November 9, 2018
We began the day with a luxurious breakfast spread at the hotel. Lots of fresh tropical fruits and juices, local breads, chicken curry and a made to order omelet. We ate outside with the ocean over our shoulder, but it was already getting hot and humid. No sense complaining about the weather when you come to an ocean island near the equator, but it sure does feel sticky, especially when I was wearing my recently purchased clothes that are far less than ideal for the weather.
We left the hotel about 10 and almost immediately were approached by what became a stream of papaasi, people who wanted to guide us, tour us , drive us, or otherwise sell services. There are also the product sellers. One has to be polite in saying hapani (no), but also firm.
We walked over to Forodhani Gardens again. This time it was largely deserted, except for the many cats and the papaasi. It was pretty looking out onto the ocean and seeing the boats, from the small doaws, to the ferry, this was the Kilimanjaro VI and the large freighters.
We walked through the gardens to the Old Fort, also called the Arab Fort. At the entrance was an office of the Zanzibar Tourist Office. After a bit of haggling about the prices we signed up for two tours the next day, a morning spice tour and an afternoon boat tour to Prison Island. $90 for both including my daughter. I put half down and the rest to be paid the next day. I wanted to use the Eco+Culture company I had spoken with the prior day which had been recommended in the travel book, but they were quite a bit more expensive and the agent I spoke with seemed enthusiastic.
We then entered the Old Fort. It is a large structure containing large open courtyards, one of which now has been covered into an open air amphitheatre that is used for music and dance events and the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
The Fort was built from 1698 to 1701 by the Omani Arabs after they had defeated the Portuguese who had ruled for 200 years. The fort was used to repulse efforts by the Portuguese to retake the island as well as attacks from a rival Arab group based in Mombasa. It was built on the site of a Portuguese church the remains of which were visible in the main courtyard.In the 19th century the fort was used as a prison with the execution site being just outside the east wall of the fort. The Swahili word "gereza" means prison is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word igreja, meaning church. In the early 20th century it was the southern depot for a railroad that ran north to Bububu. It was rebuilt in 1949, but it fell into disuse in 1964 after the revolution.
We walked through the courtyards and on the battlements. there were several art galleries, Colors of Zanzibar and Collective Art Gallery in the towers. Despite the artists obvious willingness to bargain over prices, we did not purchase anything. There were local spice and craft shops, and a good toilet.
We left the fort after about 1.5 hours and returned to the gardens. Engaged in a conversation with 4 teen age girls. They were very animated and questioned us about the US. They are learning English in school and asked us about our trip.
We were repeatedly approached by papaasi and after much haggling with one we agreed to a walking tour. Agreed to $20 for 2 hour tour. What followed was a leisurely stroll through the Old/Stone Town area. He started with a history lesson about the Old Fort and the Gardens. We then walked over to the House of Wonders, Beit al Ajaib. This was a state of the art building when it was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for the Sultan Barghash, and remains one of the largest buildings on the island. It is a perfect rectangle, topped by a large clock tower. It was built with marble floors, steel pillars and girders, was fitted with electric lighting and had an electric elevator. Hence the name House of Wonders. It served as a palace until 1911, then as a British colonial office for 50 years and the housed government and political party (there was only one political party so co-location was convenient) offices for 30 years until it was abandoned in the 1990s. It reopened as a museum in 2002, but the roof collapsed in 2016 and so it is not currently open to the public as it undergoes repairs. In front were two Portuguese cannons from the early 16th century.
A few hundred yards up the road we visited the Palace Museum. A large white building built close to the sea in the late 1890s it was originally called the Sultan's Palace, but was renamed the People's Palace after the 1964 Revolution. It became a museum in 1994. The exhibits included a lot of furniture, clothes and art from the sultans and British colonial period. There was a gigantic banyan tree 100 meters up the road. It was planted in 1911 and is known as The Big Tree. We then walked into the interior of the city and passed or visited old hotels, galleries, small businesses, restaurants, and mosques and churches. While the art in the galleries was locally produced, some of it seemed formalistic.
