Hakuna Matata. Part 13. Black and white. stone town
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12 days. March 11
If we weren’t tied to a reservation, it would be better for us to stay at Mangrove Lodge for another day and recover, relax, gain strength before the flight, but the plans were originally different, and the reservation is now not cancel, so in Stone Town we are waiting for a wonderful Dhow Palace Hotel for 1 night before flying home.
You will like it)
We have a lot to do in the city, so we get together and have breakfast quickly. Well… how fast can you eat in Zanzibar)
Stone Town
Stone Town is not a city. This is the old district of the capital of the island, Unguja, which we all call Zanzibar. The city is called Zanzibar.
It's not very big and, in places, quite pleasant.
Stone Town is a historic area of Zanzibar, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List under categories (II), (III), (VI).
(II) The object testifies to the significant mutual influence of human values in a given time period or in a particular cultural space, in architecture or technology, in monumental art, in city planning or landscape design.
(III) An object is unique, or at least exceptional, to a cultural tradition or civilization that still exists or has disappeared.
(VI) The object is directly or materially connected with events or existing traditions, with ideas, beliefs, artistic or literary works and is of exceptional world importance.
Therefore, Stone Town, even if it does not look quite presentable, remains in the form in which it was many years ago.
Last time we got to the "black" part of the area and formed a slightly gloomy opinion about it. all the walls of the houses were blackened, looked as if they were a thousand years old. This time we are coming from the "white side".
Well. . . conditionally white)
This is my personal observation - the area is invisibly divided - closer to the sea the houses are smart, whitewashed, with balconies, and deeper into the area the houses become blacker and blacker.
And I thought - is there expensive paint for the walls or are they used to living like this? Or they don’t care about paint at all, they would feed themselves.
But, what is characteristic, the Zanzibar people are smiling, not embittered. Yes, they are clingy, yes, they strive to fool you in some places. But they are somehow... happy, or something. Many times we were warmly greeted, workers and just passers-by spoke to us, who didn’t really want anything from us. They didn't want to sell us anything or steal anything from us. They were just kind.
It is impossible to get to the hotel, the road is blocked, we are sent to a nearby street, where we park our car and go, without luggage, to check in.
The hotel strikes with its color right away! Everywhere there is antique furniture, carvings, paintings, a fountain gushing. In general, suckers.
The entire hotel is a complex of buildings connected by small courtyards and walkways. You can enter from two sides. In one of the courtyards there is a beautiful swimming pool and even some sun loungers are available. Beach shower in the toilet.
We chose this hotel precisely because of the shower, since our flight was supposed to be late, we planned to go to Prison Island on the last day. Then it would be necessary to somehow put yourself in order, because it would be difficult to fly home salty.
We didn’t get the evening flight, but I didn’t choose another hotel. This one is very colorful.
We re-park the car closer to the hotel and plan aloud, after checking in, to go looking for boats to Prizon. And then Yurka emerged from the nearest gate.
Yurka - this is how he introduced himself - as Gagarin, he was a local kid, very clever and businesslike. He spoke Russian almost without an accent. He immediately offered a price for a boat that is hard to refuse ($20 for the whole boat round-trip) and we agreed with him that in an hour, as soon as we settled in normally and exhaled, we would meet at the hotel and sail to the island.
The floors are full of antiques, we go up to the third, go along the corridor and along another, very steep staircase, to the fourth.
Our room is right under the roof) It's hard to climb, but it's not without its charm - there are many windows, even two in the bathroom, and from all the windows you can see the sea. And rooftops.
The suite consists of two rooms,
a huge bathroom (which in turn consists of three rooms) and a large balcony with a beautiful view of the rooftops and the sea.
It's a pity that the pool is not visible, the visor interferes. But what balconies!
Hammam style shower:
Sultan style furniture)
The air conditioners are old, rumble like an adult and even cool the room. There are two of them - one in each room. The bed is luxurious but small. The canopy makes it even smaller. Well, all over Zanzibar there were huge beds, but here it is... But, what a carving! )
In the other room there are two more beds, if anyone is cramped) The room is designed for four. These extra beds, of course, spoil the charm, but it's all inexpensive - $ 79 for all the pleasure.
And there's a fridge! We didn't even have a refrigerator at Mangrove Lodge.
Why is there a refrigerator, the hotel even has an elevator! We did not expect to see an elevator in Zanzibar. But just today it does not work)
In an hour we go with Yurka to the port. He leads us through some lanes. One or two and we are already on the boat) Yurka demands payment on the way, but I strictly tell him:
This is not how things are done! First we sail back and forth, and then payment. And then you will leave us there.
