The slave trade on Zanzibar has a long history and started around the 9th century by the Persians and for centuries, until it was banned in 1873, Zanzibar was the main center for the slave trade between Africa and the east. Islamic countries forbid the enslavement of Muslims so they sort slaves in non-Muslim African countries such as the DRC (formally Zaire), Tanzania, and Uganda. The Persians occupied Zanzibar until the 14th Century after which the Portuguese had a string presence. The slave trade continued by the Portuguese for the next few centuries when beginning in the 16th Century, Oman Arabs took over Zanzibar after overthrowing the Portuguese. In the mid-19th Century the British had a strong presence making Zanzibar a British protectorate and finally brought to an end slavery on Zanzibar. Although formally banned in 1873 largely as a result of the work of British Missionaries and people such as explorer David Livingstone, it continued illegally on Zanzibar until around 1907.
We visited Zanzibar's former slave market and this is what we saw. The only structure left of the slave market are two underground slave chambers. Men, women and children were captured from various African countries and marched in chains around their necks to different ports on Tanzania's coast. They were usually made to carry ivory which was shipped to the east. On this journey many died from starvation and exhaustion. However, this was considered a weeding out process so only the strongest best slaves were for brought to market. Once they were shipped by boat to Zanzibar they were kept for 3-4 days in the chambers (see pics below) with up to 75 slaves in each chamber. Again, they were chained around the neck and many people died of suffocation, starvation, or disease in these terrible conditions. The survivors were brought out to the market area next to the chambers. The lucky ones were sold at auction, but most had to endure being whipped at a whipping post. Literally thousands died at the whipping post and again this was used as a weeding out process as the strongest ones would get the best price.
We went down into the slave chambers and it was difficult to imagine the atrocities, horror, blood shed and loss of human life that occurred on the very spot we stood. On the site of the whipping post and auction area now stands an Anglican church built just after the abolition of the slave trade. The church alter stands on the exact spot of the whipping post which is marked by a circular piece if marble. Again, its impossible to even imagine the terrible suffering and loss of life that occurred at that very spot (see pic below). The church is a beautiful building with a cross made from the wood of the tree under which David Livingstones body was found to acknowledge his role in bringing to light the atrocities of the slave trade in. In fact there is also a plaque dedicated to the British Navy and the sailors who lost their lives while bringing to an end the illegal slave trading after its official ban.
Outside the church is an art exhibit of a sculpture showing the lifeless faces of slaves in chains. In fact the chains are real chains that were actually used around the slaves necks. This was an eerie sight to see chains that were actually used to enslave human beings and shackle their dead bodies.
It's so shocking to think that human beings were hunted, put into chains, whipped to death, and bought and sold less than 100 years ago. Today we can look back and be shocked and think that as a species, human beings have evolved beyond this. But I sometimes wonder how far we really have progressed when I look at what has gone in places like the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Somalia, and what is going on now in Zimbabwe to name just a few countries.
Showing posts with label Zanzibar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zanzibar. Show all posts
Saturday, June 14, 2008
African Adventure: Zanzibar's Spices
Zanzibar is known as the Spice Island and for a very reason, many of the spices you find on the supermarket shelf or that you might cook with come from Zanzibar. We went on a spice tour to see what the spices look like before they end up in a small jar on a spice rack! In fact, most of the spices grown on Zanzibar were not naturally found on the Island, but were brought there from elsewhere at various points in Zanzibar's history. You see Zanzibar was a major trading center between the near and far east and the west and spices were so highly prized that they were often used as currency to trade for various items so they were grown on the Island. These days the most important commercially grown spice for Zanzibar is cloves, both the actual flower and the clove oil extracted from the stem and flower. Take a look at some of the pictures below and see what the spices you use really look like before they are harvested. My favorite two are nutmeg and tumeric.
African Adventure: From Zanzibar to Arusha and a broken shock absorber! (April 24-26)
Current Location: Arusha, Tanzania
Highlights: A bus ride from Dar es Salaam and a broken shock absorber
Upcoming: Entering Kenya and the Island of Lamu.
