More Zanzibar pictures

The second part of our trip was in Zanzibar, officially part of Tanzania, but semi-autonomous so we went through customs after debarking from the ferry from Dar es Salaam.

Ferry leaving Dar

The first few days we spent at Jambiani, a village on the southwest side of Zanzibar.  Beautiful white sand beaches and blue water.

Evan at breakfast looking over the African mammals book

We went snorkeling on the reef, which involved taking a traditional dhow across the mile-wide lagoon.

Lots of spectacular fish on the reef while snorkeling, plus just walking along the reef we saw animals like these clams

The reef was beautiful and interesting, but a minefield of sea urchins.  More than one spine was pulled from our feet after the walk.

A unique sea star with no obvious legs

Investigating a rusty old anchor

Lots of brittle stars

Jambiani was a sleepy interesting swahili town.  It was Ramadan, so folks got up before sunrise to eat, then went back to bed.  So the mornings were pretty quiet!

Zanzibar red colobus monkey, only a few hundred exist and live in the forests there.  They seemed oblivious of tourists nearby, letting folks walk up close.

Sykes monkey, one we always enjoy seeing (we have them in Kenya)

Walking in the mahogany forest of Jozani National Park on Zanzibar.

The national park also had a boardwalk through the mangroves

Various mangrove forest animals like this mud crab

We stopped at a sea turtle rehabilitation center after the national park

Giant land tortoise, originally from the Seychelles but brought to Zanzibar many decades ago

At the butterfly farm, one that we often saw in the forest

We see swallowtail-like butterflies like this often in Kenya

A bit of rain made the beach more dramatic

Laughing at Alex after (before we could stop him) he chugged a cup of strong Italian coffee

Jambiani White Sands Bungalows, where we stayed

The porch where we relaxed a lot, like playing poker with the many cowry shells we collected

On the spice plantation, one we'd not heard of that was used for dye.

Checking out one of many spices (I forget which one!)

Cloves, the speciality of Zanzibar

Nutmeg

Tour included the cheesy photo of us wearing coconut palm hats and ties

Freddy Mercury's childhood home in old Stonetown

Hotel back in the alley's of Stonetown, the room itself was a "2 out of 5 stars" on Alex's rating, but the hallway was fascinating!

Stonetown is known for its old wooden doors, this one on a mosque

The Zanzibar flag, with the Tanzanian flag in its upper left corner

Fort built by the sultan Arabs from Oman, after they kicked out the Portuguese back in the 1700's.  Zanzibar and Oman were ruled as one for a while.

Double expresso and a smile

Wandering the back narrow streets of Stonetown

Memorial for the old slave market, now the site of the Anglican church

Plaque in the Anglican church honoring Livingstone and others that worked towards abolition

A few hours to kill in Dar before flying back to Nairobi, so we went to the village museum, a cool collection of traditional homes from various places around Tanzania.  Alex and Evan were getting design ideas to make a hut once returning to Harrisonburg!