alley and wandered along (alleys provide shade and relief from the sea but are
hotter as they block the winds and sea breezes from reaching you) until I stumbled
upon the Hamamni Persian Baths and what do you know, it was actually very near
my lodge. Before returning to my lodge, I went to a store at New Mkunazini Road
to buy some mineral water and a pack of small plums.
I
rested in my room before venturing out in the late afternoon. I wanted to plot
a route to the ferry terminal and see how long it would take me to reach the
ferry terminal on Thursday morning. So I walked out and after getting lost a
few times in the alleys, I finally managed to plot a route. I decided to test
it out again the following morning. I also stopped along the way to take
pictures, including of cats (I have been taking a lot of pictures of cats of
late). Of those cats, there was one kitten outside a shop which particularly
stuck in my mind.
I think this kitten was an angel in disguise
I
then found my way back to my lodge and ventured behind it to more previously
undiscovered alleys. I returned to my room just before it turned dark. The locals
seemed friendly and were happy to leave me alone (except for the occasional
guides pestering me to hire them) but I didn’t fancy being robbed or snatched
like in Beirut. I spent the rest of the evening reading and fell asleep with the book next to me.
To
be continued
|