Last week I was so lucky to have a visit from a dear friend and travel companion - in a whirlwind week she went from NYC to Dar to Zanzibar and back (!) - and we added another continent to our shared travelogue, now totaling four on which we've adventured together! It is no small feat to spend 24+ hours in transit, deny any feelings of jetlag, indulge my petty requests for things I clearly forgot to pack a month ago, and then laugh through Africa's travel challenges, erratic meals, and zero hot water while on vacation. Clearly, she's awesome.
We spent a few days in Stone Town getting very lost in the maze of narrow streets, haggling and sampling street food at Forodhani's famed night market, and exploring Unguja's history--both the sensory side of its spice farms (still a leading industry locally) and its somber past as a central transit point of the slave trade.
From Stone Town, we headed north to Kendwa and Nungwi: stretches of deserted white sand and shell beaches, fishermen and dhow-makers, and, believe it or not, even more brilliant Indian Ocean blues than the pictures portray.
With a quick stop through Dar es Salaam on the way back, we tried to get exposure to yet another African country at Addis in Dar (great Ethiopian restaurant). Many photos courtesy of Steph, including one of the photographer herself in action!
Photos: Typical Zanzibari wooden door, old Catholic church, "Lipstick fruit" on spice farm, rooftop sunset at Africa House, Kendwa/Nungwi beach scenes
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