Well, it was not quite the same when we went there--no such kind of smell upon stepping out of the boat-- but Zanzibar is still famed for its spices.
Cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper--name it, they have it. In fact, a visit to Zanzibar is not complete without a purchase of spices to bring back home.
Zanzibar, being a touristy island has tours for everything like the Jozani Forest tour and the Prison Island tour we had earlier. They also have a spice plantation tour, which I again decided to join. I was thinking, I am in the island for a few days only so I might as well see everything. Do what tourists do. See the usual sights and listen to the usual rehearsed explanations. Maybe, when I get to return then I will go explore on my own and go off the beaten track.
Just like the last time, I booked a tour with our hostel. They did all the arrangement and the only thing I had to do was to hop in the minibus that came to pick us up the next day which then brought us to the spice plantation.
Well, it was an ordinary farm. Nothing special except for the fact that they've got lots of spices planted in the place. For me who actually grew up in a working class family in an agricultural community, most of the plants were familiar but the tour still proved interesting. Our guide knows a lot of trivia about the different herbs and spices he was showing us and he has stories to tell about the place. We got to taste and smell most of the spices.
The tour took more or less three hours. It ended with a visit to the shop of course where people can buy spices.Afterwards, we were brought to another area where we had some locals cook us lunch using the spices that we just saw in the plantation. I was famished after almost four hours of walking and standing so think I had quite my share of the food which they served us.
I would say, the tour is worth the fee. You just have to prepare yourself to pay extra while at the farm. For instance when you ask for a refreshing drink of young coconut milk, someone would readily display his climbing prowess and pick one for you from the tree--for a fee, of course! It is a bit annoying but come to think of it, that is what tourism does actually. It happens everywhere. The tourists come in expecting most people to be hospitable and would just do things out of the goodness of their hearts. However, once the place gets popular, the locals get past that and start seeing the presence of tourists as an opportunity. Well, that is based from what I have observed from my community anyway. But then again, I know nothing. It is a complex socio-economic structure.
Anyway, I found the tour relaxing and somewhat educational. You get to see more of Zanzibar outside of Stone Town during the drive to the farm which is a bonus. And then of course there is the lunch. It is nice to sit down and break bread with fellow travelers and just listen to their stories and their opinions.
Going back to Stone Town, we dropped by a cave which was also allegedly used to hide slaves during the heyday of the slave trade. Then we dropped off to another beach. Some of our companions took the chance to take a dip in the ocean. As for me, I just sat there and enjoyed the view of the Indian ocean. Another morning well spent!
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