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| 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.
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| Skyline of Dar es Salaam |
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| Crowds at the Dar es Salaam ferry terminal |
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| 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.
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| Bagamoyo dhows |
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| Bagamoyo's old buildings may be crumbling but the intricate doors testify to their former glory. |
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Where tourists visit, art galleries flourish.
My souvenir from Tanzania shown by the artist above. |
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| 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.
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| Waterfront of Zanzibar's Old Stone Town |
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| Zanzibar women in the park in front of the old House of Wonders |
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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.) |
