Sunday and Monday 13th & 14th September - the long trip home

Sunday 13th & Monday 14th September 2015

Time to be up early again to first a pre-dawn view of Venus brilliant in the sky followed by another spectacular sunrise. One of the cats was snoozing on our balcony on one of the sun loungers. We finished packing and went down for an early breakfast. We were entertained at breakfast by two of the Swedish guests doing exercises by the pool which made us feel a bit guilty.

We soon had our bags in the lobby and were saying goodbye to the wonderful staff at the Zanzibar Retreat and taking a last photograph with our host Jan.

Bill, our Zanzibar Retreat host, Jan and Paivi as we say farewell

Then it was into the small minibus with all our luggage for the drive to the airport. We passed through the busy villages between Mtemwe and the airport where markets were again crowded and children going to school. Glimpses of the azure sea were frequent, reminding us of just what we were leaving behind.

Arriving at the airport, we unloaded the bags and we checked in for our respective flights, went through security and formalities and awaited our incoming plane to land. Bill and Paivi were flying to Dar Es Salaam to rejoin Annica on the somewhat unreliable Precision Air. We stand our goodbyes to our super traveling companions with whom we have enjoyed yet another great adventure. Our Kenya Airways flight boarded early and we were soon taxiing out on the to the runway. Bill and Paivi’s Precision Air flight was on the ground and awaiting them so all the transport was on time.

Our flight to Nairobi was quick, comfortable and afforded us a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro on our way. We did have a rather tedious. 4 hour wait at Nairobi and none of the lounges would take our card. Still the time passed and we boarded the SAA flight to Johannesburg on time and took off a few minutes early. We had managed to change our seats on the long flight from Johannesburg to New York for more comfortable ones and may try to upgrade to Business Class at Johannesburg if space is available and I have enough air miles to do it.

So now, we just have the long and boring 14 hour flight from Johannesburg to New York to look forward to. I suppose this is payback for the wonderful experiences we have had over the past three weeks.

Whoops! Spoke too soon. We managed to finagle some better seats and after about the fourth security check of the evening we boarded the A 340 Airbus. The pilot came on the intercom and told us that the toilets on the left side of the plane would not work right now but when the plane had climbed to 16,000 feet and the cabin was pressurized, they would work fine. So far so good. We started to push back and then stopped. The pilot came on again and. Said that he had just received a message for ‘technical’ that the left side toilets were out of commission permanently. This he could not tolerate with 300 passengers on board and a 15 hour flight ahead of us having half the toilets not working was not a safe environment. The right hand side toilets were working but flushing rather weakly.Technical guys flooded on board and ran around the plane testing the toilets. The Captain made regular announcements that the problem could not be found and when it was he would let us know. The departure time of 9.25 pm was well past and as the minutes grew into hours, midnight came and went. At about 1 am the crew were running out of hours to take us to NYC even if the problem could be analyzed, let alone resolved.

So we all disembarked, then had to pass through immigration, collect our baggage from the carousel and leave the airport. A shuttle bus was offered to take us to a hotel but we decided that by the time we got there, it would be time to come back to the airport to check in again so we slept in the arrival hall, then at 5 am we checked in again, went through immigration and security, yet again and when the lounge opened at 6 am, we repaired there for a free breakfast, perhaps a little the worse for wear.

At about 7.30 am we made our way to gate A15 where our flight was to board. After waiting a while and swapping tales with others about their adventures during the night, the familiar security check and pat-down took place and we started to get excited about the possibility of leaving. Time passed and not much happened so the ‘natives’ started to get a bit restless and started to fire questions at the desk staff. After pressing hard they discovered that the flight crew had not arrived yet. It does seem to be more than a little surprising that a delayed flight should have omitted the basic need for a crew. Time passed again and the passengers became more and more annoyed. The original time for departure which was 9.30 am, came and went and at about 10 am we were notified that the crew were on board. They, it seems had been rousted from their beds in the early morning as this was now an unscheduled flight and were probably nearly as grumpy as the sleepless passengers. At about 10.20 am boarding started like a cavalry charge and everyone was in a hurry to get on board and get away. By just before 11 am we were taxiing and were aloft by 11 am and on our way at last with an ETA in JFK of 8 pm EDT.

