Stone Town to the Northern Beaches 6.8.09

Before leaving Stone Town we were taken on a tour of the former slave market, now a cathedral. The Arabs from Oman were prolific slave traders (more so than the Europeans) and used to capture slaves from East Africa before transporting them to Zanzibar where they sold and transported across the Middle East. We were shown where the slaves were held before being taken to the market place, a low ceilinged cellar under what is now a hotel, containing two tiny rooms and practically no natural light – a frightening place that made us feel very claustrophobic.

Due to major overcrowding and disease, many of the slaves died before they could be taken to market. Those that survived the holding cells and made it to market were tied and beaten in order to determine price, the price went down if they screamed in pain, up if they didn’t. The ‘whipping post’ stood at the site of the current alter and is marked in marble. Slaves were traded through Zanzibar for more than four hundred years, only ending in 1873, the same year that Dr David Livingstone died after devoting much of his life to the abolition of the trade.

As we headed up to the northern beaches, we stopped en route for a ‘spice tour’ where we were shown how cloves, nutmeg, ginger, lemon grass, and pepper (and lots of others) are cultivated.
The guide was hilarious, a cross between Ali G and Del Boy, as well as showing us the spices he also showed how to make necklaces from one of the plants ‘for me Julies’! We tried spiced teas (ginger, lemon grass and masala) and exotic fruits including jack fruit and custard apples. The custard apples were our favourite fruit – bloody delicious. At the end of the tour we were given ties for the boys and necklaces for the girls, all made out of leaves.

We stopped for lunch in a traditional house, prepared by the locals – freshly made pilau rice and octopus stew – delicious.

Arrived at the Amaan bungalows and discovered we had been given a pants room so upgraded to a room with balcony overlooking the ocean, much nicer! Tourquise seas, a beautiful sunset and schools of flying fish aplenty!

Drank too much beer and went for a seafood barbeque on the beach. Just before dinner as the group sat having a drink in the beachfront bar panic swept through as someone came running shouting “Run, Run, RUN NOW – FIRE!!!!” we all panicked and legged it to the beach – turns out an internet cafe behind the restaurant had caught fire and if it had taken hold the thatched roof of the restaurant would have burnt in seconds – and with all of the cooking gas canisters present there could have been a major disaster. They managed to put the fire out though so nobody was hurt and dinner wasn’t delayed too much. Phew! We love a good drama!
Tomorrow we have a full day to ourselves, looking forward to a lie in!