 |
| The church on the site of the slave market |
Hi all! I've been in Zanzibar since Thursday sans my computer so before I crash out of exhaustion, I thought I'd update so I don't forget to add anything.
We left in the wee hours of Thursday morning to go to a smaller airport in Dar. Everyone was beyond exhausted, especially a group of us who had been out late the night before. We went to Jenny's (our group director) friend's apartment who lives in a rather wealthy area of the city. He and Jenny were in the peace corps together, but now he works in an oil company and lives in these high rise apartments that are full of ex-pats and luxurious. Not going to lie, it was nice to experience. We swam at night in the pool, watched Law and Order SVU and ate pizza. Oh, the comforts of home.
Anywho, the next day we set out. We flew the tiniest of planes. I was terrified and felt very motion sick the entire time, but I had wonderful friends who comforted me for the twenty minute plane ride. I'm still glad we flew instead of taking the two hour ferry ride packed full of people. While flying in, we could see all of the fantastic coral reefs and most of the island. It is much bigger than I thought it was! We arrived in Zanzibar and I could already tell the difference in how the island from the mainland. The architecture was far more complex and interesting, and the air just had a different feel to it.
It's hard to even describe everything we did this weekend. It was all so wonderful. We spent the first day traveling around Stone Town in Zanzibar. I keep calling it Stonestown accidentally, which is the name of a mall I frequently go to in the bay area. We were all pretty exhausted because of getting up so early and we toured many locations in very hot weather. I felt terribly ill which took away from the experience a bit, but I have waited too long to visit Zanzibar to let it get in the way. We saw the location of a former slave market that is now a church. We went into some underground chambers where slaves were kept and the church was built by a man who was called, "The Friend to Slaves". inside the church there are markers where slaves were whipped. It was a large and wonderful church that was made of limestone. If you are not familiar with Zanzibar's history, I recommend that you look into it. The trade routes of the Indian Ocean over the past few centuries have included the island as a primary location. It has also had many rulers which has provided a medley of cultures and traditions.
We also visited some other historical landmarks which I have learned about through my own research and classes in school. It was so awesome to see them in person! After some sight-seeing, we had a few hour break where I returned to the hotel and passed out. It's amazing how many naps I take in this country. Studying abroad is so tiring! That night we went to the international renowned Zanzibar Music Festival where artists from all over the world visit and perform in an ancient fort complex in the middle of the old city. IT WAS SO COOL.We only saw a couple artists, but it was truly wonderful and I was so glad to have the experience.
The next day we started our by driving to an area of Zanzibar that has a ton of spice farms. We spent a couple of hours walking around the farm being led by our Zanzibar guide, Jamal. He stopped at many plants and trees showing us different spices and fruits. It was incredible. We each started our own collections of the spices so we could smell and guess what they were. The guys who worked there also all made us hats and bags our of palm fronds. At the end of the tour we at a fabulous lunch and watched a guy climb a coconut tree to get us some to drink. All in all, it was delightful!
Then we drove to another part of the island called Jambiani where our director knew someone who owns a youth hostel. It was GORGEOUS. the water was turquoise and the village was wonderful. All of the buildings were made out of coral. A few of us swam in extremely kelpy water. Apparently it's much nicer when the tide is out to swim. That night we all relaxed and hung out with people from the area. Some guys had a bonfire and a drum circle and we all sang songs. When the tide went out, me and another friend walked out really far and watched the moon rise. It was so incredible.
The next day was a bit chaotic and did not go as planned. People woke up with incredibly puffy eyes and everyone who swam except me started burning all over their skin. The people of the village said this had never happened before but it was something to do with the concentration of the kelp, perhaps. Lots of speculation started to take place and we finally decided that it was something from a Steven King novel. This all meant that we started a bit late in the day.
We took a tour of the village and walked for far longer than was expected. We spent about an hour and a half just wandering the village and our leader Ken really had no idea what we were doing. A few of us still decided to enjoy ourselves in the crazy hot weather. We took our time and took pictures of the glorious setting around us. We were able to go into someone's house and really see how people live their lives, which is something I truly appreciate. This area of Zanzibar specializes in the farming of seaweed. The men of the island used to work to collect it, but the profit was so little, and the labor so intensive, they passed it on to the women of the community. Now hundreds of women set out each day when the tide is out to work in the hot sun to collect very little seaweed to sell to Europe and Asia for very little money when the buyers make a huge amount off of their profits. It is tough work. Each plot is about 6 by 9 feet with rows of seaweed tied in little bundles around string. It takes about a month to get to the full size. We were supposed to take a tour of some of the farms, but we didn't get back in time to do so. But when I went out to swim later, we walked about a mile through the beach to get to the ocean, not down the beach, through it! It takes so long to get to the water when the tide is out. When I got to the water I walked around for a bit to see what the women were doing. It was very awkward to see all this work they were doing when I was clearly there just to swim and enjoy myself.