The feeling was that SAA may have been unlucky and festered the benefit of the doubt over the toilet malfunction, (although there were rumors that this was not the first time this had occurred on this plane and that a more deep-seated problem of pressurization and resultant excessive fuel consumption was the real reason for the aborted flight the night before. There was even talk that the plane might not have been able to make the trip with the fuel load on board due to this high consumption problem caused by whatever the issue was with the plane. None of this was confirmed and may have been conjecture. Nevertheless, SAA’s failure to supply a crew for the rescheduled departure did strike one as rather blameworthy and many expressed their frustration and annoyance at this. SAA did pass around a letter offering a 25% discount on any future bookings during the next year as compensation for the delays the previous evening. Those who took the option of going to a hotel for the night described a lot of chaos checking in and checking out of the hotel as well as the transport to and fro. Our option of staying at the airport, shared by quite a few of the passengers, although none too comfortable was at least as good a choice.

The flight was uneventful but very long and we arrived at JFK more or less on the revised schedule at about 8.15 pm local time. We were lucky with immigration and baggage claim and in a taxi quickly to be home by 10 pm. A very long journey, nearly 48 hours from when we left our Zanzibar Retreat until we were home in NYC. The cats were glad to see us!!!!

The Tribes of Africa

Here are some details about the main tribes which we encountered in Africa

Zulu 

The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group in South Africa. There are approximately ten million Zulus in Africa most of who live in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. A much smaller population live in Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This tribe played an important part in the history of Africa.

Zulu History Facts

Over thousands of years the Zulu's ancestors, the Nguni people, migrated down the east coast of Africa as part of the Bantu migrations. They eventually reached South Africa around the ninth century AD, where a small Zulu clan formed.
In the early 1800's the famous Zulu warrior and king Shaka kaSenzangakhona united the Zulu tribes into a powerful kingdom. He is known for his military genius which was matched with his brutality.
In 1879 the Anglo-Zulu War began as a result of the then Zulu king Cetshwayo refusing the British demand that he accept British authority and disband his army. The Zulus inflicted an early devastating defeat at the Battle of Isandlwana. This was the worst defeat the British would ever experience against any African enemy. The British eventually won the war. The final confrontation was the Battle of Ulundi on July 4, 1879. Soon after the defeat king Cetshwayo was captured and exiled to London. At this time the British divided the Zulu kingdom into thirteen sub-kingdoms. The sub-kingdoms fought among each other. Eventually Cetshwayo was release by the British and reinstate as Zulu king. However, he was unsuccessful at reuniting his kingdom and was eventually forced to escape from Zululand. He died in 1884 from what might have been a poisoning.

Zulu warrior image

Zulu Language

The Zulu peoples language is called isiZulu. IsiZulu is part of the Nguni subgroup of the Bantu language. It is South Africa’s most widely spoken language. Many Zulus also speak several of South Africa’s eleven other official languages including English, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Shangaan, and Sesotho.

Zulu Clothing

The Zulu people of Africa wear different types of clothing for different occasions. They may wear traditional tribal clothing for cultural events or ceremonies but otherwise wear westernized clothing for everyday use.
The type of clothing a women wears is dictated by her marital status. A single unengaged women will wear a short skirt usually made of grass and will also wear beautiful beadwork. An engaged women will let it be know that she is engaged by covering her bosom with a decorative cloth. Married Zulu women wear clothing that covers their body completely.

Zulu Religion

Although most Zulu people are Christian many still practice their traditional ancestor worship in conjunction with their Christian religion. Ancestor worship involves the belief that ancestor spirits exist and could effect the lives of people, for better or for worse. Two important people in a Zulu community, who help communicate and influence the spirits, are the diviner and the herbalist. The diviner communicates with the ancestor spirits and the herbalist prepares a mixture called muthi which can be eaten to help influence the ancestors. There are two basic forms of muthi: white and black. The white is accepted by society and is consumed for positi purposes such as healing. Black muthi is used for negative purposes such as causing others to become sick. Those who use black muthi are considered witches in Zulu society.

