Adventures in Africa: January 2014

I would like to be able to say I was working but in fact I wasn't working. Not unless you could call it cultural research! We had several days between meetings in Dar so this was an ideal opportunity to visit Unguja and the archipelago of Zanzibar for the first time.

(Photo credits go to Wim Griep and Bart van der Weegen, thanks guys.)

The ferry crossing took about an hour and a half, and cost 23,000 tsh each way (residents' price).

One of the dala dalas (local bus) - yes it's really that tiny inside, that even I was hugging my knees!

Zanzibar was a major centre for trading slaves until 1876. This is where the slaves were held before being sold,
packed in tightly and chained together like this:

Beautiful architecture.

The infamous studs, designed apparently to stop elephants charging at the doors in times of conflict (with people riding the elephants I imagine, not conflict with the elephants themselves although I don't imagine they were too happy about it)..

Through a one-way (sometimes) tunnel with the fort on the right and Forodhani gardens on the left.

Lunch at the fabulous Silk Route Indian restaurant.

Beach acrobatics....

Changuu ('Prison') Island, 5.6km from Stone Town in Unguja.

Lunch on the beach of fresh fruit bought at the new Farmers' market that morning:

More soaking in the views...

And a bit of shopping...

Volunteer accommodation.

The local shop next to the accommodation - great customer service!

At the Farmers' market - now every Thursday morning.

For the next two days we hired a car to drive around the island, which cost 25,000 tsh per day (about £10) plus 15,000 tsh each for a permit to drive (which lasts a week). There was no vehicle check first; no agreement about returning it with the tank full/tank empty - just get in and drive!