Since it was a Saturday, many of the kids were running around helping their mothers with the work. As we toured, many of the kids came up wanting to talk to us and take pictures with us, some expecting money, but mostly not. Since I adore kids, this was one of the highlights for me.On our way back, we stopped by to visit a medicine man from the area. He showed us many plants that are used for different problems people in the village have. Unfortunately we were all so exhausted from walking for so long, it was very hard for us to pay attention. He was a very kind man with many things to say and I'm glad we are able to meet him.
Later after the tour, I went for the swim I previously mentioned. The water was extremely clear and gorgeous. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The water current also moved very quickly, which made it kind of fun to swim in. It was almost like a river of salt water that we could float on. Not too far away there was a bank of sand where we could see other people snorkeling. I didn't snorkel this time, but I thought I'd save that for something to do when Daniel gets here. Also, the last time I snorkeled, I got fairly sea sick which is not the best of memories for me even though it was so incredible. Hopefully, the next time it will be better.
That night, we did the same things we did the previous night. It was just as much fun. For some of the time, I was getting over being in such a large group so I grabbed a beer, laid down in a hammock by the beach, and looked at the glorious stars. They were incredible. I spent about an hour doing that and it was well worth my time.My room mates decided to go to the music festival that night, so I had the room to myself for a while, while was fabulous! Sometimes when you are in such a large group, it's just so nice to be on your own.
The next day, we drove back to Stone Town and did some shopping. I got some nice hand-made leather sandals that are made by a couple in town. Jenny showed us the place so we could have good quality sandals. They were more on the pricey side but no where near what I would pay in the States for hand-made leather sandals. I also bought some pants, which are amazing! It was nice to just wander around a little bit in a smaller group, especially since the streets are so small. We then took another terrifying and nauseating flight back to home sweet home at chuo kikuu (university) of Dar es Salaam.
Well, that post took much longer I thought it would. I've now been working on it off and on for about 24 hours. We really did do a lot this weekend! I had a marvelous time and can't wait to go back with Daniel! :)
We left in the wee hours of Thursday morning to go to a smaller airport in Dar. Everyone was beyond exhausted, especially a group of us who had been out late the night before. We went to Jenny's (our group director) friend's apartment who lives in a rather wealthy area of the city. He and Jenny were in the peace corps together, but now he works in an oil company and lives in these high rise apartments that are full of ex-pats and luxurious. Not going to lie, it was nice to experience. We swam at night in the pool, watched Law and Order SVU and ate pizza. Oh, the comforts of home.
Anywho, the next day we set out. We flew the tiniest of planes. I was terrified and felt very motion sick the entire time, but I had wonderful friends who comforted me for the twenty minute plane ride. I'm still glad we flew instead of taking the two hour ferry ride packed full of people. While flying in, we could see all of the fantastic coral reefs and most of the island. It is much bigger than I thought it was! We arrived in Zanzibar and I could already tell the difference in how the island from the mainland. The architecture was far more complex and interesting, and the air just had a different feel to it.
It's hard to even describe everything we did this weekend. It was all so wonderful. We spent the first day traveling around Stone Town in Zanzibar. I keep calling it Stonestown accidentally, which is the name of a mall I frequently go to in the bay area. We were all pretty exhausted because of getting up so early and we toured many locations in very hot weather. I felt terribly ill which took away from the experience a bit, but I have waited too long to visit Zanzibar to let it get in the way. We saw the location of a former slave market that is now a church. We went into some underground chambers where slaves were kept and the church was built by a man who was called, "The Friend to Slaves". inside the church there are markers where slaves were whipped. It was a large and wonderful church that was made of limestone. If you are not familiar with Zanzibar's history, I recommend that you look into it. The trade routes of the Indian Ocean over the past few centuries have included the island as a primary location. It has also had many rulers which has provided a medley of cultures and traditions.
We also visited some other historical landmarks which I have learned about through my own research and classes in school. It was so awesome to see them in person! After some sight-seeing, we had a few hour break where I returned to the hotel and passed out. It's amazing how many naps I take in this country. Studying abroad is so tiring! That night we went to the international renowned Zanzibar Music Festival where artists from all over the world visit and perform in an ancient fort complex in the middle of the old city. IT WAS SO COOL.We only saw a couple artists, but it was truly wonderful and I was so glad to have the experience.
The next day we started our by driving to an area of Zanzibar that has a ton of spice farms. We spent a couple of hours walking around the farm being led by our Zanzibar guide, Jamal. He stopped at many plants and trees showing us different spices and fruits. It was incredible. We each started our own collections of the spices so we could smell and guess what they were. The guys who worked there also all made us hats and bags our of palm fronds. At the end of the tour we at a fabulous lunch and watched a guy climb a coconut tree to get us some to drink. All in all, it was delightful!
