A second submission to this week’s photo challenge: Anticipation
Two years ago we were lucky enough to visit Zanzibar just before Christmas – an island of the coast of Tanzania which is a dream destination for many but right on our doorstop it’s an affordable destination.
This Christmas we are spending the holiday period back on Zanzibar and very much anticipating our return to this Island Paradise.
Posted in Holiday, postaday, travel, Vacation, Weekly Photo Challenge
Tagged Anticipation, Zanzibar
A second submission to this week’ photo challenge :Numbers
Taken on Prison Island, Stone Town, Zanzibar back in December 2014. You can read the full post here but here isa quote from the original post.
When under British Protection the Governor of Zanzibar was friendly with the Governor of the Seychelles. As part of a gift exchange Zanzibar was given four Aldabra Giant Tortoises in 1919. These bred quickly and soon numbered over 200, but theft saw numbers reduce to only 7 by 1996. Finally with the help of World Animal Protection a program was put in place to build an enclosure and return tortoises, some found in Dar Es Salaam. Now numbers are are approximately 170. The oldest of these is 191 and there are several over 100 years old. Anita and I were both able to find tortoises who were our age (mere youngsters by comparison).
The tortoises all had numbers painted on their backs – indicating the age of the tortoise.
Posted in postaday, Tanzanian living, Weekly Photo Challenge
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Door”
At Christmas we visited Zanzibar and spent a few nights in Stone Town renowned for its ornate carved doors. Some were in a state of disrepair others pristine – here are a selection.
Six months have come and in our new Tanzanian home. We landed in Mwanza on 22nd August and so our first full day here was the 23rd. Half a year on I share some of the pictures which have been part of our time here. For those on Facebook I have shared something similar but some different pics here.
August
Getting our bearings and making new friends.
September – Start of term, Nature, Malaika Beach
October – Travelling beyond Mwanza (Camping and Serengeti)
November – Birthdays, Fairs, Wag Hill and The Rains
December – Zanzibar and Christmas
January – More birthdays
February- Rubondo
Another retrospective from our Zanzibar holiday with added pictures from our camera. On one day we took a trip out to sea on an Ocean Safari. The original post is here.
The day consisted of snorkeling, a trip to a coral lagoon, a sand bank and an island where we ate lunch. However. the highlight of the day was seeing dolphins in the wild.
A year ago this was what we were posting
Whilst Ocean Paradise we took a stroll along the beach down to a pier and enjoyed the wildlife and scenery as we went. The original post is here but this post adds in some camera pics to supplement the iPhone pics.
Our stay in Zanzibar was split between two locations. Our first five days were spent at Ocean Paradise on the North East Coast. The accommodation was luxurious and as well as a pool we had an amazing beach close by. These pics include camera shots.
One of the first things we did in Zanzibar was to take a walk out to the Coral Reef discovering numerous sea creatures hidden in the low tide rocks and pools. You can find out more here the gallery below includes camera photos to add to the phone pics first time around.
This is the first of a look back at our trip to Zanzibar before Christmas. Largely photographic these posts use photos taken on the camera as opposed to the iPhone.
Jozani Forest is in the south of the island and is home to Red Colobus Monkeys who seem completely at ease with human visitors. We got some great close-ups.
For more details of the day we visited Jozani Forest click here
Posted in Africa, Tanzania, Wildlife
Tagged Jozani Forest, monkey, red colobus, Red Colobus Monkeys, Zanzibar
As the New Year begins I continue to reflect on 2014 a year in which I (and my family) made the dramatic move to Tanzania, month by month. Part 1 is here.
As September we settled into our new house and I began so did my new teaching career. Lessons began on the 1st and it was time to get to know new students, new systems and a new environment. Teaching ICT in a land where power cuts can happen at short notice was never going to be easy but actually things weren’t too bad. A new projector was a helpful addition and within a week or two it felt like we had always been there. The kids settled in to the school too and Anita began to explore Mwanza and quickly signed up to language classes to improve her already impressive Swahili. I too got to know my new home town and having decided not to buy a car (yet!) we did a lot of walking which was no bad thing. Running was more of an issue with the heat and the hills!
Purple Grenadier
We adapted to new routines and got to know the folk on the compound and flats both old an new colleagues. In all there had been six families who had moved out, along with four singles. This included two new heads of primary and secondary both settling into their new roles. Weekly events like Boy’s night and Bridge were part of the routine, possible because the smaller classes at school meant less marking and so a little more social time.
We began to look into churches and settled on two possibilities MIC and NCLC, based in different towns in the city. We also got to know some of the expat NGOs working in the community. The compound grounds were full of strange and exotic bird life and the odd familiar bird too (sparrows are common here!). The school also had it’s fair share of exotic visitors with monkeys jumping through the trees and raiding the bins.
The rains weren’t due until mid-November but we had had some heavy downpours throughout September and October was no exception with some immensely heavy downpours in the mornings turning roads into rivers and bringing down trees. The rain never lasted too long and soon it turned hot and humid.
