Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar City
‘Karibu Zanzibar’ (Welcome to Zanzibar)! After arriving in Dar es Salaam by bus Sunday evening we spent the day on Monday regrouping and figuring out a few logistics for this next week to be spent on the island of Zanzibar. Dar es Salaam is thought of as the capital of Tanzania by many, but actually the capital has been moved to the more central city of Dodoma. ‘Dar’ is a huge rapidly growing city with one of the largest ports in Africa. We explored a bit around our hotel, found the ferry terminal, successfully bought our tickets, then hopped in a taxi. We’d been told about (and seen) a style of African artwork called Tingatinga - we thought we would search some out. Across town we went to a street noted for its Tingatinga collaborative. We surprised ourselves, purchased a couple of small paintings we both really like. The vendor rolled them up tight so carrying them home won’t be an issue.
This morning we caught the fast ferry to Zanzibar. We’ll spend two nights in Stonetown (the historic area of the capital, Zanzibar city), then arrange a ride to the northern part of the island where we’ll spend the last few days of our trip. Zanzibar has an incredibly colourful history, noted for its pristine beaches, unique blend of cultures - African, Arab, Indian and European, spice cultivation and so much more ( very dramatic!). In the old town the architecture is quite varied - lots of intricately carved door ways, narrow alleyways, lots of hustle and bustle, lots of hawkers trying to persuade the many tourists to purchase their wares, or hire them as their city guide. We’ve seen many tourists, which isn’t too surprising, and most seem to be from Europe.
Tomorrow we’ll explore a little further afield, I’m always amazed what a difference a day makes in feeling oriented and comfortable in a new place!