As planned we left on the first ferry from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, and got a taxi (after the usual bartering over the price) to the Safari Lodge Inn (cheap accommodation for 12 000 TSH = US$15 for a double room) then went straight to an Internet Cafe (Web World) where I could make an Internet phone call to the USA for the incredible price of US$1.20 for 15 mins. So I phone Gena and my parents (in the UK). The line was incredibly clear, it was amazing as the usual cost of calls to the USA from Tanzania is US$3 per min!
The next morning (having bought our bus ticket the night before for 8000 TSH each = US$10) we headed off to the bus station to catch our bus back to Moshi where the Landy was sitting at the Springlands Hotel. The bus ride was uneventful compared to my ride to Dar from Moshi, once we arrived in Moshi we caught another taxi to Springlands and unlocked the Landy. The smell from within almost knocked me for a 6! I had left a bunch of vegetables and a small plastic container of soup in my hurry to leave and they had gone rotten to the extent that maggots had already started to grow in the mushy mess. It had also rained a lot in Moshi and the Landy had leaked quite a lot. So we spent the next few hours cleaning up the mess and headed off to drive the 100km to Arusha. As I drove the road to Arusha we had a clear view of the mountain (Kilimanjaro) and it brought back floods of memories of our climb and the time I spent with Gena just a few weeks ago.
On the drive to Arusha, I noticed a dim but worrying noise coming form the rear tire. When we arrived at the Masai Camp Site in Arusha I took a look at the rear tire only to find that the rear shock on the drivers side had completely broken in two. Now just 4 months ago, these were brand new Gabriel Safari shocks. The Landy had really taken a pounding over the past 30 000 km, and I think the terrible roads to the Ngorongoro Crater and my driving too fast on these roads and in the Crater bottom was just too much for them. So we went into Arusha to see if we could find a replacement. I thought this would be easy as there are loads of older Landys here, but today was holiday and most of the parts stores were closed. However, we were directed to one place called Wilson International, just outside of town. This was an import and export business run and owned by two Brits! It was comforting to see two British faces as the locals here see you coming and immediately triple or quadruple the price! They had some old shocks lying around from a Defender of a Range Rover which we could use until we could find a newer one. I asked how much it would cost and Nick, the owner, looked at me and asked where I was from. "Barnehurst, near Bexleyheath in Kent" I replied. "I'm from Hastings" he said, "you can have it, pull in your Landy and we'll put it on for you". So I pulled in the Landy and they fitted the shock for me. What an incredibly nice couple of guys!
We got back to the camp site and did some tire changes to put the new spare on the rear together with another new tire we got from General Tire here in Arusha. One of our tires had begun to separate form the ply which was a manufacturing defect so General Tire here in Arusha sold us a new one giving us credit for the tread (50%) still left on the old tire. This was a great deal as the old tire was an 8 ply and the new one a 12 ply! I adjusted the brakes and found that one of the front wheel cylinders was leaking badly. That repair will have to wait until we get to Nairobi tomorrow.
So tomorrow we will hit an Internet place and send this diary entry, then drive the 280 km to Nairobi crossing the border into Kenya.
Highlights: A bus ride from Dar es Salaam and a broken shock absorber
Upcoming: Entering Kenya and the Island of Lamu.
As planned we left on the first ferry from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam, and got a taxi (after the usual bartering over the price) to the Safari Lodge Inn (cheap accommodation for 12 000 TSH = US$15 for a double room) then went straight to an Internet Cafe (Web World) where I could make an Internet phone call to the USA for the incredible price of US$1.20 for 15 mins. So I phone Gena and my parents (in the UK). The line was incredibly clear, it was amazing as the usual cost of calls to the USA from Tanzania is US$3 per min!
