The reason we headed that way is to visit the beautiful archipelago of Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania.
The archipelago located in the Indian Ocean is known for its beaches and spices. However, it also harbors a dark past having been one of the largest ports for the Arab slave trade. Personally, I am not particularly interested in the beaches- we've got lots of those back home. My interest in visiting the place is more of cultural and historical.
From Dar Es Salaam, my friend and I took the Azam ferry to Zanzibar,which is about 2 hours of travel. Ferry is not that bad. The waters were just a bit choppy so we alighted a bit lightheaded.
Upon arrival, our passports stamped (since the island is semi-autonomous, they have a different passport stamp from that of Tanzania) our body temperatures were checked and our yellow fever card inspected,after which we were declared good to go.
The port was bustling. Zanzibar is really touristy so you there are countless touts-taxi touts, hotel touts--all over the place. Since I have read somewhere that there was no need to take a taxi, I suggested to my friend that we walk and try to find our guest house. We wandered around, got lost in alleyways and shops while trying to dodge a very persistent tout until we eventually found Jambo Guesthouse. Unfortunately, they were fully booked. The owner generously took us to another inn--the name eludes me at the moment--which was surprisingly much cheaper. We booked ourselves in the dormitory but they offered to give us a separate bedroom within the dormitory for the same price. The gods must have been smiling at us that day!
Famished, we took our lunch in one of the local places then decided to start our tour right after. The place is just oozing with history. The alleyways were like a maze which our guide explained to us was part of the town's planning. It was designed to make it difficult for slaves to escape.
The building doors were a work of art, testament to the Persian and Omani Arab occupation.
Stone Town's slave market
First in our list of places to see is the slave market which is now the location of an Anglican church. Listening to our tour guide talk about the slaves being tricked or sold to slavery then made to walk or packed in dhows to reach Zanzibar distressed me. Upon reaching Zanzibar, they are are not only packed inhumanely like sardines in prison cells with none of the necessary facilities where they can do their business. They are also shackled. Then of course, if there is anyone who manages to escape, the maze of alleyways in the city ensure that they would never succeed in their pursuit of freedom. I cannot imagine how some people are so consumed with greed that they have no qualms treating their fellow men like commodities. Well I have to say, this is still happening these days. Human trafficking is still very much alive the only difference now is that the operations are covert and are not publicized just like the slave auctions they had back then. |
| Photo courtesy of Ara |
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| A glimpse of the prison cell. As many as 300 would be packed here. |
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| Inside the cathedral. The altar is the site of the original whipping post. |
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| Our brilliant guide standing by the doors of the cathedral. |
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| A memorial |
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| Outside the cathedral |
Right across the Anglican church/ former slave market is the Darajani market. This is a bustling place of commerce and like other places in the world was not spared by mass produced, cheap Chinese goods. There were spices, dates, a lot of bananas and so much more. You can find everything in the bazaar.I had fun going around the place. Interestingly, we also found several copies of Filipino soap operas selling like pancakes.One thing I like about the heritage part of Stone Town is that it is actually "walkable" so you do not really get lost. You just have to be careful of your belongings (just like in any place you travel to) and when wandering around at night. A few days before our arrival, there was news of some girls being mugged while walking back to their hostel after visiting the night market.
Hamamni Persian Baths
This is a public bath house built by the second sultan of Zanzibar in the Hamamni neighborhood. The baths are no longer being used but we were told they were functional until the early 90's. What I remember during our visit was that there was a separate area for men and women, a space for socializing and there were areas for shaving etc. It is pretty interesting. I never imagined bathing as something socializing. Swimming maybe but bathing? No! While we were there, I cannot help myself from imagining how it must have been like. I guess it is not that different from the resorts we have today except that we have swimming pools instead of baths. Or maybe, it is just like going to the sauna where you just sit there getting all sweaty while talking about all sorts of things from politics to the mundane.
The Old Fort
Originally, this is a structure built by the Omani Arabs after they captured Zanzibar from the Portuguese. Later on it was used as prison cells. Now it is a cultural center. The ampitheater is being used for local performances.
Other places we did not visit
- Freddie Mercury House
- House of Wonders
- Palace Museum
- Livingstone House
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