Mambo, family and friends! This past weekend, our group said goodbye to Uganda, and flew back to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. After one night in this crazy, busy city, we got on a ferry and headed to Zanzibar!
As soon as we arrived at Stone Town, we fell in love with the island. The quaint, old-fashioned streets are filled with shops and markets, and there are no shortages of crafts, spices, and food for sale. It is interesting to see the mix between African culture and Arab influence in the architecture here, which is like no where else I have seen…
Although we have only been here for a couple of days, we have had plenty of time to explore Stone Town. It is fun to just wander down the winding alleyways, finding different shops and restaurants. Even if you get completely lost and disoriented (which has already happened to some of us…), you will eventually find a familiar street. Our group has had LOTS of delicious food. One night, we headed to an open-air market, and got to experience “Zanzibari pizzas” as well as many different sea food kabobs! Last night, we had wonderful Ethiopian food at a local restaurant. Everything has been SO good!
Yesterday, our group went on a spice tour to learn about the various fruits and spices that are grown on the island. We went on a tour around a spice plantation, and we got to taste/smell many different fruits and spices, including lemongrass, cardamon, cinnamon, curry, peppercorn, Jackfruit, starfruit, Zanzibar apples, and pili pili ho-hos (which were VERY hot chili peppers!). It was really interesting to not only learn about the spices, but also to see where they are grown and how they are used on the island.
After we finished the tour, we got to have a delicious lunch with local food. Then, we headed to the “slave caves”, which were used in the 18th and 19th centuries after slavery was outlawed on the island. As our group climbed down into the dark, damp caves, our tour guide told us that more than 200 men and women would live in the caves at a time. We got to walk down a couple of the tunnels, climbing through rock paths in almost pitch darkness. Eventually, we were able to follow a path that lead up to the surface, and we climbed out of a hole and ended up on the beach!
Today, our group is spending our last day in Stone Town to finish up some shopping, and then see a traditional performance in town. Tomorrow, we head to Matemwe Beach, where we will complete our PADI Scuba Diving Course! We are all very excited!
Love,
Katie