Most of the buildings we saw were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was an important and affluent trading center. Many of the buildings were three or four stories and their stone construction consisted of locally mined coralline rock. It is a good construction material, but it is soft and easily eroded if not maintained. While virtually all of the buildings are still inhabited or used for commercial purposes, many are in a state of disrepair. However we saw some structures that were being restored to their original appearance through a UN and government program. (Reminded me of the restoration that is occurring in Old Havana.) The buildings were predominately of two architectural styles, Arab, with plain outer walls and a large door which lead to an inner courtyard (which we usually could not see), and Indian, with an open facade and large balconies decorated with ornate railings and balustrades designed to catch sea breezes and dispel the humidity. Very similar to what we saw in India, albeit much of that seemed to be based on the Mogul, Islam empire architecture.
Many of the buildings had large wooden doors with elaborately carved frames and panels decorated with large brass studs, spikes and heavy locks. The studs and spikes were allegedly designed to prevent war elephant attacks. They are mostly decorative since while elephants were abundant on Zanzibar when Marco Polo passed through in the late 13th century, they were long extinct when these structures were built in the 19th century. The greater the wealth and status of the owner, the more elaborate were the door carvings. Many of the doors had chains carved at the side which indicated that slaves were held in the house. We also saw, and sat on, many baraza benches. These are thick benches of solid stone, not very comfortable, built into the walls of the structures and also in the courtyards. They permitted Islamic men to receive visitors at or in their homes without compromising the privacy of the woman folk.
Arab Style
Indian style
At the Swahili House hotel we took the lift (added in 2015) to the roof top restaurant/bar for drinks and snacks on a baraza bench. Terrific 360 degree views of the Zanzibar Town, the Zanzibar Strait and the land outside of Stone Town. This was a 19th century Indian merchant's home that in 2008 was renovated into hotel. However it is not fancy and retains a local feel with a very calm environment.
The Market at the east end of Stone Town along Creek Road (the creek has been paved over) was built in 1904, and looks as if little has changed since then. (Viewing the photographs from the early days of the market in the market's museum confirmed that.) The market is essentially a long hall with traders inside and out selling their wares from small stalls or simply with their goods spread out on the ground. It was especially active today, since it was Friday. There were an amazing variety of goods available for purchase that included books, CDs, furniture, clothes, car parts, and even sewing machines. Of course there were also all manner of foods available. Speaking with some of the shoppers, mostly women who were very colorfully dressed it seemed as if they had come from many parts of the island.
At the end of the Market was the seafood section. There were active auctions going on to sell batches of seafood and lots of filleting of the fish. Pretty big smells and lots of flys.
I purchased more spices.
On the way back to the hotel we walked past the East African Slave exhibit. Did not go in at this time since we had used up our two hours.
After the tour we visited several galleries and finally picked out three paintings. As usual there was a lot of bargaining and because the owner wanted cash I had an actual limit on my spending. We walked out with a very large cardboard tube as I wondered if I would be able to get that on our future flights and if so, without any damage to the paintings.
After shopping we returned to the roof top of the Swahili House to meet our daughter who was joining us for the weekend on Zanzibar . More views, sun downers and snacks
and then we walked through town to the Monsoon restaurant. This serves Mediterranean and Zanzabari food. You doff your shoes upon entering and sit on rugs and cushions, I needed a lot of the latter, and essentially sit on the floor, Kasbah style. There was live taarab music and after dinner we spoke with the musicians for a while. The food was good and the price was a great value. However after dinner I had to return to the back machine for another infusion of local cash.
At the hotel we had some dessert on the beach side patio followed by an evening swim in the pool
Overall Stone town is a very vibrant and charming place. Unlike Dubrovnik, from which most of the residents have moved and is essentially now a giant outdoor museum, Stone town is a living community where the residents live, work and play, along with the many tourists.
