A week in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar

The background to Tanzania is interesting.  Its known history begins with trading contacts with Arabia two thousand years ago.  In the 15th Century the Portuguese arrived and claimed control over the coastal regions of Tanganyika (now Tanzania) but never settled there. Little attempt was made to penetrate the interior until the middle of the 18th Century when Arab traders began to explore the area as part of their constant search for slaves.

European exploration began in the mid 19th Century and in 1866 David Livingstone established a mission there as a part of his crusade against the slave trade.  At the end of the 19th Century, German colonization began.  During the German occupation there was a boom period in the development of roads, railways and cash crops but in 1905 the two year Maji Maji Rebellion began against German occupation, leading to the death of some 120,000 Africans.  Brutal colonial rule provoked this rebellion and a scorched earth policy was used to crush it. Many Tanzanians regard this as the first moment of a nationalistic movement.

The Germans lost control of their territory to the British after World War I under the League of Nations agreement (the British had previously seized Zanzibar from the control of Arab traders).  In 1954 Julius Nyerere, a former schoolteacher, founded the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) and the move towards independence and self-government began. In 1961 this became a reality and Nyerere became Tanganyika’s first president. Shortly afterwards the British deferred their control of Zanzibar back to local Arab leaders but this led to a revolt and Zanzibar (and the island of Pemba) joined Tanganyika and became Tanzania.

Julius Nyerere was the key guiding figure in the history of Tanzania right up into the 1990’s and his influence is still strongly felt here today. He was much loved by the people but his socialist and self-reliance policies did not work and left the country in economic ruin, leaving Tanzania as one of the world’s poorest countries. It is now slowly emerging from this situation.

The Gumbleton girls left us on Friday 29^th and embarked a long journey home via Nairobi where they had to wait for 7 hours! Jo and Jessica arrived the same day (and are writing this blog today to give a girly input!)

We are still in the same campsite but we have just come back from Zanzibar where we spent an amazing 24 hours. It is the most beautiful island with paradise beaches; white sand and turquoise sea.

We spent the time in Stone Town which is a ‘city’ with a lot of Arab influence. Unfortunately it is falling down and badly maintained and the locals rely totally on the incoming tourists to spend their dollars, of which there are many.

The local markets are everything they are promised to be and we had great fun diving into the dingy souks, haggling and coming away with local spoils for pence – Christmas is sorted! It is a spice paradise but interestingly spices are not indigenous to Zanzibar. Saffron abounds but it is still expensive (relatively!) We found a lovely bar and restaurant called The Africa House where we had cocktails out of coconut shells whilst watching the sun set over the sea. The most beautiful image in Zanzibar is of the dhow crossing the sun rays on the sea as it sets.

We stayed in a traditional hotel with carved doors (Jo was obsessed with these doors and took MANY photos!)

We each had a four poster bed (even Jo and Jeremy in a double room had one each!)

We caught the ferry back on Sunday and Jessica was surprised by how quick it was – only 2 hours long. When she went to Zanzibar 5 years ago, on her gap year, she took a local boat which took all night and everyone slept on the floor in rows!

Back in the campsite in Tanzania, things work spasmodically….both the water and electricity are often off and the water is certainly not hot! And the staff have to be encouraged to turn it on and clean the showers. Meanwhile the gardens are immaculate and beautifully tended and one man is fully employed to sweep the sand…It is very beautiful though with our tents on the edge of the water and we are surrounded by thatched huts. It is the perfect picture postcard.

There is a good restaurant and we have been spoilt on this first phase of our trip by eating out every night! Long may it continue, but we fear it will not be long! Wild camping starts again tomorrow when we leave for Emau Hill Camp in the forests of Northern Tanzania.