Stone Town

4x4 meter slave quarters. There would be about 50 men in a room this size for several days at a time.
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I stayed in the lap of luxury last night at the Peacock hotel because one of the Tufts professors had an extra bed in her room. I really enjoyed having a warm shower and internet access in the evening.

Despite the chaos of the ferry rides to and from Zanzibar it was a very pleasant experience while we were on the island. Stan and I only had a few hours there so we started by exploring Stone Town by foot. This part of Zanzibar city resembles the typical European town built during the same time period (mid 19th century) with a labyrinth of tiny alleys populated with stone buildings that lead into small town squares.

Slave Monument. The chains and shackles are originals from the 19th century.
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Stone Town was also a popular slave trade market up until 1873. There is now an Anglican Cathedral built on top of the old auction block and the altar stand on the spot of the old whipping tree. Slaves were whipped to see how tough they were and of course they fetched a higher price if they didn't cry. There's a hostel (which used to be a hospital) built on top of what used to be the slaves quarters. About 50 men were kept in a 4x4 meter room for days at a time, again to ensure that only the strongest were sold.

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After that uplifting tour we wandered over to the Darajani Market. Despite my aversion to seafood it was quite interesting to see the different types of fish, squids and octopi on display in the heat spotted with flies as the hungry cats skulked around to steal some "tasty" nibbles here and there. Luckily the fish market led to the famous spice market. In stark contrast this section was bustling with tourists and locals weaving their ways through rows of vibrant colors and aromas of the many different spices for sale.

Dhows
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There was a little confusion with the ferry taking us back to Dar. When we bought our roundtrip tickets in the morning we were told that the 4pm return ferry was a bit unreliable. This is apparently due to the fact that there is no 4pm ferry provided by that company. One of the other companies had the last departing boat so we had to buy additional tickets and literally hopped on board after the plank was removed and the ferry had started pulling away.

While it was wonderful having a small contingent of Tufts faculty here for a few days I'm excited to set off on my own. It's difficult to discover a city and a culture as a member of a group of tourists. I'm looking forward to being responsible for planning my own agenda of activities for a little while.

Setting off for Zanzibar
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Thanks to the Tufts faculty for easing the transition to Dar es Salaam. I wish you all a safe trip home.