Tanzania was my final country in Africa. After being landlocked in Zimbabwe and Malawi, I really wanted to get to the ocean ASAP. Travel from Nhkata Bay (Malawi) to Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) took three full days in buses. I traveled with a Canadian woman, Melissa, and her Malawian friend, Benji, who had never left his country. They were headed to Zanzibar, which was going to be his first time ever seeing the ocean. It was nice traveling with these two because we could keep an eye on each other and our belongings. When we crossed from Malawi into Tanzania the border agents put extra pressure on Benji and asked for backup I.D. Passing though borders is much more difficult for Africans because there is so much illegal traffic. People from super-poor countries like Zimbabwe and Congo are desperate to sneak into moderately poor countries like Tanzania. I saw a group of people who looked Somalian sitting outside the building with their bags. They looked as if they'd been waiting for hours. When one of the men came up to the desk and meekly asked about the status of his group, the border agent shouted "YOU MUST NOT PRESSURE US! YOU WILL WAIT AS LONG AS NECESSARY." Apparently this is not a good time to look Somalian in Africa. Tanzania is much hotter than Malawi. We carried our packs about a mile in about 95 degree heat, pushing past crowds of young men who wanted to exchange our Malawian money (Kwacha) for the Tanzanian money (Schilling). Finally we reached the bus that took us to Tanazia's western city Mbeya. It has a bank and a bus station. That's about all. After all of that excitement, we paid for a luxury bus leaving in the early morning to Dar es Salaam. The "luxury" entitled us to an entire seat to ourselves (rare in Africa), one Coke, and for entertainment they played Chuck Norris tapes on an old video screen. It felt good to be pampered.
There are many interesting old buildings in Dar es Salaam, combined with the obvious development from international businesses like banks, airlines, and telecoms.
There is a large Muslim population in Dar. The mosques shout out prayers over loudspeakers at dawn and dusk. It's very nice to see a religious moral framework in place and I think it improves the quality of life for these people. I didn't see any bars or drunks which is a serious problem elsewhere in Africa. It seems perfectly safe for women to walk alone without fear of attack. In addition, religious piety may be the only sexual lifestyle choice that will protect Africans from the HIV/AIDS epidemic. When 30-40% of the sexually active people have HIV, monogamy looks like a pretty good option. In short, Islam seems like a good influence for Africa and I'd expect it to spread in the future.
I took a ferry ride out to Zanzibar island, and this is the view of Stone Town which is hundreds of years old. Zanzibar was once the capital of a powerful Arab empire from Oman, where they got rich trading in slaves and ivory. I read that the famous English explorer, Sir Livingstone, called in "Stink Island" or something. The cause of the smell was piles of decomposing bodies of Africans who refused to submit to slavery. In the 19th century the British destroyed the Omani Empire in the shortest war in history, 45 minutes. They leveled the Sultan's palace which was just to the left in this picture. Under new English management, slave trading was abolished and Zanzibar joined what is now Tanzania.
Walking around Stone Town is confusing as hell. The alleys twist and turn and before long you've got no idea where you are. There are very interesting old structures and people to watch.
This is the spice market. Many cultures have influenced Zanzibar over the years and added their bit to the local cuisine, so they've got very tasty foods as a result.
These kids were using old water bottles to help them float.
Zanzibar's economy is now focused on tourism. It's got white beaches and crystal clear blue water. It's a popular honeymoon paradise for Europeans.
This is the classic "dhow" sailboat used by fishermen.
I went with a crew on a snorkeling trip out to some coral reefs. The water was the most attractive blue I've ever seen.
I'm silly
Sunsets
So that's the conclusion to Zanzibar, and from here I got on an airplane back to the USA. I'm very glad I went to Zanzibar as my final stop. It gave me a chance to relax and reflect on all of the things I'd seen in Africa. If anyone is considering a similar journey through Africa, I've got to be honest with you. This is no vacation. Africa is often sad, confusing, frustrating, and boring. However, at the end of the day, the rough patches were the most important part of my travels, because they're foremost in my memory, and will make for the best chit-chat at dinner parties back in San Diego. And that's why I've done all of this...to be the most interesting person at your dinner party. I also do Bar-Mitzfahs.
-Thanks for Reading-
-Chuck
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