Zanzibar

I visited the island paradise of Zanzibar last weekend. I knew very little about the place before going there:

1. Zanzibar is the name of a restaurant in Ann Arbor. I have yet to meet someone who has actually eaten there.

2. Zanzibar is spelled with two 'Z's, instantly multiplying its fun factor by ten times any other place. If a place is that fun to pronounce, it can only be an amazing place to actually travel to.

Knowing only that, I packed my bags, skipped work on Friday, and boarded my super sophisticated commercial air jet on Fly540 Airlines (in reality, the plane was a thirteen seater that looked like the one Baloo flew on the Disney cartoon TaleSpin).



Over the next two and a half days (two days of which were dampened -- only in the literal meaning of the word -- by constant rain), I experienced the following:

1. The whitest beaches I have ever seen. The water was so warm and clear that you could see down to the bottom almost everywhere.

2. Songs being sung by the "entertainment" during dinners at the hotel (www.bluebayzanzibar.com). It sounded like really bad asian kareoke (even though the singers weren't asian). A favorite was a song that repeated the words "jambo" and "hakuna matata".



3. Snorkeling with this guy....

We took a small motorboat to Mnemba Island where the coral reef is supposed to be the best. Despite the never ceasing rain and cloud coverage, we were able to see some amazing fish.

4. Fishing village children. While waiting to get change to pay our snorkeling guide, curious little kids came up to us. All I could understand was "jambo," and therefore, meaningful interaction with them was limited. They were highly entertained by us taking pictures of them and showing them their faces on the digital camera. Either that, or they were laughing at the mzungus (swahili for 'foreigners') for thinking they can be so easily entertained.

5. Stonetown. This is what I think of when I picture a typical muslim-african city -- narrow alleyways, kids singing verses from the Qu'ran, women (and some men) with kajjal-lined eyes, huge doors with the most intricate woodwork I have ever seen, and expansive spice markets with cloves, cinnamon, pepper, saffron, cardamom, and cumin.

According to the guide we paid $10 to walk us around Stonetown for an hour, Zanzibar is most known for being a center for trade. During the 11th-15th centuries, the economy was almost exclusively run by trade in spices, slaves, and ivory. Between the 15th-17th centuries, it was colonized by first the Portugese, next the Omani, and finally by the British. The island gained independence from the British in 1963 and shortly after joined the former colony, Tanganyika to become the United Republic of Tanzania.

5. Henna tattoos. They mostly use black henna here which goes on black and dries black. It took the girl at least 20 minutes to apply a small flower on the palm of my hand. Someone should really introduce the concept of plastic bag cones to Stonetown.

6. Though we didn't actually experience it first-hand, we were able to see Changuu (Prison Island) from afar. This island is where rebellious slaves were supposed to be housed but instead became a quaratine for yellow fever cases. Now it has become a tourist resort and home to Aldabra Giant Tortoises.