The white, sandy beach in front of our hotel disappeared twice a day when the tide came in, but when the tide was out, the water was a gorgeous turquoise.
The view from the dining room at the Red Monkey Bungalows. One of the students getting a henna tattoo. The local women made money by hounding the beach tourists to buy tattoos, hair braids, massages, pareos, shirts, etc.
Jambiani
We left the peacefulness of Jambiani for a Spice Tour and a visit to the historic Stone Town. Zanzibar has long been known for its cultivation of such spices as nutmeg and cloves. Spice tours are a very common way for visitors to learn about how these plants are grown and harvested and, of course to give us a chance to buy souvenirs!
Zanzibar used to be a colony of Oman and, later, Portugal. These influences are evident in the architecture, Islamic religion and conservative culture of the people and the food of Zanzibar and especially in the main city of the island, Stone Town. Stone Town buildings have an incredible variety of hand carved wooden doors and the narrow passageways between buildings make the city a wonderful place to wander aimlessly.
The Old Dispensary (1885) - now the Cultural Centre and the Old Portuguese Fort
Fresh fish, crab, lobster and shark kebabs for sale at the Forodhani Night Market
Faced with years of drought conditions and increasing difficulty maintaining their traditional way of life, many Masaai warriors now come to the cities to sell jewelry and sandals made from tire treads.
