When night falls over Stone Town, the few lights on the narrow streets fight against the dark, giving a new face to the old town. Youngsters racing with their scooters trough empty alleys, street food sold for late visitors and shadows escapes around the next corner. And you never knows from where the strange sounds comes, echoing in the alleys.
The biggest surprise was the openness of the village people. Despite all the tourism on the beach, the village just back of it, seems hardly to see any foreigners. Old people greeting friendly, while kids waving and shouting enthusiastically to me. Some small kids were even so afraid of a strange looking white man they started to cry. But mostly i got a open smile in my camera and laughters after they’ve seen their faces in the screen. If someone would ask me about the most beautiful spots on Zanzibar, i’d response in the smiling faces of the village people.
After i found the beach of Jambiani quite average, i walked trough the village. Ducks crossing my way, cows roaming around, doves hiding in their shelters. The people sitting in front of the houses, waving me very friendly and having a chat. Wood lies behind the houses for their kitchen. Several boreholes on the streets provide the people with fresh water. A very picturesque and peaceful image of a village.
Walking trough Stone Town in Zanzibar and get lost again, always a great experience again and again. Finding new spots, finding back to places by chance, meeting people and having a chat.
Zanzibar! The island who draws many picturesque fantasies in our mind. For long time i refused to visit that pricey island, but gave in my curiosity. Stone Town, the first steps on the island, got me immediately. The mixture of culture and architecture, narrow alleys and open ocean, sea breeze and spicy scents, sunburned tourists and smiley locals.
Take a look on my first impressions…
By BRT, the brandnew city bus system, we get to Kariakoo. Ferdinand, my guide, leads me trough many street market to a remarkable building, with funnel type roof. It was built by the Germans as an exhibition and market place, he explains me. The roof was constructed to collect rainwaters and drain it to tanks. While traveling trough Africa, i was wondering so many times, why no one got the idea to collect rainwater, but going long ways to muddy wells or to rivers. And although the Germans brought this idea decades ago, there’s still hard to find areas, where rainwater get collected. Inside and around this building are market as found all around Africa. But there’s a big concrete way leading under the halls. It remains me at entrance for military bunker. Once inside the black hole, the eyes needs time to adapt on the dark. Some torches were lit to show customers the vegetables, fish and other goods sold by women sitting in the darkness. Keep your stuff tight on you, reminds me Ferdinand, while i try to follow his voice. From a few windows light breaks in and lays over the piles of tomatoes. In the darkest corners candles shows the way to the potatoes and fishes. It feels weird and thrilling to wander trough those halls, hearing strange sounds and whispering people. From far comes bright light trough a big gate, the exit. I step into sunlight, heat falls on my head and i’m back into hustling Daressalam.
The fish market is next to the ferry station. Fishermen are busy unload their catch from big boats to the halls. In different sections buyers get smaller or bigger fishes, fish cleaning tables and fish frying facilities. The stench isn’t that smelly as expected and despite the crowd gathering around tables or auctions, the noise isn’t that bad either. The variety of fishes and seafood is big instead. Beside the piles of common snappers and other fishes, craps, squids, eels and different rays are also in the catch. I only feel disturbed to find frozen fish from China in that market too.
A city tour? I was walking around town on my last visit. To join two other tourists, who decided to take a guide for a city tour, gave me the opportunity to learn more about the city and seeing more places. Some first impressions here..
African girls like to change their hairstyle frequently. With Ruby i had the pleasure to meet her over the last weeks in very different styles and having a couple shootings. Each time she looked like another person. She also grow more self confident with every shooting, a pleasure to have her in front of my Nikon.
One of the manager told us the entire history of that project. While my friend wrote it down, i got briefly the purpose of it. To get the girls from the street, out of drugs and their struggle in life, teach them a profession and help them to find a job. Tailoring is a good way. Just recently another seven girls from the project found a job in a big tailor factory, he told us. The office is occupied by 6 persons, busy at their desks. Colorful fabrics and and finished bags are lying around.
We are led around the building which stands just at edge of a slum. In there upper levels are the rooms for education, a library and the sewing machines. Next to famous brands like Singer stands machines from China. No matter, as long they do their work. Three women were busy and explained how they produce washable sanitary pads. Good idea to produce something reusable, but despite they’re convinced it’s easy to clean them properly, i still doubt it since they use to wash with cold water.
On roof top young women with their children just finished lunch.The kids were playful, posed for photos and some older ones wanted try themselves to take pictures. A couple boys gathered in a corner to play cards. When get down again, a dance class just started in one of the rooms. With the rhythm in our ears we leave the place.
rene bauer photography 