The next morning (having bought our bus ticket the night before for 8000 TSH each = US$10) we headed off to the bus station to catch our bus back to Moshi where the Landy was sitting at the Springlands Hotel. The bus ride was uneventful compared to my ride to Dar from Moshi, once we arrived in Moshi we caught another taxi to Springlands and unlocked the Landy. The smell from within almost knocked me for a 6! I had left a bunch of vegetables and a small plastic container of soup in my hurry to leave and they had gone rotten to the extent that maggots had already started to grow in the mushy mess. It had also rained a lot in Moshi and the Landy had leaked quite a lot. So we spent the next few hours cleaning up the mess and headed off to drive the 100km to Arusha. As I drove the road to Arusha we had a clear view of the mountain (Kilimanjaro) and it brought back floods of memories of our climb and the time I spent with Gena just a few weeks ago.
On the drive to Arusha, I noticed a dim but worrying noise coming form the rear tire. When we arrived at the Masai Camp Site in Arusha I took a look at the rear tire only to find that the rear shock on the drivers side had completely broken in two. Now just 4 months ago, these were brand new Gabriel Safari shocks. The Landy had really taken a pounding over the past 30 000 km, and I think the terrible roads to the Ngorongoro Crater and my driving too fast on these roads and in the Crater bottom was just too much for them. So we went into Arusha to see if we could find a replacement. I thought this would be easy as there are loads of older Landys here, but today was holiday and most of the parts stores were closed. However, we were directed to one place called Wilson International, just outside of town. This was an import and export business run and owned by two Brits! It was comforting to see two British faces as the locals here see you coming and immediately triple or quadruple the price! They had some old shocks lying around from a Defender of a Range Rover which we could use until we could find a newer one. I asked how much it would cost and Nick, the owner, looked at me and asked where I was from. "Barnehurst, near Bexleyheath in Kent" I replied. "I'm from Hastings" he said, "you can have it, pull in your Landy and we'll put it on for you". So I pulled in the Landy and they fitted the shock for me. What an incredibly nice couple of guys!
We got back to the camp site and did some tire changes to put the new spare on the rear together with another new tire we got from General Tire here in Arusha. One of our tires had begun to separate form the ply which was a manufacturing defect so General Tire here in Arusha sold us a new one giving us credit for the tread (50%) still left on the old tire. This was a great deal as the old tire was an 8 ply and the new one a 12 ply! I adjusted the brakes and found that one of the front wheel cylinders was leaking badly. That repair will have to wait until we get to Nairobi tomorrow.
So tomorrow we will hit an Internet place and send this diary entry, then drive the 280 km to Nairobi crossing the border into Kenya.
African Adventure: From Zanzibar back to Kilimanjaro and then on to the Ngorongoro Crater. (April 8-11)
Current Location: Moshi (foothills of Kilimanjaro), Tanzania
Highlights: Zanzibar, Chumbe Island, and back to Moshi!
Upcoming: Ngorongoro Crater, Gena leaves (I'm sad) and then back to Zanzibar for me.
We spent just a few nights on Zanzibar, then had to leave to come back to Northern Tanzania as Gena wanted to visit the Ngorongoro Crater before she ended her holiday. Aaron is still on Zanzibar and I will return for a week or so after Gena leaves so I can relax and unwind from the exhaustion of all the driving I have done in the past few weeks (about 3000 km in 2.5 weeks on African roads and over a week of that was up Kili!).
By far the most outstanding highlight of our time on Zanzibar, and by far Genas favorite bit so far, was an overnight visit to the ecological preserve of Chumbe Island, a complete Robinson Cruseo type of paradise except with gourmet food harmoniously blended with nature! This is a tiny Island just 12 km off the west coast of Zanzibar and thanks to a decade long struggle and incredible efforts of one lady, Sibylle Riedmiller, this incredible marine haven has been preserved and is a flagship example of eco-tourism where tourists can visit while having almost zero environmental impact. I was so impressed and taken aback by Chumbe that I want to make a separate part of the web site to illustrate how tourism can benefit (and destroy) ecologically sensitive areas and how its possible to enjoy these areas while having almost zero impact.
