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May 04, 2012. Much has been said about this old Swahili and later colonial trade post. It’s also called the Spice Island. And while going to the market all kinds of spices – cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, pepper,… – much of the original culture seems to have been turned into tourist attractions: The buildings in Stone Town mostly show signs of their age and the constant sea breeze. Where they don’t they have been turned into hotels. The spices are mostly sold in small, neat colorful packages.
I visited the island during low season, used the matatus to visit Paje on the Eastern side, found some truly local eating places, and bargained hard to bring the guest house prices anywhere close to what they are in other parts of Tanzania. That made it for me a truly Zanzibari experience.
Tonight it’s back to the Flying Horse and to Dar es Salaam to move via the Amboni Caves in Tanga to Moshi and Mount Kilimanjaro.