Zanzibar delights

Dar es Salaam
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We got a cheap flight to Dar es Salaam, and spent a night there in a pretty cruddy hotel. It’s a dusty city, one that’s not too different to parts of Asia. One thing that was noticeable was the large Arab population, which isn’t quite what people imagine when they think of Africa. I always like a bit of diversity though.

The next day we got a boat over to Zanzibar, where we spent 6 days or so. Zanzibar town is very old, with masses of confusing alleyways and people trying to guide you around. The latter was a bit annoying, but it was nothing that a good shotgun wasn’t able to fix. I was pretty impressed by the place, but while Wenny liked it, she said it was too similar to where she grew up in Indonesia for it to feel like anything special. I can see her point, as her family house is on an alleyway. There’s a nice population mix there though, and lots of nice old houses and a good night market, where we bought fish skewers and some wooden things which Australian customs will probably confiscate. It was also interesting to venture into the centre of the island and see the source of the old spice trade.

It was nothing that a good shotgun wasn’t able to fix

Wenny with "James Taylor" in Stone Town
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We decided some beach action would be good, so we headed north to a spot called Kendwa. It was remarkably hot there, and the beaches were pretty empty during the day as a result, apart from a few Maasai dudes trying to sell things for a living. One thing we noticed when travelling up there was that the island looks a lot like Indonesia – even the people look similar, especially the girls with the headscarves.