ZANZIBAR

The Fox is back or I have been told that the silver fox is actually some sort of jackal…

What a day of contrasts it was, from  being chased by 15 aggressive touts trying to sell me a ticket to being bailed up in a 2m x 2m shed with an insistent immigration police questioning my visa, to the absolute stunning wonder of Zanzibar. My head is spinning, must be in Africa again…

I have returned for a nearly 4 week stint down in SW Tanzania but before I head off there I grabbed a couple of days to have a look at Dar Es Salaam but more importantly Zanzibar.  Zanzibar is about 70km off the coast of Tanzania, a popular tourist beach destination and accessible by a fast ferry in about 2 hours.  The ferry ride itself was uneventful but at either end of it there were serious introductions to the challenges of travelling in Africa. 

I got myself bright and early to the ferry terminal to have my taxi descended upon by about 15 desperate individuals all trying to give advice, sell me tickets, carry my bags etc.  I just sat there looking out the window going holy shit what’s the next move?  I looked at the taxi driver who was disinterested other than locking the doors and offered no advice. Deep breath and I got out and eventually one rather insistent fellow fended off the others and guided me to an office where I could purchase my own ticket.  The only challenge now was that there was a throng of about 30 at the ticket window, but like Moses and the Red Sea, my guy parted the crowd and ushered me into a tiny office where tickets could be bought. Then it was “no I could not get a local price” and” yes I had to buy a premium ticket” despite the fact that there was only an economy return ticket. Anyway the insistent guy who helped me got 5000sh for his help and I boarded.

An uneventful trip other than seeing these tiny boats crammed with 15 or 2 people doing the same crossing or the odd equally tiny dhow. On arrival in Zanzibar all non-Africans had to go through immigration… what Zanzibar is the “za” in Tanzania?  but Sir you have the wrong visa!  I bloody well knew I had the right visa but there was no way I was going to convince the very insistent group of officials otherwise and by the way Sir your new visa will cost US$200. I had been warned of this scam and for this very reason the company had given me US100 cash just in case. But I wasn’t going to hand it over without a bit of a fight, but the more I tried to talk my way out of it, the more insistent they became.  So eventually I offered $80 and said that’s all I had. After all that they asked me if that left me  with money to spend on the island,  I said no, so the kind hearted soles made it $60…

You can judge Zanzibar by the pictures, it is stunning with that azure blue sea,  a mixture of colonial, Indian and Arabic architecture,  narrow alley ways, hyperactive market and of course constant reminder of its history in the slave and spice trade.  As the travel writers would say a “real fusion of colour and culture” and that’s how it is.  Poverty on one side of the street and a chic almost Moroccan looking boutique B&B’s and the food.  I didn’t get to look at the beach resorts but I can only imagine they will add to the attraction of the place. A definite place to return to.

The burqa is common place in Zanzibar with a very strong Muslim population,  I said to my guide that I just didn’t get the burqa,  no matter how I looked at it I cannot make sense of it, his explanation was that a number of women used it as a disguise as they were prostitutes not wanting to be identified. All I can say is that there must be a roaring trade!

Next stop is the bush.