Kikuyu (Gikuyu) People

Having migrated to their current location about four centuries ago, the Kikuyu now make up Kenya’s largest ethnic group. The Kikuyu people spread rapidly throughout the Central Province and Kenya. The Kikuyu usually identify their land by the surrounding mountain ranges which they call Kirinyaga-the shining mountain. The Kikuyu are Bantu and actually came into Kenya during the Bantu migration. They include some families from all the surrounding people and can be identified with the Kamba, the Meru, the Embu and the Chuka.

The Kikuyu tribe was originally founded by a man named Gikuyu. Kikuyu history says that the Kikuyu God, Ngai, took Gikuyu to the top of Kirinyaga and told him to stay and build his home there. He was also given his wife, Mumbi. Together, Mumbi and Gikuyu had nine daughters. There was actually a tenth daughter but the Kikuyu considered it to be bad luck to say the number ten. When counting they used to say “full nine” instead of ten. It was from the nine daughters that the nine (occaisionally a tenth) Kikuyu clans -Achera, Agachiku, Airimu, Ambui, Angare, Anjiru, Angui, Aithaga, and Aitherandu- were formed.

The Kikuyu rely heavily on agriculture. They grow bananas, sugarcane, arum lily, yams, beans, millet, maize, black beans and a variety of other vegetables. They also raise cattle, sheep, and goats. They use the hides from the cattle to make bedding, sandals, and carrying straps and they raise the goats and sheep to use for religious sacrifices and purification. In the Kikuyu culture boys and girls are raised very differently. The girls are raised to work in the farm and the boys usually work with the animals. The girls also have the responsibility of taking care of a baby brother or sister and also helping the mother out with household chores.

In the Kikuyu culture family identity is carried on by naming the first boy after the father’s father and the second after the mother’s father. The same goes for the girls; the first is named after the father’s mother and the second after the mother’s mother. Following children are named after the brothers and sisters of the grandparents, starting with the oldest and working to the youngest. Along with the naming of the children was the belief that the deceased grandparent’s spirit, that the child was named after, would come in to the new child. This belief was lost with the increase in life-span because generally the grandparents are now still alive when the children are born.

Though they are traditionally agricultural people and have a reputation as hard-working people, a lot of them are now involved in business. Most of the Kikuyu still live on small family plots but many of them have also seen the opportunities in business and have moved to cities and different areas to work. They have a desire for knowledge and it is believed that all children should receive a full education. They have a terrific reputation for money management and it is common for them to have many enterprises at one time. The Kikuyu have also been active politically.

The first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, was actually a Kikuyu. Kenyatta was a major figure in Kenya's fight for independence.

Maasai People 

The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one half million people. However, many Maasai see the national census as government meddling and often miscount their numbers to census takers.

The Maasai society is comprised of sixteen sections (known in Maasai as Iloshon): Ildamat, Ilpurko, Ilkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Ilkaputiei, Ilkankere, Isiria, Ilmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko, also known as Isikirari (Tanzania's Maasai). There was also once Iltorobo section but was assimilated by other sections. A majority of the Maasai population lives in Kenya. Sections such as Isikirari, Parakuyu, Kore and Ilarusa lives in Tanganyika.

Homestead and labor

The Maasai live in Kraals arranged in a circular fashion. The fence around the kraal is made of acacia thorns, which prevent lions from attacking the cattle. It is a man's responsibility to fence the kraal. While women construct the houses. Traditionally, kraals are shared by an extended family. However, due to the new land management system in the Maasai region, it is not uncommon to see a kraal occupied by a single family. 

The Inkajijik (maasai word for a house) are loaf-shaped and made of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and cow's urine. Women are responsible for making the houses as well as supplying water, collecting firewood, milking cattle and cooking for the family. Warriors are in charge security while boys are responsible for herding livestock. During the drought season, both warriors and boys assume the responsibility for herding livestock. The elders are directors and advisors for day-to-day activities. Every morning before livestock leave to graze, an elder who is the head of the inkang sits on his chair and announces the schedule for everyone to follow.