He grumbles a little, but agrees.
The boat struggles over a short distance to the island. What blue water in Stone Town! And transparent as glass. Spray fly, we have fun.
The husband is already completely recovered. I think yesterday's relaxation on the beach helped him. After all, before that, sad thoughts overwhelmed him, but now he rejoices like a child. It's good to be healthy! The taste for life and the scent returned to him) I again think that this is not "it".
Arriving at the island, we have 1 hour.
– Like one, why one? Can two?
You can do two, but the amount doubles.
- Okay, one.
I think that if we really like it, we can extend it)
Of course, unearthly beauty is here! The turquoise of the sea and the white sand are somehow piercing.
Even having seen enough of all the local colors before, you are still imbued with this beauty.
But it's hot. Let's go to the turtles first.
Entrance to the turtles is paid, but cheap. The cash register is a real attraction. There are many old clocks on the walls.
At the entrance, you can also throw it into the piggy bank for food. Give out cabbage to feed. It's interesting to feed)
There is a sign in Russian (! ) language: "Please do not sit on turtles! ".
The spectacle is not very there, I'll tell you. We, after sea turtles, wanted to see land turtles very much. And they turned out to be sleepy, lethargic, half-dead (it's hot for them), around the swamp, turtle poop and a bunch of cabbage,
which the turtles are not even interested in.
All visitors speak Russian and sit on turtles. Well, not everyone sits down) We didn’t sit down.
In addition to the turtles, there are several more peacocks, also not the most elegant species.
Well, that's. . . You could have done without these turtles. We didn't get into it at all.
It's hot. Yes, our time H is another forty minutes. I persuade my husband to go swimming, because the water is beautiful, why take a steam bath in the heat. But he says a firm "No". He is already tired of everything, he is disappointed with turtles.
Well, okay, but I enjoy swimming, although the waves here bother me.
I don't really like waves. In fact, I am very afraid of them. I need a safety net when the waves. In general, I do not swim, but just jump on the waves and do not go far.
One hour there is enough and even a bit too much, if not snorkeling. I took masks, but I was afraid to dive without my husband in such a wave.
The boat is barely moving back, the wave is getting stronger, we even get a little scared.
Near the shore, the boat is spinning this way and that, but it's impossible to moor, the wave comes from the side. Turning sideways, somehow moor. The wave shakes the boat so that I can hardly get ashore. Thank you captain.
What about the money?
Damn, almost forgot! )) What would Yurka think of us? He did not really believe that we would give back.
We go back on our own, we wander a little in the alleys, but we find the way to our hotel. We want to take a shower, relax,
and go out again in the evening. This is our last evening in Zanzibar.
In the evening we went to the famous food market in Forodhani Park. On the way we come across the house of Freddie Mercury (Mercury House). For some time, the family of Fredi (real name Farrukh Bulsara) lived in this house. Here Freddie was born and lived for the first 8 years of his life.
There's even a museum there, but we don't go in.
Near the park:
Sellers are just starting to unpack, there are no visitors yet.
I don't know if this market has always been like this or if this fashion came from Asia, but the market was similar to the Asian one. Only there were no tables. In one place there were tables, but they belonged to a cafe on the shore.
And we needed exotic street food.
While we go further along the embankment.
Wow, what a tree!
This is where the locals hide from tourists)
Local food here:
We didn't risk it. We return to the park.
Internet photo
Choose octopus and lobster on skewers. Octopus is tough, and lobster is like chicken. Prices are not that expensive, but not cheap)
We are sitting on the parapet, cats come running to us, insistently demanding their share. We feed cats wherever we see them. We can't refuse these cute faces)
Cats fight for pieces, driving away the worst, and I chase the worst to feed him. And suddenly, I see a girl eating soup. I am a soup soul. Asian soups, for example, have enchanted me forever. And this soup was very similar to the combined Vietnamese soup. Of course I find where it is sold. 2.000 shillings for a whole plate! ) Oh, so you can live in Zanzibar quite cheaply)
First, they put various strange things on the plate, I ask you not to put one, it looks like a mouse to me, then they pour the broth and add tamarind.
Here tamarind should not be put! The soup turned out sour, and I don't like sour. And, nevertheless, I ate this soup, which my husband was terribly surprised, because I don’t eat sour at all)
The guys are dancing some kind of hip-hop on the embankment)
Here, the boys jump into the water, doing somersaults in the air. coloring!
Sunset lights up. It's orange with green stripes! Maybe it's a giant disco somewhere on the mainland? )
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