Zanzibar 9 September 2007

Looked around Stone Town, saw the site of the old slave market and the house of Tippu Tip, one of the last and most successful slave traders. Saw one of the three houses reputed to be where Freddie Mercury grew up - the strength of its claim is no doubt enhanced by its location on the junction of the two main shoppng streets for tourists.

Visited a spice farm where we tried cloves, pepper, lemon grass, nutmeg (and mace which comes from within the same nut), ginger roots, tumeric and other spices - all fresh from the tree/ground/vine.

We saw how they climb the palm trees to collect the coconuts and drank coconut milk and ate the flesh from the shell. Had superb lunch with exquisitely spiced rice.





In the evening we shared a taxi with a local family and went in to Stone Town by way of the backstreets on the edge of the airport. After looking around, we had cocktails on the terrace of the Africa House Hotel and watched the sunset. A dhow came along with perfect timing to be caught in the final rays of the setting sun. We were a bit out off the foodstalls in the Forodhani Gardens and in the end opted to eat at the Africa House. The lack of street lights left the streets disconcertingly dark, so we took a taxi back to the hotel.