Chumbe Island was off limits to everyone for a long time because it was in a Military area and as a result, its shallow water coral reefs are the among worlds finest and most pristine, it has a thriving population of coconut crabs (endangered elsewhere and the worlds largest landcrab which I got to hold and then watch climb a Coconut Palm), and is a unique, unspoiled and beautiful ecosystem. As soon as Chumbe was off the Military "no go zone", it was at risk of being developed by hotel and resort owners, and its pristine coral reefs were open to destruction by fisherman. Sibylle Riedmiller decided she wanted to protect the Island and its treasures and to open it up to tourism in a way that would preserve and protect this delicate ecosystem.
To give you an idea of how you can open a fragile ecosystem to tourists but make their presence almost unfelt, let me give you a virtual tour around the eco-bungalow where you would stay if you were to visit Chumbe:
There is no fresh water on Chumbe. However, rainwater is collected from the large roof area (made from palm leaves) of the bungalows and funneled down to a catchment area where it passes through several biofilters and is stored under the floor in huge holding tanks. Water is hand pumped daily into two tanks, one cold water and the other hot water heated by sunlight in a solar water heater (this is not drinking water). Waste water from showering and washing also passes through biofilters then into large plant beds with impermeable bases so pollutants can be taken up by plants and the water dissipates via evapotranspiration back into the atmosphere. No water goes into the sea where it could pollute the delicate reefs around the Island. The toilet uses no water. After using the toilet, you throw in two scoops of compost (provided in a neat basket) and all waste is naturally decomposed in an sealed closed system where is can't pollute the environment. I must also say that these toilets DO NOT smell either! At night you can switch on the lights powered by a solar charged system and enjoy the sound of the ocean in these romantic and incredibly charming beachfront bungalows. The bungalows are a completely open designed so air-conditioning is not needed, you are cooled by the breeze from the ocean and they are constructed from local natural materials such as mangrove poles and palm leaves. If you think that this form of eco-architecture must have been designed by a large team of architects, think again as the eco-bungalows were designed by a German university student as part of a project!
I won't say too much more right now as again, I am out of time and we have to push on, but if you want to find out more, wait to see the section we will post to the site with LOTS of pictures, or check out the Chumbe Island web site: www.chumbeisland.com.
I will just add that I have been on lots of tours and stayed at lots of places that tout themselves as "eco-adventures" or as "eco-tourism" or as "ecologically friendly", and most of them are just jumping on the "eco" bandwagon and some border on "eco-terrorism". Chumbe Island is however, the most shinning and exception example of how tourism can be integrated with conservation and environmental preservation that I have ever seen. It's also an incredible place to vacation if you want a unique blend of being close to nature with gourmet meals and all the conveniences of a fancy hotel.
Highlights: Zanzibar, Chumbe Island, and back to Moshi!
Upcoming: Ngorongoro Crater, Gena leaves (I'm sad) and then back to Zanzibar for me.
We spent just a few nights on Zanzibar, then had to leave to come back to Northern Tanzania as Gena wanted to visit the Ngorongoro Crater before she ended her holiday. Aaron is still on Zanzibar and I will return for a week or so after Gena leaves so I can relax and unwind from the exhaustion of all the driving I have done in the past few weeks (about 3000 km in 2.5 weeks on African roads and over a week of that was up Kili!).
By far the most outstanding highlight of our time on Zanzibar, and by far Genas favorite bit so far, was an overnight visit to the ecological preserve of Chumbe Island, a complete Robinson Cruseo type of paradise except with gourmet food harmoniously blended with nature! This is a tiny Island just 12 km off the west coast of Zanzibar and thanks to a decade long struggle and incredible efforts of one lady, Sibylle Riedmiller, this incredible marine haven has been preserved and is a flagship example of eco-tourism where tourists can visit while having almost zero environmental impact. I was so impressed and taken aback by Chumbe that I want to make a separate part of the web site to illustrate how tourism can benefit (and destroy) ecologically sensitive areas and how its possible to enjoy these areas while having almost zero impact.
