43 Stone Town

Kicked out of our rooms at 10 am, we then had to wait around in eager anticipation until our transport to Stone Town at 1 pm. Then a drive along a crowded little road for just over an hour to the main city. At one point we came across a crowd of onlookers gazing at a truck that had crashed into something large in the middle of the road. The front was a crumpled mess.
In Stone Town, we stayed at Garden Lodge where I found myself in the amazing position of having a room with an ensuite and three beds all to myself. Oh the luxury! My best accomodation in two months.
But I couldn’t sit inside and enjoy it while Stone Town lay outside waiting to be explored. This was the oldest part of Zanzibar, having been settled by Arab traders centuries ago. It’s called Stone Town not because it was constructed of stone, but actually coral, in comparison with the mud and thatched local houses. It’s a fascinating place with narrow alleyways intersecting at odd angles, so that, even with Google maps, it’s way too easy to lose your bearings and find yourself where you didn’t think you were. I made my way to the market and saw stalls of exotic spices for which this island is famous. Across the main road, to the slightly more modern part is the town, I found myself in the main souk. I use the Arab term because that’s exactly how it felt. I could have been in a market in Egypt or Morocco with the sights, sounds and smells of the Middle East. Arab clothing and mosque calls to prayer, an abundance of imported Chinese goods for sale. Friendly smiles and waves. I sat down with one old man and had coffee. He told me he was born in 1939. Could scarcely believe it. I passed three boys, one of whom enquired politely “Are you lost?”, offering to help me if I needed guidance.
I saw plenty of interesting things to eat and tried some little meat skewers. They were 30 cents each and tasted delicious with a strong flavour of cumin.
I also managed to buy my Zanzibar hat, the round Muslim hat that the majority of the men display proudly on their heads. One guy at the start of the souk told me there were different styles, from Zanzibar to Dubai, and that they were priced 25,000 to 50,000 Shillings. At the other end, away from the tourist area, I bought one for 10,000 shillings instead.
I ended up at Annex Luckmaan, a local restaurant, for dinner with Sandy, where $10 bought me a nice chicken curry and mango juice.
The following morning I raced around Stonetown as fast as I could as we were leaving at midday and were to meet at the old dispensary, now a majestic hospital, opposite the ferry at 11 am. I was up at 7 ready for a delicious breakfast, before heading out into the sleepy streets to enjoy as much of this amazing little town as I could.
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Видео 43 Stone Town канала Paul Artus