The Minefields of Zanzibar

The island life really is the life for me!

So making the decision to venture to Zanzibar for a long weekend vacation for Laura’s birthday was pretty easy. All I did was say “Heck Yes!” I forgot how much I loved island vacations and exploring, and was super happy to be back in the humid, salt-smelling, relaxing environment I’ve missed and love.

(Such unique art and style!)

We arrived in Stone Town on Thursday in the evening, and didn’t have a whole lot of down time before we were rushing off to make our dinner reservation at the Emerson on Hurumzi Tea Room. Having just arrived, we were unfamiliar with the layout of the city and were quickly lost in the winding, twisting corridors that serve as streets. Eventually we found our way and were seated on cushions to enjoy our three-course, traditional Swahili dinner. Boy was it good! We started out with pita and tahini and beetroot hummus, followed by goat massaman curry, and finished with fruit samosa and coffee flavored meringue. Paired with a hibiscus cocktail, this was a meal for the books! It was so delicious, the atmosphere was phenomenal, and the service was super! It was a great birthday dinner for Laura!

http://www.emersonspice.com/

On Friday, we spent the morning getting lost in Stone Town. We did have a guide leading us through the maze of streets and pointing out the highlights. This city has a super interesting history. It was a major port area for the slave trade in to and out of Africa and was governed by the Portuguese, Indians, and Arabs throughout history. Hundreds of thousands of African people were enslaved and sold in Zanzibar, shipped to other nations near and far, and died due to horrible living conditions. We visited some slave chambers in which 50-70 people were crammed into a low ceilinged room that wasn’t much larger than my bedroom (a tiny square) and where men wore shackles around their necks and were forced to remain squished together in lines. Because of a lack of ventilation in these underground chambers, and the tight quarters, many people died and disease ran rampant. The same goes for the ships the slaves were placed on. A huge Anglican church was constructed on top of the remains of the slave chambers and now serves as a stopping point for many to learn about the history of Zanzibar.

(View from the top of the city)

In addition to learning all about he history, we also learned about the architecture. For examples, there are over 200 carved wooden doors in Stone Town and they are all very unique. But there are two distinct styles- an Indian styled with curved tops and have spikes on the doors (for keeping the elephants from breaking down the doors in India, but of course just serves as decoration on an island), and an Arab door, which is square shaped and has an prayer written in Arabic along the top of the frame. These doors sometimes also have chains decorating the sides to show who were slave owners or traders. The doors were beautifully crafted and when Laura and I were walking around, it was neat to note the differences in the doors. Also, fun fact about Stone Town- it is so named because the buildings are all made out of coral and then covered with plaster. And if a house needs to be rebuilt, it has to be constructed in the same exact way, as it previously was so as not to ruin the “look” of the area. Only natural materials can be used and the same colors have to be used for painting.

(Arab style door)

(Indian style door)

Besides learning about all of the aesthetics of Stone Town, we ventured into shops, selling all sorts of curios and souvenirs, markets full of fruits, fish, and spices, and toured the many hidden gems of Stone town. Having a guide was really nice because it made getting around much easier and helped Laura and I to figure out our way around the city. After the tour we ate at The House of Spices and sampled some of the local foods. After that, we caught a taxi to our beach hotel for the next three nights!

We stayed at the Zanzibar Retreat Hotel on Matamwe Beach, and at the end of our stay we didn’t want to leave! One of the owners, Karen greeted us and warmly welcomed us. She showed us around, chatted with us, made sure we had everything we needed, and was just all around there for us! She was so kind and helpful and we felt more like family than customers. Also the staff was there for our every need and made a point to get to know us. Two full days of lounging around a pool and beach did us good! It was nice to have no responsibilities and to just not worry about anything.

http://www.zanzibarretreat.com/

(Such a cozy environment!)

Saturday morning we woke up and went to breakfast, and it looked like the water was gone! It disappeared! In reality, the tide was so low that you could walk out for what seemed like a mile to the reef that lined our beach. This walk was just as good as snorkeling because we saw coral reefs, starfish, all kids of fish, and A TON of sea urchins! We had to leap around, carefully step through and navigate a minefield of sea urchins. It was beautiful and was a really nice way to start our day. Afterwards, we relaxed in the sun and thoroughly burnt the crap out of ourselves! But I’ll take a few sunburns!

(Beach > Everything else)

We ate, drank, and lounged for two and a half days and I couldn’t have asked for a better vacation! The only downside is that on the flight back to Arusha, TSA confiscated my beach sand! Anyone who knows me knows that I collect sand from all my beach visits and my mom and I display them at home. So sorry mom, no Zanzibar sand! Sad face.

(Photo Credit: Laura Powers)