Chumbe Island was off limits to everyone for a long time because it was in a Military area and as a result, its shallow water coral reefs are the among worlds finest and most pristine, it has a thriving population of coconut crabs (endangered elsewhere and the worlds largest landcrab which I got to hold and then watch climb a Coconut Palm), and is a unique, unspoiled and beautiful ecosystem. As soon as Chumbe was off the Military "no go zone", it was at risk of being developed by hotel and resort owners, and its pristine coral reefs were open to destruction by fisherman. Sibylle Riedmiller decided she wanted to protect the Island and its treasures and to open it up to tourism in a way that would preserve and protect this delicate ecosystem.
To give you an idea of how you can open a fragile ecosystem to tourists but make their presence almost unfelt, let me give you a virtual tour around the eco-bungalow where you would stay if you were to visit Chumbe:
There is no fresh water on Chumbe. However, rainwater is collected from the large roof area (made from palm leaves) of the bungalows and funneled down to a catchment area where it passes through several biofilters and is stored under the floor in huge holding tanks. Water is hand pumped daily into two tanks, one cold water and the other hot water heated by sunlight in a solar water heater (this is not drinking water). Waste water from showering and washing also passes through biofilters then into large plant beds with impermeable bases so pollutants can be taken up by plants and the water dissipates via evapotranspiration back into the atmosphere. No water goes into the sea where it could pollute the delicate reefs around the Island. The toilet uses no water. After using the toilet, you throw in two scoops of compost (provided in a neat basket) and all waste is naturally decomposed in an sealed closed system where is can't pollute the environment. I must also say that these toilets DO NOT smell either! At night you can switch on the lights powered by a solar charged system and enjoy the sound of the ocean in these romantic and incredibly charming beachfront bungalows. The bungalows are a completely open designed so air-conditioning is not needed, you are cooled by the breeze from the ocean and they are constructed from local natural materials such as mangrove poles and palm leaves. If you think that this form of eco-architecture must have been designed by a large team of architects, think again as the eco-bungalows were designed by a German university student as part of a project!
I won't say too much more right now as again, I am out of time and we have to push on, but if you want to find out more, wait to see the section we will post to the site with LOTS of pictures, or check out the Chumbe Island web site: www.chumbeisland.com.
I will just add that I have been on lots of tours and stayed at lots of places that tout themselves as "eco-adventures" or as "eco-tourism" or as "ecologically friendly", and most of them are just jumping on the "eco" bandwagon and some border on "eco-terrorism". Chumbe Island is however, the most shinning and exception example of how tourism can be integrated with conservation and environmental preservation that I have ever seen. It's also an incredible place to vacation if you want a unique blend of being close to nature with gourmet meals and all the conveniences of a fancy hotel.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Zanzibar: Stone Town
Zanzibar, the very name conjures up sights and smells of spices and slavery. Well the spices are still there but thankfully the slavery is long gone.
The airport is lovely, a very small wooden building and the luggage was brought from the plane in wooden carts and put on wooden trestles, Ralph laughed at the luggage "carousel". He got his video camera out and the baggage handler loved it and gave him a beaming smile.
The annals of Zanzibar read like a chapter from The Thousand and One Nights and evoke many exotic images. Otherwise known as the Spice Island, it has lured travellers to its shores, some in search of trade, some in search of plunder, and some like us as tourists.
It was early in the 19th century that the island enjoyed its most recent heyday, following the introduction of the clove tree in 1818. By the middle of the century, Zanzibar had become the world's largest producer of cloves and the largest slaving entrepot in Africa. Nearly 50,000 slaves, drawn from as far away as Lake Tanganyika, passed through its market every year. As a result, Zanzibar became the most important town on the East African coast as virtually all trade passed through it.
We stopped in the middle of Stone Town which if you want to see the real Zanzibar is the place to stay. The hotel, The Serena Inn, was right on the beach but as you walked out of the front entrance of the hotel you were in Stone Town. The hotel is in the perfect position. As you sit in the dining room the beach is 10ft below. As we ate our meal we watched the dhows drifting silently past. The square just in front of the hotel was the site of the original slave market.