One of the first things we did this month was to join the Borders on their Weekend Camping Trip up the coast. We had a great weekend by the lake and got to know some of our colleagues even better. The lake was stunning but sadly you could not swim in it as it was infested by Bilharzia, small snails which harbour disease.
Late in the month we also travelled a little bit further up the coast to Papa’s a restaurant on the lake recommended by many as a good place to visit. It was nice to leave the confines of Mwanza on both trips but we had seen very little of Tanzania.
The school week continued to rush on at a pace and before long it was nearly half term and our first Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater. This was an amazing three days of wildlife including all the big 5, but sadly no Cheetah. Even so our sighting of a Leopard on the last day was a definite highlight.
The month began with birthday celebrations galore. Not only Anita and Bex, but many of the staff and their children had birthdays – so much celebrating to be done.
With so many celebrations at once a number of us booked a weekend at a secluded resort complex called Wag Hill, The place was close to Mwanza but a world away from the city, secluded and quiet, a group of 15 of us booked the cottage out and had a fab weekend, wallowing in the pool, wandering the hills and seeing new creatures Hyraxes and a Gennet, along with different bird life.
As November wore on the rains really began and we realised exactly how heavy and prolonged rain can be here. The roads were turning to mush and wearing away fast.
The school ran its annual Charity Fair in aid of Saturday school and it was a great chance to work together with my tutor group to run a stall. Anita and Bex both got ill which was less pleasant – they missed the Fair!
I paid my first visit to Saturday school as part of a hectic Saturday which saw me at a number of events and parties. Social life does get busy here and it is one of the great things about ex-pat living. Even so it was great to see what the school are doing to help the poor and underprivileged in Mwanza.
My tutor group produced what I think was the best assembly – a play they had written on the plight of girls in education – I am biased but it was good!
November was full of Parents Evenings one or two per week at times, along with report writing this was taking up a lot of time but it had to be done.
The term was running out fast and before long it was the end of November.
The term here finishes earlier than in the UK so we only had a fortnight in school. Both kids had lead roles in the School Production – The Importance of Being Ernest. Rehearsals were taking their time but it was worth it in the end as they both did outstandingly.
The last week of term came and went with parties and gatherings of various sorts and then it was time for Zanzibar.
Our long-planned 8 day visit to the island was well worth it. Glorious white sand beaches, warm turquoise seas and amazing wildlife on land and in the water it was a fabulous time.
All too soon we were back in Mwanza for Christmas.
The Rains continued and brought flooding to Mwanza on Christmas Eve, our compound Christmas dinner relocated into our living room where 18 of us shared a meal and some games into the early evening.
As the year ended we again gathered for a New Year Celebration, 2014 was an amazing year I wonder what 2015 will hold?
Stone Town has the potential to be outstanding. The architecture is amazing, the doors alone are worth a visit. In Tanzania it is the first place I have seen with a real history (one stretching back centuries not decades) and yet I leave a little disappointed. We enjoyed our visit overall and none of this detracts from the overall positivity towards Zanzibar (Unguja) itself, but Stone Town is in need of repair. It’s not just a lick of paint (though that would help!), the buildings are crumbling, many of the door frames dishevelled (unpolished unpainted; graffiti strewn). The five main monuments we visited were the Anglican Cathedral, the Museum (Sultan’s Palace), the House of Wonders, the old Fort and the Persian Baths. Only the cathedral showed any sign of renovation; the Baths whilst interesting were very poorly maintained; the Fort was blackened and decaying; the Museum great inside but needing work to improve it’s overall appearance; following structural damage the House of Wonders was off limits officially but for a very high price (we did not pay!) you could go in.
In contrast the Prison Island complex was well maintained following investment from rich business men and the accompanying hotel.
It seems like decades if not centuries of neglect have left this World Heritage Site in a sorry state.
The town is being spruced up, but it’s hotels and cars that are getting repaired not the ancient heritage. This is sad as well as a little short sighted as the hotels in Stone Town will remain empty if there are no sights to see; people heading to the coast instead.
Here are some pictures from the town.
Anglican Cathedral / Site of Former Slave Market
Museum (Sultan’s Palace)
House of Wonders
Great Door but some was in ruin!
The Old Fort
The Persian Baths
I want to stress we really enjoyed visiting all these places but they need to be repaired otherwise they might soon be gone. They also need investment in terms of presentation and be attractively priced. The Cathedral got this right whilst Prison Island does not (we could not see half of it)
Prison Island
This morning’s trip was out across the sea from the main Island of Zanzibar (Unguja) where we have been staying (wrongly called Zanzibar) to one of the many smaller Islands called Changuu.
This island was used as a prison, by the slave traders up until 1905 (after the official abolition in the 19th Century) when Zanzibar (the archipelago) became a British Protectorate. The new governor wanted to make the island into a zeros on for criminals, but a widespread outbreak of Small Pox meant it was converted into a quarantine instead. By the end of this time it became a Governor’s residence, finally on independence fell into disrepair until investors bought the island and built a hotel.
