Zanzibar, Part 2

After my three relaxing days it was time to head back to Stone Town. The beach was very nice, but I was getting a bit restless and the sun burn wasn't too fun in the sun. I took another daladala ride into town, and as we got close, it started to pour. Once I got off, I had to run to cover and wait it out under some awnings with the vendors.

From inside the Old Fort

After finding a hostel to spend the night, I set out to explore. Stone Town is the old historic district of Zanzibar Town and has lots of Islamic and Indian influences. It feels how I would expect Northern Africa to be. The streets and alleys make a huge maze, and it was very easy at first to get lost in. I never felt unsafe though; the only real dangers were the scooters that zipped through the small streets. Within the maze are countless little shops and stalls, selling souvenirs and food. It was a lot of fun to just wander around and take in the atmosphere.

An artist working in the alley

Zanzibar has a lot of old architecture left behind from its rich trading past, a lot of which was in slaves. I saw a lot of interesting buildings, and some linked to the sad history of the slave trade in Zanzibar. Also famous there are ornately carved wooden doors. They are on all types of buildings, from nice hotels to shacks. The three main types are Arabian, Indian, and Portuguese, and it was interesting to see the variety as I walked through the streets.

A Stone Town alley

I also visited the fish market in Stone Town, which was an eye-opening experience. Cleanliness seemed to have zero meaning there. Flies were everywhere on the fish, and towards the water, fisherman would drag their catch through the dirt and the gravel on the way to their stands. One interesting technique I saw was fishermen smashing octopus onto the cement to tenderize it.

The fish market

I am heading out to Karatu and a couple other surrounding towns later today, and don't know how much internet access there will be... so this might be my last post for a while.