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people who lived under a communal land management system. The movement of livestock is based on seasonal rotation. Contrary to many claims made by outsiders, particularly the Hardinian school of thought, this communal land management system allows us to utilize resources in a sustainable manner. Each section manages its own territory. Under normal conditions, reserve pastures are fallowed and guarded by the warriors. However, if the dry season becomes especially harsh, sections boundaries are ignored and people graze animals throughout the land until the rainy season arrives. According to Maasai traditional land agreement, no one should be denied access to natural resources such as water and land.

Subsistence economy

Livestock such as cattle, goats and sheep are the primary source of income for the Maasai. Livestock serves as a social utility and plays an important role in the Maasai economy. Livestock are traded for other livestock, cash or livestock products such as milk and siege. Individual, families, and clans established close ties through giving or exchange of cattle. "Meishoo iyiook enkai inkishu o-nkera"- so goes a Maasai prayer. The English translation of this praye is: "May Creator give us cattle and children. Cattle and children are the most important aspect of the Maasai people.

Maasai economy with outsiders

The Maasai economy is increasingly dependent on the market economy. Livestock products are sold to other groups in Kenya for the purchase of beads, clothing and grains. Cows and goats are also sold for uniform and school fees for children. It is now common to see young Maasai men and women in major towns and cities of Kenya selling, not just goats and cows, but also beads, cell phones, chacoal, grain among other items. The entrepreneurial spirit is something new in our society.

It was not until the early 1980s with the Group Ranch project that we became much more entrenched in a market economy and, hence, more impoverished generally speaking.

Maasai diet

Traditionally, the Maasai rely on meat, milk and blood from cattle for protein and caloric needs. People drink blood on special occasions. It is given to a circumcised person (o/esipolioi), a woman who has given birth (entomononi) and the sick (oltamueyiai). Also, on a regular basis drunk elders, ilamerak, use the blood to alleviate intoxication and hangovers. Blood is very rich in protein and is good for the immune system. However, its use in the traditional diet is waning due to the reduction of livestock numbers.

More recently, the Maasai have grown dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal (unga wa mahindi), rice, potatoes, cabbage (known to the Maasai as goat leaves), etc. The Maasai who live near crop farmers have engaged in cultivation as their primary mode of subsistence. In these areas, plot sizes are generally not large enough to accommodate herds of animals; thus the Maasai are forced to farm. Our people traditionally frown upon this.  Maasai believe that tilizing the land for crop farming is a crime against nature. Once you cultivate the land, it is no longer suitable for grazing.

Private ownership

The concept of private ownership was, until recently, a foreign concept to the Maasai. However, in the 1960s and 1980s, a program of commercializing livestock and land was forced on us initially by the British and later by the government of Kenya. Since then, our land has been subdivided into group and individual ranches. In other parts of Maasailand people subdivided their individual ranches into small plots, which are sold to private developers.

The new land management system of individual ranches has economically polarized our people; some Maasais, as well as outside wealthy individuals, have substantially increased their wealth at the expense of others. The largest loss of land, however, has been to national parks and reserves, in which the Maasai people are restricted from accessing critical water sources, pasture, and salt lick. Subdivision of Maasailand reduced land size for cattle herding, reduced the number of cows per household, and reduced food production. As a result, the Maasai society, which once was a proud and self-sufficient society, is now facing many social-economic and political challenges. The level of poverty among the Maasai people is beyond conceivable height. It is sad to see a society that had a long tradition of pride being a beggar for relief food because of imposed foreign concepts of development.

The future of the Maasai is uncertain at this point. One thing, however, is certain that the Maasai culture is quickly eroding at the expense of civilization.

  