Stone Town is Zanzibar's old quarter. It has been called the only functioning historical city in East Africa and is little changed since the 1850's. It is a fascinating place to wander around. We saw lots of crumbled and crumbling buildings. The old Arab Fort which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1700, with its ochre-coloured walls is a primitive structure. It withstood an attack by the mazhrui Arabs from Mombasa in 1754, and was afterwards used as a goal. As late as 1890 criminals sentenced to death were still publicly beheaded by the sword, just outside the walls.
We felt quite safe and unthreatened as we walked around. The guide books say although you may not know where you are, you are never lost in Stone Town, and it's true. It is a marvellous place to see the greated studded carved wooden doors. Custom ordained that the doorway of a house should be built before the house itself. The ritual was given added strength by Koranic scripts and representational carvings which adorn the doorways. The Zanzibar door was traditionally made of teak, and was set in a square frame, covered by delicate and slender carvings. Indian influences during the 19th century modified this prootype, producing doors with arched tops and more elaborate floral designs. Motifs to be seen on the doors include the lotus, the fish, the chain and the frankincense, symbolising reproductive power, fertility, security and wealth.
We went on a tour of the spice farms which is well worth doing. When you leave the coast and drive inland it does get very hot and humid and walking around, being shown how the spices are grown is hot work.
Just outside Stone Town we stopped to see the house where Dr. Livingstone lived. He lived here just before he left, in 1866, on his last journey, setting out from Zanzibar to go up country. He returned to Zanzibar in a coffin.
At the spice farm we were shown cardamon, lemon grass, mint, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, lime and a root of ginger. We tasted quite a few of these spices. We also saw chillies,coffee and tapioca being grown as well. It was very hot, a young lad shinned up a tree and threw down a red fruit with prickles, it was a lychee and tasted great, not really sweet but very refreshing. We had the opportunity to visit other spice farms but we were too hot and drove back to our hotel.
The next morning sitting over breakfast we watched the passing fishermen, some in dug-out canoes poling their way along close inshore. There were also dhows sailing up the coast and a motorised dug-out canoe that looked in danger of sinking.
We took a taxi to the Cathedral Church of Christ. This was built in 1877 on the site which until 1883 was occupied by the infamous slave market. It is difficult now to imagine the scenes that took place here, when 300 slaves or more mght be herded and paraded here each day in the late afternoon. We went down some stairs and saw the two holding chambers where as many as 75 slaves with chains round their neck and linked together were laid side by side until either they died - and a lot did die - or they were taken out to the slave markets. Outside, in the grounds of the Church, there is a group of statues which commemorates the slave trade.
Inside the church the font marks the pit that dead slaves were pushed into. Life as a slave was so cheap, we were told, that a man would shoot at a slave just to check his rifle was working properly. On a pillar beside the chancel is a crucifix, made from the tree under which Livngstone's heart was buried. Also inside the church, the altar was erected on the same spot as the slave whipping post had been. A stained glass window above the altar commemorates the British sailors who died on anti-slaving patrols.
The custom of burying slaves alive in the walls of houses under construction is thought to have been fairly common in old Zanzibar. Skeletons were discovered in the foundations of the old Cable and Wireless building, erected on the site of the original slave market.
We enjoyed our stay in Zanzibar. It is a super place to relax after being on safari. The people are friendly and if we went back we would stay at the same hotel. Everyone we encountered in Zanzibar was warm and friendly with a ready smile.
The airport is lovely, a very small wooden building and the luggage was brought from the plane in wooden carts and put on wooden trestles, Ralph laughed at the luggage "carousel". He got his video camera out and the baggage handler loved it and gave him a beaming smile.
The annals of Zanzibar read like a chapter from The Thousand and One Nights and evoke many exotic images. Otherwise known as the Spice Island, it has lured travellers to its shores, some in search of trade, some in search of plunder, and some like us as tourists.
It was early in the 19th century that the island enjoyed its most recent heyday, following the introduction of the clove tree in 1818. By the middle of the century, Zanzibar had become the world's largest producer of cloves and the largest slaving entrepot in Africa. Nearly 50,000 slaves, drawn from as far away as Lake Tanganyika, passed through its market every year. As a result, Zanzibar became the most important town on the East African coast as virtually all trade passed through it.
