Zanzibar!

Hi guys! I’m in Zanzibar, the wonderful archipelago in Tanzania, though the name is also used for its main island, Unguja, where I am now. This island is about seventy kilometers long and roughly thirty wide, and it’s home to Stone Town, a small town made up of very narrow, winding streets like a maze. It’s impossible not to get lost, and during the four days I spent there, every time I tried to get back to my hotel it turned into an adventure.

Zanzibar was once a kind of trading outpost for commerce in East Africa and has been under various rules: Portuguese, Arab, and British. After independence, it came under the control of an Arab sultan, but shortly after, a violent revolution brought the African majority party to power. Eventually, it merged with Tanganyika, forming Tanzania (whose name is, in fact, a blend of TANganika and ZANzibar).
There’s a strong sense of history here, and part of it is a dark one, because the main trade was the slave trade, in which almost the entire world shamefully took part, especially Arabs, Europeans, and Americans. People were brought here from the mainland and sold in a square where a large Anglican church now stands, and the altar has taken the place of the platform where they were once displayed. One of the main and most influential activists in the fight to end the slave trade was David Livingstone, whom I mentioned in a previous post.

The island is surrounded by white sandy beaches and turquoise sea. The best way to reach them is by scooter (I’ve rented a Vespa), especially because the roads are really pleasant, with lots of greenery around: palm trees, banana trees, and so on. Yesterday, I rode my Vespa all the way to the northern tip, where there’s a rather unattractive village but an absolutely stunning sea. So today I moved here, and I’m now waiting for my beachfront bungalow to become available.
I think I’ll stay here and do nothing for a few days, especially since after Zanzibar I’ll probably head to Uganda, and I won’t see the sea again until the end of the trip.
The blog title doesn’t really fit anymore, since I’m no longer in Southern Africa but in East Africa, but who cares... Lots of kisses, talk to you next time! And remember: Dekaro always loves you. (Final bullshit, it happens to everyone).


Some photos, starting from Malawi:


View from my little bamboo hut in Nkhata Bay on Lake Malawi, where I lazily spent about a week.







Eagles flying over Lake Malawi.



Another bus accident in Malawi. We stopped because it was the same company we were travelling with. To be fair, driving in Africa isn’t bad at all, certainly nothing compared to what you see in parts of Asia like India or Vietnam, and yet, for some reason, there are so many accidents on the roads. Just before this, we came across an overturned truck, and shortly after, two more cars.



Zanzibar market. From now on, all photos are from Zanzibar.