This post is the forth in a set of publications which will describe the last trip I did in East Africa, back in August, leading me to Zanzibar and back again.
Zanzibar, despite being part of the United Republic of Tanzania, is really different from any other place I have visited in East Africa. It has a mix of cultures which at times makes you wonder whether you are in Africa, the Middle East or India. Different religions are professed here and their influences can be seen in the architecture, the clothing and the food.
In my opinion, the true beauty of Zanzibar lies in its streets, its markets and the people. Even after getting used to East African markets, Zanzibar managed to surprise me: the variety of spices, aromas, vegetables, fruits, objects and pieces of art was astonishing. Before heading back home, I had stockpiled a quite remarkable array of spices and massage oils, including 2 coconuts (yeah, I am crazy).
In Zanzibar, as in the rest of East Africa, you get to meet a lot of people. It’s very easy, especially if you don’t mind talking to strangers.
In fact, being a white (a mzungu, as they say) gives you a lot of chances to talk to people; of course, many might see it as an economical opportunity but, given a bit of effort, it often turns into a quite interesting conversation. By showing to people that you actually want to get to know them and learn about their culture makes a huge difference from being the common exploitable tourist.
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East Africa
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This post is the third in a set of publications which will describe the last trip I did in East Africa, back in August, leading me to Zanzibar and back again. Read the second post here.
The next morning was, as usual, an early one. The ferry to Zanzibar would leave at around 16.00, so I thought to quickly get a glimpse of Dar Es Salaam before the departure.
Dar Es Salaam, with its almost omnipresent sand, gave me a feeling of how I imagine a city in the Middle East.
After having visited the Village Museum and eaten chips mayai for lunch (omelette with French fries in it; it might not sound much but I find it great!), I was ready to finally catch the ferry to Zanzibar!
On the ferry, gazing at the seemingly endless body of water between Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, I could finally relax: “I am almost there!”
If I wanted to make this moment dramatic, I would probably compare myself to some sailor who, after months of navigation, yells ‘Tierra! Tierra!’ when he sees land, but, to be honest, the ferry took not more than 2 hours. But I definitely felt happy; that kind of happiness that puts a smile on your face without having to do it manually.
After having travelled more than 1500 km (this website says ‘1570.407’), in about 4 days, I was finally there. I was in Zanzibar!
The sunset made everything look paradisiacal and the fact that most of the locals were dressed up for the Eid festival (the end of the Ramadan) greatly improved my first impression.
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This post is the second in a set of publications which will describe the last trip I did in East Africa, back in August, leading me to Zanzibar and back again. Read the first post here.
After a good nights sleep, I was ready to catch the bus to Dar Es Salaam.
The bus leaves every day at 6.45am and arrives at around 8pm, quite a long journey.
The beginning of the trip wasn’t too exciting, the view was very similar and rather dull, I took this time to sleep a bit more (I am not a morning person).
After the short nap, I woke up to a very different landscape: dry lands with light brown hills. The land of the Masai.
Not long after, we had to get off the bus as we had reached the border Kenya-Tanzania (I find border checkpoints in East Africa very unsettling, so I searched for a picture to give you an idea: border checkpoint in Namanga). After all the paperwork has been completed, we returned to the bus heading to Arusha.
Arusha, capital of the Arusha region, is a mandatory stop for hikers, mainly for being very close to the Arusha National Park, the Mt. Meru Forest Reserve and, more importantly, to the Mt. Kilimanjaro National Park, home of the famous Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The Mt. Kilimanjaro
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