The countries of Africa

These are the countries we visited in Africa on this trip: South Africa Meaning of Country’s name South Africa takes its name from its geographical location on the continent of Africa Capital Pretoria Largest Cities Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Soweto, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth Population 51,19,645 (2014 est) Area 471,443 sq mi (1,221,037 km sq) Area-Comparative Slightly less than twice the size of Texas Bordering Countries Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho Date of Founding (Current State) May 31, 1961 Type of Government Parliamentary Republic with a Parliamentary-dependent head of state Languages Spoken Afikaans, English, Swazi, Zulu Venda, Xhosa, Tsonga Religions Practiced Christians (81%), Hindus-Muslims (19%) GDP per Capita $11,500 (2013 est) Latest GDP Growth Rate 2% (2013 est) Top Exports Gold, Diamonds, Platinum National Holidays New Year’s Day – January 1, Human Rights Day – March 21, Good Friday – The Friday before Easter Sunday, Family Day – The Monday following Easter Sunday, Freedom Day – April 27, Workers’ Day – May 1, Youth Day – June 16, National Women’s Day – August 9, Heritage Day – September 24, Day of Reconcilliation – December 16, Christmas Day – December 25, Day of Goodwill – December 26 Money Currency Rand (ZAR) Random Fact Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to one of the oldest mountains in the world Kenya Meaning of Country’s name  Kenya was named after Mount Kenya from the Kikuyu name Kere-Nyaga (“Mountain of Whiteness”) Capital Nairobi Largest Cities Nairobi and Mombasa Population 45,010,056 Area 224,080 mi² (580,367 km²) Area-Comparative Slightly more than twice the size of Nevada Bordering Countries Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan Date of Founding (Current State) December 12, 1963 Type of Government Semi-Presidential Republic Languages Spoken Swahili, English, Kikuyu, Luo, Kamba, somali, Masai, Turkana, Nandi, Galla, Suk Religions Practiced Catholic, Protestant, Hindu GDP per Capita $1,800 (2013 est.) Latest GDP Growth Rate 5.1% (2013 est.) Top Exports Tea, Coffee, Wheat, Petroleum products National Holidays New Year’s Day – Jan. 1, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day – May 1, Madaraka Day, Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan), Moi Day, Kenyatta Day, feast of the Sacrifice, Independence Day – Dec. 25, Boxing Day Money Currency Kenyan shilling Random Fact Nairobi, the capital of Kenya is the safari capital of the world Tanzania Meaning of Country’s name  A combination of the names of two states that merged to form this country, Tanganyika, and Zanzibar Capital Dodoma Largest Cities Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Zanzibar, Morogoro Population 49,639,138 (2014 est) Area 364,898 sq mi (945,203 km sq) Area-Comparative Slightly larger than twice the size of California Bordering Countries Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Congo-Kinshasa, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya Date of Founding (Current State) April 26, 1964 Type of Government Republic Languages Spoken Swahili, English Religions Practiced Muslims (40%), Christians (40%), Others (20%) GDP per Capita $1,700 (2013 est) Latest GDP Growth Rate 7 % (2013 est) Top Exports Cashews, Cloves, Coffee, Tea, Cotton National Holidays New Year’s Day – January 1, Zanzibar Revolution Day – January 12, Birth of the Prophet – February 26, Good Friday – April 2, Easter Monday – April 5, Union Day – April 26, International Labor Day – May 1, Saba Saba (Industry’s Day) – July 7, Nane Nane (Farmers’ Day) – August 8, Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan) – August 11, Nyerere Day – October 14, Eid al-Adha –

Saturday 12th September 2015

Saturday 12th September 2015 – our last full day.

For more photos go to: Zanzibar

and click Snapshot

Woke again to this wonderful sunrise. 

Sunrise over the reef at Zanzibar Retreat.

Not long after we got up we heard a plaintive meow from the terrace and a ginger cat was sitting on the balustrade. It soon moved off and climbed the thatched roof on its quest for………… who knows what. Cat on a hot tin (thatched) roof?? This place never ceases to amaze.

Our feline friend

We went for an early swim and Mac and Paivi an early morning beach walk.

Paivi definitely came up with the quote of the week. When asked if she wanted to have a massage today she replied “Having a massage is just a waste of doing nothing time”. Oh well we seem to have caught the Zanzibar Retreat disease!!!

So today is alternate lazing around, packing, checking in for flights and savoring the last tastes of this island paradise. Most of the day was taken up with napping, swimming and just lazing around. Bill had an hour deep tissue massage from the hotel masseuse and came out smelling like a spice factory. He said that he enjoyed it and she gave him a good working over leaving him feeling the better for it. Lunch came and went. Happy hour also came and went.

Then, as this was the last night and also a celebration as yet un-revealed, we packed most of the things ready for the next morning’s departure and dressed slightly more formally for dinner.