When under British Protection the Governor of Zanzibar was friendly with the Governor of the Seychelles. As part of a gift exchange Zanzibar was given four Aldabra Giant Tortoises in 1919. These bred quickly and soon numbered over 200, but theft saw numbers reduce to only 7 by 1996. Finally with the help of World Animal Protection a program was put in place to build an enclosure and return tortoises, some found in Dar Es Salaam. Now numbers are are approximately 170. The oldest of these is 191 and there are several over 100 years old. Anita and I were both able to find tortoises who were our age (mere youngsters by comparison.
Just along from the Zanzibar Colobus Monkeys there are mangroves – these are not one specific tree but a mix of different trees which live in brackish tidal waters and are therefore partially submerged at high tide. Here we saw mud crabs and in the streams Trumpet Fish, Mullet and Red Snappers.
Then into the mahogany forest.
A mile down the road we came to a Butterfly Farm. A village co-operative set up to protect the surrounding forest and provide income. Butterfly chrysalis are collected from the forest and brought to the farm. The resulting butterfly are then sold on to collectors in Europe.
This afternoon we took a wander through the streets of Stone Town looking for the former Slave Market, which now sits beneath the Anglican Cathedral.
Zanzibar was the centre of the Slave Trade in East African, first under the Portuguese then under Oman. Both nations exploited the Island as a staging post to ship out African slaves from as far as South Africa, Mozambique, Malaŵi, Zimbabwe and Zambia. These slaves were usually obtained by subterfuge with traders travelling to villages and persuading villagers to come to get better jobs. Many volunteered willingly and often village chiefs were paid well for allowing this. Obviously this was lies and people were sold into slavery in India, Oman, Persia (Iran) where they were not treated well (some men being castrated). In 1873 Livingston (British explorer and missionary) arrived on the island and was shocked to see slavery (having seen it abolished in the UK). He returned to the UK and petitioned (via Oxford and Cambridge Universities) parliament who sent seven warships to the island to back up missionaries who forced the sultan under duress to abolish slavery. Although it continued underground until the 20th Century it was very much weakened.
We were able to visit the two remaining slave rooms (preserved as a record) where up to 60 slaves were held for several days. Our guide showed us the monument to slavery in the church yard and then inside the church. The church was built after slavery was abolished (many former slaves had become Christian) and in spite of the astronomical price the Sultan wanted for the land.
This morning we visited Jozani Forest – home to the Zanzaibar Red Colobus Monkey. We were almost immediately lucky to get close up with a family group as they crunched on unripe Guava (apparently they cannot digest sugar!)
Posted in Africa, Tanzania, Tanzanian living, Wildlife
Tagged Jozani Forest, monkey, red colobus, Zanzibar
Zanzibar is a rich and fertile island. Today we were able to go on a Spice Tour and find out more.
We were taken to a farm and given the chance to see numerous spice plants and also fruits growing in the forest.
Lemon Grass
These are grasses with a lemon fragrance. The leaves are more flavoursome than the stalks.
Turmeric
These tubers grow like ginger underground.
Cardamon
These berries grow along branches on the ground.
Chilli
The small green / red fruits.
Vanilla
The bean like pods on this vine.
The following both come from the same plant – Mace is the outer coating to the Nutmeg, both within the fruit.
Mace
The coating of the central ‘stone’ of the fruit.
Nutmeg
The central ‘stone’ of the fruit.
Pepper (Peppercorns)
The centre of the pepper ‘berries’
Cloves
These are tree buds.
Ginger
The underground tubers of the plant we all recognise!
Cinnamon
The bark of the tree dried then rolled into sticks.
Our base for this week has been Ocean Paradise Hotel. As we leave the place I thought I’d share some pics of this luxury resort. This is something which would have been unaffordable from the UK, but a benefit of Tanzanian living is the accessibility, and cheaper flights go a long way to making the trip affordable.
Located in the North East of the island, our resort borders the Indian Ocean with shallow waters leading to a reef about a kilometre off shore.
Our accommodation is a linked thatched cottage. Each has it’s own ensuite, a balcony and bedroom built in the round.
Each cottage is scattered across a landscape of palms intersected by paths.
We are located quite close to the beach, where loungers are shade by large thatched parasols.
There are three restaurants and a central swimming pool. Breakfast is served in the upper restaurant, whereas our evening meal is served by the pool or on the beach. Evening meals are accompanied by entertainments and meals are a range of different buffets, Indian, BBQ, African, Chinese, Italian. The pool has a bar and a Happy Hour from 4 ’til 5 with free cake and tea/coffee and half price cocktails. We are here on a Half- Board basis so this fills a gap from Breakfast ’til Evening Meal.
We have had a lovely stay and would certainly recommend it as a holiday destination.
Graham has been to: Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Ethiopia, France, United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Gambia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kenya,Cambodia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Netherlands, Qatar, Rwanda, Slovenia, Slovakia, Senegal, Thailand, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Vatican, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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