Then we drove to another part of the island called Jambiani where our director knew someone who owns a youth hostel. It was GORGEOUS. the water was turquoise and the village was wonderful. All of the buildings were made out of coral. A few of us swam in extremely kelpy water. Apparently it's much nicer when the tide is out to swim. That night we all relaxed and hung out with people from the area. Some guys had a bonfire and a drum circle and we all sang songs. When the tide went out, me and another friend walked out really far and watched the moon rise. It was so incredible.
The next day was a bit chaotic and did not go as planned. People woke up with incredibly puffy eyes and everyone who swam except me started burning all over their skin. The people of the village said this had never happened before but it was something to do with the concentration of the kelp, perhaps. Lots of speculation started to take place and we finally decided that it was something from a Steven King novel. This all meant that we started a bit late in the day.
We took a tour of the village and walked for far longer than was expected. We spent about an hour and a half just wandering the village and our leader Ken really had no idea what we were doing. A few of us still decided to enjoy ourselves in the crazy hot weather. We took our time and took pictures of the glorious setting around us. We were able to go into someone's house and really see how people live their lives, which is something I truly appreciate. This area of Zanzibar specializes in the farming of seaweed. The men of the island used to work to collect it, but the profit was so little, and the labor so intensive, they passed it on to the women of the community. Now hundreds of women set out each day when the tide is out to work in the hot sun to collect very little seaweed to sell to Europe and Asia for very little money when the buyers make a huge amount off of their profits. It is tough work. Each plot is about 6 by 9 feet with rows of seaweed tied in little bundles around string. It takes about a month to get to the full size. We were supposed to take a tour of some of the farms, but we didn't get back in time to do so. But when I went out to swim later, we walked about a mile through the beach to get to the ocean, not down the beach, through it! It takes so long to get to the water when the tide is out. When I got to the water I walked around for a bit to see what the women were doing. It was very awkward to see all this work they were doing when I was clearly there just to swim and enjoy myself.
Since it was a Saturday, many of the kids were running around helping their mothers with the work. As we toured, many of the kids came up wanting to talk to us and take pictures with us, some expecting money, but mostly not. Since I adore kids, this was one of the highlights for me.On our way back, we stopped by to visit a medicine man from the area. He showed us many plants that are used for different problems people in the village have. Unfortunately we were all so exhausted from walking for so long, it was very hard for us to pay attention. He was a very kind man with many things to say and I'm glad we are able to meet him.
Later after the tour, I went for the swim I previously mentioned. The water was extremely clear and gorgeous. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The water current also moved very quickly, which made it kind of fun to swim in. It was almost like a river of salt water that we could float on. Not too far away there was a bank of sand where we could see other people snorkeling. I didn't snorkel this time, but I thought I'd save that for something to do when Daniel gets here. Also, the last time I snorkeled, I got fairly sea sick which is not the best of memories for me even though it was so incredible. Hopefully, the next time it will be better.
That night, we did the same things we did the previous night. It was just as much fun. For some of the time, I was getting over being in such a large group so I grabbed a beer, laid down in a hammock by the beach, and looked at the glorious stars. They were incredible. I spent about an hour doing that and it was well worth my time.My room mates decided to go to the music festival that night, so I had the room to myself for a while, while was fabulous! Sometimes when you are in such a large group, it's just so nice to be on your own.
The next day, we drove back to Stone Town and did some shopping. I got some nice hand-made leather sandals that are made by a couple in town. Jenny showed us the place so we could have good quality sandals. They were more on the pricey side but no where near what I would pay in the States for hand-made leather sandals. I also bought some pants, which are amazing! It was nice to just wander around a little bit in a smaller group, especially since the streets are so small. We then took another terrifying and nauseating flight back to home sweet home at chuo kikuu (university) of Dar es Salaam.
Well, that post took much longer I thought it would. I've now been working on it off and on for about 24 hours. We really did do a lot this weekend! I had a marvelous time and can't wait to go back with Daniel! :)
 |
| A monument dedicated to the slaves |
 |
| Zanzibar spices! |
 |
| An example of the Arab influence in the city |
 |
| Awesome tiny streets! |
 |
| Being silly in Zanzibar |
 |
| One of the bands at the music festival |
 |
| Spice tour! |
 |
| Me and my friends Polycarp looking fabulous at the Spice farm with coconuts |
 |
| The beaches of Jambiani |
 |
| kids scavenging for seaweed |
long entry!!! I am seriously impressed! I would not have been able to finish an entry like this-- esp. when it's summary of what i did haha
ReplyDeleteaaaaaanyways this all sounded awesome-- the pictures were excellent as well. I liked picturing how i would recreate this visually as i read your adventures :3 i miss you so!
lol @ stonestown and oh goshhhh that music festival was probably aaawesome
oh and i seriously got jealous of that lying out in a hammock watching the stars :) sounds way too nice
love youuu!