Tomorrow, September 13th is Paivi’s birthday but as we have an early departure in the morning we de died to celebrate it a few hours early. A bottle of ‘champagne’ was served and we toasted both Paivi and the great vacation we had all enjoyed. We had bought Paivi a zebra-patterned scarf as a present and Bill had adopted an elephant at the sanctuary we went to before leaving Nairobi.  The little chap is 18 months old and will remain at the sanctuary until he is at least three before being assimilated and released into the wild probably in One of the National Parks. Paivi will have exclusive visiting rights as long as he is at the David Sheldrick Sanctuary. She will also receive regular updates on him by e-mail. I am not sure of his name but it is quite similar to Susiya, the village in Palestine which Paivi monitored on her recent EAPPI posting there.

The champagne is opened......

The birthday girl is toasted

 Dinner was quietly enjoyable until dessert which was a birthday cake brought in with great fanfare by the kitchen staff, dancing, singing and banging pots and pans together with a Hakuna Matana song of birthday wishes. We enjoyed the cake, shared some with other guests and returned what was left to the kitchen. During all this Jan stood beaming proudly in the doorway. It was certainly a birthday celebration to remember.

The wonderful staff Zanzibar Retreat singers serenade Paivi and deliver the cake

The cake

We retired to bed and the final packing.

Friday 11th September 2015 - Stonetown

Friday 11th November 2015 – Stonetown.

For more photos of Stonetown and Prison Island go to: Stonetown & Prison Island

and click Snapshot

We were up at dawn as usual as the sun streams into the room just after it rises. Breakfast was at 8 am and soon aft we met Khakim whose nickname was Rana who would be our driver to Stonetown. We load up into the small minibus and set off through the village and then on the main road south. We passed several villages and towns where bustling markets were in full swing before they shut down for Friday prayers. The women were all dressed in colorful local costume, there were many bicycles, ox-carts and small scooters and motor bikes load up with all sorts of produce. Chickens, goats and livestock crisscrossed the road and small buses stopped frequently to pick up and set down passengers. On of the towns we passed through was called Bububu which was named after the noise made by a train that used to run through the town.

After about an hour, we arrived in Stonetown which is actually the old quarter of Zanzibar Town. We stopped right by the market which was buzzing. We met our guide whose name was Khamis who briefly explained the layout of the town. We first visited the fish market which is divided into two parts. The first part is a fish auction where large whole fish are auctioned off to the vendors. A huge sting ray was on the slab and soon, several large kingfish were brought in and the auction began. The other side of the market is the vendors who cuts up the fish and sell it in smaller pieces to the general public. For sale were all kinds of fish and also octopus and squid.

A large stingray awaiting auction

A new catch of kingfish is delivered

The kingfish awaiting sale at the auction

Squid and octopus for sale at the retail market.

From here we went to the meat market which deals mainly in beef and goat as pork is not allowed for religious reasons. Poultry was also available. Butchers were cutting up large carcasses.

Then it was on to the fruit, vegetable and spice markets where the colorful wares were a great sight. Here we stocked up on small packages of spices for presents for those at home.

Stonetown Market

Just some of the wares on sale including shells and spaices

After the market, we walked to the area of the old slave market which was a rather depressing part of town. Although a large cathedral now sits adjacent to the site, many relics of the old market remain including the underground ‘holding pens’ where the slaves were kept before auction itself.. The slave trade from Zanzibar was mostly conducted by the Arabs and the slaves went to India and the Arabian Gulf but not to the Atlantic side. The trade was stopped when the British abolished it but the Arabs managed to continue it ‘under the radar’ for a few years more. It was easy to see the awful cruelty of the trade in the narrative and also the terrible conditions under which the slaves were held. A slave monument designed by a Scandinavian artist showed several slaves in a pit chained together and supervised by their traitorous ‘tame’ slave. The impressive church was built but John Steere who was a friend of the slaves after the abolition. The church is undergoing renovation under a project funded by the British, EU and USA.

The awful underground dungeons where the slaves were held before they were auctioned.