We began the day with a luxurious breakfast spread at the hotel. Lots of fresh tropical fruits and juices, local breads, chicken curry and a made to order omelet. We ate outside with the ocean over our shoulder, but it was already getting hot and humid. No sense complaining about the weather when you come to an ocean island near the equator, but it sure does feel sticky, especially when I was wearing my recently purchased clothes that are far less than ideal for the weather.
We left the hotel about 10 and almost immediately were approached by what became a stream of papaasi, people who wanted to guide us, tour us , drive us, or otherwise sell services. There are also the product sellers. One has to be polite in saying hapani (no), but also firm.
We walked over to Forodhani Gardens again. This time it was largely deserted, except for the many cats and the papaasi. It was pretty looking out onto the ocean and seeing the boats, from the small doaws, to the ferry, this was the Kilimanjaro VI and the large freighters.
We walked through the gardens to the Old Fort, also called the Arab Fort. At the entrance was an office of the Zanzibar Tourist Office. After a bit of haggling about the prices we signed up for two tours the next day, a morning spice tour and an afternoon boat tour to Prison Island. $90 for both including my daughter. I put half down and the rest to be paid the next day. I wanted to use the Eco+Culture company I had spoken with the prior day which had been recommended in the travel book, but they were quite a bit more expensive and the agent I spoke with seemed enthusiastic.
We then entered the Old Fort. It is a large structure containing large open courtyards, one of which now has been covered into an open air amphitheatre that is used for music and dance events and the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
 |
| Amphitheatre |
 |
| Artists |
 |
| Fort courtyard |
The Fort was built from 1698 to 1701 by the Omani Arabs after they had defeated the Portuguese who had ruled for 200 years. The fort was used to repulse efforts by the Portuguese to retake the island as well as attacks from a rival Arab group based in Mombasa. It was built on the site of a Portuguese church the remains of which were visible in the main courtyard.In the 19th century the fort was used as a prison with the execution site being just outside the east wall of the fort. The Swahili word "gereza" means prison is thought to be derived from the Portuguese word igreja, meaning church. In the early 20th century it was the southern depot for a railroad that ran north to Bububu. It was rebuilt in 1949, but it fell into disuse in 1964 after the revolution.
We walked through the courtyards and on the battlements. there were several art galleries, Colors of Zanzibar and Collective Art Gallery in the towers. Despite the artists obvious willingness to bargain over prices, we did not purchase anything. There were local spice and craft shops, and a good toilet.
We left the fort after about 1.5 hours and returned to the gardens. Engaged in a conversation with 4 teen age girls. They were very animated and questioned us about the US. They are learning English in school and asked us about our trip.
 |
| Teenage girls |
We were repeatedly approached by papaasi and after much haggling with one we agreed to a walking tour. Agreed to $20 for 2 hour tour. What followed was a leisurely stroll through the Old/Stone Town area. He started with a history lesson about the Old Fort and the Gardens. We then walked over to the House of Wonders, Beit al Ajaib. This was a state of the art building when it was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for the Sultan Barghash, and remains one of the largest buildings on the island. It is a perfect rectangle, topped by a large clock tower. It was built with marble floors, steel pillars and girders, was fitted with electric lighting and had an electric elevator. Hence the name House of Wonders. It served as a palace until 1911, then as a British colonial office for 50 years and the housed government and political party (there was only one political party so co-location was convenient) offices for 30 years until it was abandoned in the 1990s. It reopened as a museum in 2002, but the roof collapsed in 2016 and so it is not currently open to the public as it undergoes repairs. In front were two Portuguese cannons from the early 16th century.
A few hundred yards up the road we visited the Palace Museum. A large white building built close to the sea in the late 1890s it was originally called the Sultan's Palace, but was renamed the People's Palace after the 1964 Revolution. It became a museum in 1994. The exhibits included a lot of furniture, clothes and art from the sultans and British colonial period. There was a gigantic banyan tree 100 meters up the road. It was planted in 1911 and is known as The Big Tree. We then walked into the interior of the city and passed or visited old hotels, galleries, small businesses, restaurants, and mosques and churches. While the art in the galleries was locally produced, some of it seemed formalistic.
