Adventures of Tom Sako and Damien Waterford

Zanzibar

Zanzibar as with its name is something different. It is an island about 40 kilometres off the east coast of Africa and was once a major port of trade for the region and in the world. All sorts of things and people came through here, ivory, slaves, explorers, spice and heaps more slaves.

The Portuguese were here some time prior and constructed some buildings and then the Arabs came and built some and then the British destroyed some and then built some more. During its heyday they built the
main town on the island near the port called Stone Town, with two and three storey buildings all very near each other and with what appears to be no town planning at all, creating a maze of narrow alley ways that
would take a lifetime to work out directions. You just go in, get lost and then work your way around it. Yet this maze of alley ways has a unique social way. Apart from being the tourist and being asked to look into
shops and offered other services, we noticed a tightly nit social atmosphere.

Frank and I sat with some locals and felt the comfortable and healthy lifestyle. A young mother just sitting watching over her children, other people just sitting chatting, others play board games. People walk by and everybody seems to know everybody as they greet each other respectfully and enthusiastically. Then some would come
through on a small vesper motor bikes. Some of these alley ways are as narrow as one metre. You could jump from one window to another in some places. One of the Sultans princesses had a romance with a German trader across some of them. Frank being a fireman considers the fire hazards. When the British explorers were here preparing for their missions into the interior, they would see and hear the slave gangs walking through here. They would get stopped by a prospective buyer, get their hands, teeth and feet checked out and then after the negotiation would continue on to the sound of the chains.

We had a look at some of the Arab palaces which had fantastic locations but typically terrible furnishings. Found some great bars on the first night and next day went on a spice tour. Maybe I’m getting old but the
spice tour was pretty good. Our taste and smell senses got worked overtime going through spice fields. It lasted the whole day and the only thing it lacked was Posh. They took us to a beautiful deserted beach at
the end of it and went for a swim around to some rocks and found thousands of rock oysters. Natural oysters are my favourite food so to be sitting in water eating a few of them was…well… nearly orgasmic. Went back to Stone Town for pre dinner drinks and sunset then next day went snorkeling around some islets off the island. Beautiful coral and fish everywhere in clear water. We got bitten by what we were told was plankton which made me think that it’s climbing off the bottom of the food chain.

Back to Stone Town for more pre dinner drinks and sunset. We were at the Mercury bar this time named after the lead singer of the group Queen, Freddie Mercury, who was born here. He then moved to India at
nine years of age and then followed the other 50 million Indians who moved to England. I didn’t really get into Queen’s music but I could understand that he could come from a place like this. Sitting on this deck with some friends we see local guys playing soccer on the beach, sailing dowls gliding their way around moored cruisers with the sun setting in the distance.

Over towards the park local fisherman start preparing the seafood stalls that they grill for you while you wait. You pay $1 for a giant crab claw but my experience
the previous night was that the guy who served me was so whacked off his face, he ate most of it before he gave it to me. On the street in front of the palace and Arab fort, people walk and ride bicycles. There
are many artists here selling their anvasses and sculptures. There is a real creative and exotic atmosphere about this place that if Indiana Jones came running through the restaurant being chased by someone, it wouldn’t look out of place. Later that night we found a laid back lounge bar but it got a bit weird when they played the same Madonna song six times in a row.

Next day we hired a couple of trail bikes and went exploring the island. You are so much more in your environment on a motor cycle than in a car and we feel this riding through the villages. The police try some revenue raising at barrier points but Frank talks us through. The island is relatively flat, green with palms rising above a mixture of trees and plantations. Went to the north and east of the island and found some luxurious beach resorts situated on clean white beaches and with calm emerald green and turquoise waters.

The weather changed on the way back to Stone Town, riding through rain and gusty wind to catch our flight. Got to the airport car park at 10 minutes to 5 and made our 5pm flight. Going to Zanzibar is like stepping back in time except now the slaves have been replaced by tourists and the ivory by ornaments, paintings and jewelery. The spices have increased giving the island a name as the spice island. Zanzibar is spice in so many ways but mainly in atmosphere that will put a smile on your face whenever you hear the name Zanzibar.

On the boat to Zanzibar