Tanzania

01 January 2015

Dhow at sunrise by Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Tanzania shares post-colonial parallels with Mozambique:
  • A Marxist period of collectivization and economic collapse (under Julius Nyerere),
  • Followed by attempts to move to a market economy reducing government control,
  • But despite some economic growth, and a current multiparty system, the country is still quite poor.

Dar es Salaam
The capital is technically Dodoma, but Dar es Salaam is the largest and most important city.

Skyline of Dar es Salaam

Crowds at the Dar es Salaam ferry terminal

Dhows in the Dar es Salaam harbor

Bagamoyo
While later replaced by Dar es Salaam's superior port, Bagamoyo is the more historical city (the starting point for caravans, traders, missionaries) and we explored it at length.

Bagamoyo dhows

Bagamoyo's old buildings may be crumbling but the intricate doors testify to their former glory.

Where tourists visit, art galleries flourish.
My souvenir from Tanzania shown by the artist above. 


Narrow pedestrian streets/alleys of Zanzibar
Zanzibar
One of coolest place names on the planet: Zzzaaanzibar. Some are disappointed because it may not quite live up to its exotic name, but I enjoyed the island.

After exploring the labyrinth of the old stone city on my own, I joined a group for a good tour of spice farms. This is the original "spice island" after all, most importantly for cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper. On another tour, we saw rare monkeys and a thick mangrove forest.

In a violent revolution in 1964, Zanzibar overthrew Arab rulers and merged with Tanganyika to form the United Republic of Tanzania.

Waterfront of Zanzibar's Old Stone Town

Zanzibar women in the park in front of the old House of Wonders

A fun-loving but perhaps not the most hip crew ever to hang out at Mercury's bar
listening to "Bohemian Rhapsody." (Freddy was born and raised in Zanzibar.)