Most of the buildings we saw were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was an important and affluent trading center. Many of the buildings were three or four stories and their stone construction consisted of locally mined coralline rock. It is a good construction material, but it is soft and easily eroded if not maintained. While virtually all of the buildings are still inhabited or used for commercial purposes, many are in a state of disrepair. However we saw some structures that were being restored to their original appearance through a UN and government program. (Reminded me of the restoration that is occurring in Old Havana.) The buildings were predominately of two architectural styles, Arab, with plain outer walls and a large door which lead to an inner courtyard (which we usually could not see), and Indian, with an open facade and large balconies decorated with ornate railings and balustrades designed to catch sea breezes and dispel the humidity. Very similar to what we saw in India, albeit much of that seemed to be based on the Mogul, Islam empire architecture.
Many of the buildings had large wooden doors with elaborately carved frames and panels decorated with large brass studs, spikes and heavy locks. The studs and spikes were allegedly designed to prevent war elephant attacks. They are mostly decorative since while elephants were abundant on Zanzibar when Marco Polo passed through in the late 13th century, they were long extinct when these structures were built in the 19th century. The greater the wealth and status of the owner, the more elaborate were the door carvings. Many of the doors had chains carved at the side which indicated that slaves were held in the house. We also saw, and sat on, many baraza benches. These are thick benches of solid stone, not very comfortable, built into the walls of the structures and also in the courtyards. They permitted Islamic men to receive visitors at or in their homes without compromising the privacy of the woman folk.
At the Swahili House hotel we took the lift (added in 2015) to the roof top restaurant/bar for drinks and snacks on a baraza bench. Terrific 360 degree views of the Zanzibar Town, the Zanzibar Strait and the land outside of Stone Town. This was a 19th century Indian merchant's home that in 2008 was renovated into hotel. However it is not fancy and retains a local feel with a very calm environment.
The Market at the east end of Stone Town along Creek Road (the creek has been paved over) was built in 1904, and looks as if little has changed since then. (Viewing the photographs from the early days of the market in the market's museum confirmed that.) The market is essentially a long hall with traders inside and out selling their wares from small stalls or simply with their goods spread out on the ground. It was especially active today, since it was Friday. There were an amazing variety of goods available for purchase that included books, CDs, furniture, clothes, car parts, and even sewing machines. Of course there were also all manner of foods available. Speaking with some of the shoppers, mostly women who were very colorfully dressed it seemed as if they had come from many parts of the island.
At the end of the Market was the seafood section. There were active auctions going on to sell batches of seafood and lots of filleting of the fish. Pretty big smells and lots of flys.
I purchased more spices.
On the way back to the hotel we walked past the East African Slave exhibit. Did not go in at this time since we had used up our two hours.
After the tour we visited several galleries and finally picked out three paintings. As usual there was a lot of bargaining and because the owner wanted cash I had an actual limit on my spending. We walked out with a very large cardboard tube as I wondered if I would be able to get that on our future flights and if so, without any damage to the paintings.
After shopping we returned to the roof top of the Swahili House to meet our daughter who was joining us for the weekend on Zanzibar . More views, sun downers and snacks
and then we walked through town to the Monsoon restaurant. This serves Mediterranean and Zanzabari food. You doff your shoes upon entering and sit on rugs and cushions, I needed a lot of the latter, and essentially sit on the floor, Kasbah style. There was live taarab music and after dinner we spoke with the musicians for a while. The food was good and the price was a great value. However after dinner I had to return to the back machine for another infusion of local cash.
At the hotel we had some dessert on the beach side patio followed by an evening swim in the pool
Overall Stone town is a very vibrant and charming place. Unlike Dubrovnik, from which most of the residents have moved and is essentially now a giant outdoor museum, Stone town is a living community where the residents live, work and play, along with the many tourists.
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