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..
A series of quit recently made pictures from zurich
On the foot of Mount Yufu, surrounded by hills and forests lies the pleasant town of Yufu. On its edge is an impressive bamboo forest, too nice not too walk trough. Passing hidden houses between trees, lonely, holy figures and small creeks. Coming closer to town, crossing rice fields in front of double-peaked Mount Yufu and greeting locals. There’s also museums and exhibitions. For example the paintings of an old man who lived in an elderly home. Out of boring he start to paint in the age of 83 years. His painting of the landscapes of Yufuin are worth to see.
Am Fusse des Berges Yufu, inmitten einer hügeligen, bewaldeten Landschaft, liegt Yufu. Ob eine kleine Wanderung durch den nahen, dichten Bambuswald, über Reisfelder oder ein Spaziergang durch die Gassen; Yufu hat viele Ecken zu entdecken. Kulturellen Hunger kann man in Museen oder Ausstellungen stillen. Eindrücklich sind die Bilder eines Senioren, der aus Langweile mit 83 Jahren anfing die Umgebung von Yufu zu malen. Ihm zu Ehre werden nun alljährlich Malwettbewerbe für Senioren/innen ab 83 Jahren veranstaltet.
Einige Bilder. Aufgeschnappt auf dem Weg durch Strassen und Gassen.
Random pictures taken on the streets of Istanbul.
rene bauer photography 