John Steere

Christ Church Cathedral, Stonetown

The monument to the slave trade and market at Stonetown

From the slave market we walked through the streets and stopped at a curio shop where we bought a few things including a painting of two zebras. We then walked further past the large Catholic Church and the main mosque, (there are 40 mosques and 2 churches in Zanzibar Town). The spire of the church and the minaret of the mosque were interesting partners in the streetscape. Zanzibar has had a long and complex history which has shaped its culture. Arab influences and the Portuguese rule in the 16th century followed by British influence have all tried to define Zanzibar’s culture in one way or another. Independence was gained in 1964 before the country was absorbed into Tanganyika and subsequently Tanzania. Zanzibar has representatives in the Dar Es Salaam Government but also seems to have some sort of local Government too but how much autonomy it has is not clear.

A school

Stonetown streetscapes

Two examples of the decorated doors, the top being Indian and the lower one Arabic. The lower one is also the birthplace of Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the group Queen.

The Roman Catholic Cathedral one of only two churches in Stonetown

The RC Cathedral and the minaret of the mosque showing the religion make-up of the town.

We walked on further, seeing ornate doorways decorated in the Indian and Arab styles. We soon arrived at Jaws Corners which is an area which was full of political posters and which is a community gathering area for discussion and debate. In the evening, a large screen TV is often on and the two main interest are soccer and politics, both of which cause much discussion and argument.

Jaws Corner

A little further on was a modest house which is where Freddie (Farouk) Mercury, lead singer of the mega-group Queen was born. He lived a short while in Zanzibar, before moving to India. Then the rest is a Bohemian Rhapsody history!!

We proceeded down to the harbor where our boat captain was awaiting us. He maneuvered the boat stern first towards the beach and we took our shoes and socks off and waded out to the boat. It was an open skiff with a 15 hp outboard. When we were all aboard he set off for Prison Island. The trip was quite rough with a quartering sea but MAC held up well for the 5 km trip which took about half an hour. Disembarkation at the island was also in the beach and we then cleaned our selves off and put our shoes back on. We entered the park via what appeared to be the reception of a hotel, paid our fee and proceeded to the somewhat dilapidated buildings which were built as a prison but almost never used as one. One of its main uses was as a Yellow Fever quarantine center for ships arriving at Zanzibar. There is a large modern swimming pool just by the entrance and a number of signs referred to hotel guests but the kid not seem to be much evidence of a hotel operation unless it was in a part of the island we did not see. We stopped and had some drinks in the courtyard of the building which was to have been the prison. It may have been used for a short period to house recalcitrant slaves. Two peahens, one with two chicks wandered across the courtyard and one of them flew up into a huge and spreading tamarind tree.

Prison Island, offshore from Stonetown

Peahens on Prison Island

We then went to find the giant Seychelles tortoises. Apparently, the British presented the island with four of these animals quite some time ago and they have multiplied many times over. All the larger ones have numbers on their shells telling their ages and the oldest one we found was 158 years old, several others were over 100 years old. The were also smaller ones as well as some new ones which had just hatched and were in a special enclosure. I do not know how many in all are there but we saw probably 50 or so and many were out of sight in the large enclosure which stretches to the end of the island. The tortoises lazed on the pathways and one or two fed from the hands of the keepers. You could stroke and touch them which they seems to enjoy. The shells were huge and in one case, one had a hole in it which, it was said, was caused by a falling branch from a tree.

Giant Seychelles tortoises on Prison Island

We returned to the beach, summoned our boat and re-boarded via the beach and the shallow water for the trip home which was equally bumpy as we now had a head and bow sea. The journey took slightly less time and. This time we disembarked via a jetty so we did not need to get our feet wet.

We repaired to a restaurant close by called the Monsoon Restaurant and sat outside and had a late, light lunch. I had some lovely kingfish. Khamis joined us.
We walked to the short distance to the waiting minibus and our driver Rana. We walked past the old fort with the cannons guarding it and then the old Sultan’s Palace which was the first building on the island to have electric light and an elevator. It is now a museum.

We returned to Zanzibar Retreat past the still active markets in the small towns on the way. We were in time for a refreshing swim and a happy hour cocktail.

Then down to a later dinner and then to bed.