We stopped in the middle of Stone Town which if you want to see the real Zanzibar is the place to stay. The hotel, The Serena Inn, was right on the beach but as you walked out of the front entrance of the hotel you were in Stone Town. The hotel is in the perfect position. As you sit in the dining room the beach is 10ft below. As we ate our meal we watched the dhows drifting silently past. The square just in front of the hotel was the site of the original slave market.
Stone Town is Zanzibar's old quarter. It has been called the only functioning historical city in East Africa and is little changed since the 1850's. It is a fascinating place to wander around. We saw lots of crumbled and crumbling buildings. The old Arab Fort which was originally built by the Portuguese in 1700, with its ochre-coloured walls is a primitive structure. It withstood an attack by the mazhrui Arabs from Mombasa in 1754, and was afterwards used as a goal. As late as 1890 criminals sentenced to death were still publicly beheaded by the sword, just outside the walls.
We felt quite safe and unthreatened as we walked around. The guide books say although you may not know where you are, you are never lost in Stone Town, and it's true. It is a marvellous place to see the greated studded carved wooden doors. Custom ordained that the doorway of a house should be built before the house itself. The ritual was given added strength by Koranic scripts and representational carvings which adorn the doorways. The Zanzibar door was traditionally made of teak, and was set in a square frame, covered by delicate and slender carvings. Indian influences during the 19th century modified this prootype, producing doors with arched tops and more elaborate floral designs. Motifs to be seen on the doors include the lotus, the fish, the chain and the frankincense, symbolising reproductive power, fertility, security and wealth.
We went on a tour of the spice farms which is well worth doing. When you leave the coast and drive inland it does get very hot and humid and walking around, being shown how the spices are grown is hot work.
Just outside Stone Town we stopped to see the house where Dr. Livingstone lived. He lived here just before he left, in 1866, on his last journey, setting out from Zanzibar to go up country. He returned to Zanzibar in a coffin.
At the spice farm we were shown cardamon, lemon grass, mint, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, lime and a root of ginger. We tasted quite a few of these spices. We also saw chillies,coffee and tapioca being grown as well. It was very hot, a young lad shinned up a tree and threw down a red fruit with prickles, it was a lychee and tasted great, not really sweet but very refreshing. We had the opportunity to visit other spice farms but we were too hot and drove back to our hotel.
The next morning sitting over breakfast we watched the passing fishermen, some in dug-out canoes poling their way along close inshore. There were also dhows sailing up the coast and a motorised dug-out canoe that looked in danger of sinking.
We took a taxi to the Cathedral Church of Christ. This was built in 1877 on the site which until 1883 was occupied by the infamous slave market. It is difficult now to imagine the scenes that took place here, when 300 slaves or more mght be herded and paraded here each day in the late afternoon. We went down some stairs and saw the two holding chambers where as many as 75 slaves with chains round their neck and linked together were laid side by side until either they died - and a lot did die - or they were taken out to the slave markets. Outside, in the grounds of the Church, there is a group of statues which commemorates the slave trade.
Inside the church the font marks the pit that dead slaves were pushed into. Life as a slave was so cheap, we were told, that a man would shoot at a slave just to check his rifle was working properly. On a pillar beside the chancel is a crucifix, made from the tree under which Livngstone's heart was buried. Also inside the church, the altar was erected on the same spot as the slave whipping post had been. A stained glass window above the altar commemorates the British sailors who died on anti-slaving patrols.
The custom of burying slaves alive in the walls of houses under construction is thought to have been fairly common in old Zanzibar. Skeletons were discovered in the foundations of the old Cable and Wireless building, erected on the site of the original slave market.
We enjoyed our stay in Zanzibar. It is a super place to relax after being on safari. The people are friendly and if we went back we would stay at the same hotel. Everyone we encountered in Zanzibar was warm and friendly with a ready smile.
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