Africa - Zanzibar and the Spice Islands

I flew to Zanzibar on a twenty minute flight from Dar es Salaam.  It was so much nicer than the other option - a two and a half hour ferry boat ride over choppy seas.

Our plane held 15 passengers.  The pilot going over was a young German guy. The pilot coming back was a beautiful South African lady.

The Zanzibar International Airport

Zanzibar was one of the Spice Islands.

The markets, indoor and out, probably have not changed much over the centuries.

The fort once guarded the port of Zanzibar .

The fort now provides a venue for weekend long music festivals. .

Speaking of music and present history, Zanzibar seems equally proud it is the birthplace of Freddie Mercury - the lead singer of the rock group Queen.  Freddie was born to an Indian father and Persian mother. The family later immigrated to London.

Africa - The Slave Markets of Zanzibar and Ouidah

Zanzibar was the main port for sending slaves from East Africa to the Middle East and North America.  There is no way to know how many Africans were sold into slavery. Some figures say 11,000,000 and others say 28,000,000.  Zanzibar was ruled by the Sultan of Oman who saw East Africa as a ready source for slaves.  The Arabs continued their tradition of using slaves for wealth.  Earlier they had raided the coasts of France, Italy and Spain to enslave the people in the fishing villages along the coasts.

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The slave chambers I saw were two small basement rooms. One could hold 75 women and children and the other up to 50 men. Neither room looked like it could hold more than 25 people comfortably.

This is a memorial to the millions who were pressed into slavery.

This is an Anglican church built over the site of the original slave market site. Inside are tributes to David Livingston and Richard Burton, great African explorers who were outspoken in their opposition to the slave trade and tried hard to halt Britain's involvement in the slave trade. 

West Africa also had a huge slave trade. It was centered in the present day country of Benin, at the port of Ouidah.  While not controlling the slave trade itself, the king of Ouidah readily supplied slaves to the slavers and reaped enormous wealth doing so.  Benin was / is the center of Voodoo in Africa with 60 % of the population believers in Voodoo. The slaves from Benin brought their beliefs in Voodoo to Brazil, Haiti and other countries in the area.

The museum is next to the King's palace - the Chacha.  The slaves were gathered in the courtyard and sent on a five mile march to the port.

The totally straight road was called the Path of No Return.  It led, appropriately, to a port - The Port of No Return.

The Port of No Return  -  How hopeless life must have been,  The UN has designated this area as a World Heritage site :  Laporte du Non-Retour.

Due to the horrible conditioners, the slaves endured, many died on the way and never made it to the port.  They have come back as ghosts and can recognized by their three headed appearance.

Africa - Using Your Head

I was fascinated by the way men and women, but mostly women, used their heads to carry things.  I was especially impressed when the women would balance their loads without using their hands, just perfect posture. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take those photos.

It was hard to take pictures in Africa: the people do not like to have their photos taken.  This woman allowed me to take a photo but many did not.

The path in Lilongwe, Malawi.

The fish market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Ice Cream, anyone  ?

A Lilongwe bus stop.