Zanzibar City to Kendwa
Oh my, I’m losing track of the days! It’s crazy how this happens, you’d think having a set itinerary would keep us totally focussed on our calendar, but apparently not! Actually, the feeling of not caring what day it is is rather liberating. We had better just not miss our flight next Tuesday though!
We just spent a day and half in Zanzibar City in the historic area of Stone Town. What a busy place with a fascinating, exotic history full of drama. It’s situated in such a strategic place where the trade winds brought ships in easily. The island had lots to offer. The Swahili culture currently dominates after having endured trading of slaves, spices, textiles, etc… The Arabs, Turks, Indians, British and who knows who else, all have played a huge role in the diversity that has formed the culture we see in Zanzibar today - colourful and intriguing . Our hotel was small, in ‘boutique’ style, that had been built by a princess over a hundred and fifty years ago. Great attention was paid to the fine detail and charm. It was one of many properties she owned - this one to house her precious artwork (long gone!) and entertain guests.
This morning Jim arranged for a car and driver to take us further up the island to the town of Kendwa. It’s become quite a resort area for tourists, it’s renowned for its ‘pristine’ white sandy beaches. The drive took about an hour and half on a road mostly lined with various small businesses, schools, fresh fruit stalls and vegetable markets. One town seemed to blend into another. We finally arrived at the northern most point of the island, got out and searched for our guesthouse. Jim had plotted it on his phone so we were able to find it - out of the vehicle, up a narrow walkway on foot and to the top of the hill. So here we are! We’ll explore the small town and surrounding area and hopefully swim on the Indian Ocean while we hang out over the next three days…
The temperature today in Kendwa was 31 degrees.
