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{"id":1344,"date":"2014-04-20T13:53:19","date_gmt":"2014-04-20T17:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/magsonthemove.com\/?p=1344"},"modified":"2016-09-16T13:08:45","modified_gmt":"2016-09-16T17:08:45","slug":"stone-town-zanzibar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magsonthemove.com\/stone-town-zanzibar\/","title":{"rendered":"You Should Always Wear Shoes In Stone Town, Zanzibar"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

<\/span>Actually, you should always wear shoes everywhere.\u00a0 It’s not my most adventurous quality, but I have a weird thing with feet.\u00a0 Just wear shoes, there are very few reasons not to.\u00a0 I’m not talking about starving 3rd world kids that can’t afford shoes.\u00a0 Even the very poor here were not what we, as Americans, envision when we think of poor Africans, no distended abdomens or flies.\u00a0 Okay, there were some flies, but I think it was unrelated.<\/p>\n

We spent the morning on the beach at <\/span>Kendwa Rocks<\/a> before taking cab to Stone Town.\u00a0 Now, the beach is one of the very few reasons not wear shoes.\u00a0 The rules are different there, you can go shoeless and sleep outdoors in public.\u00a0 That’s why I didn’t notice right away when Dave remained shoeless on the walk to the cab.<\/p>\n

$\"You$ <\/a><\/p>\n

I’ll admit, I did notice once inside the cab, but was too polite to say anything.\u00a0 It was actually one of the cleanest cabs I’ve ever been in.\u00a0 It didn’t smell like urine at all.\u00a0 It must have been new.<\/p>\n

The main problem arose when the cab stopped and dropped us off in Stone Town.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

These are streets you need to wear shoes on.<\/p>\n

It was only a few feet before we stopped and got shoes out of our luggage, but that was a few feet too many.\u00a0 That was the first of a few first world problems that day.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Once we got the shoe situation taken care of I was feeling much better.\u00a0 We stopped into a cafe on the water and had what was a pretty impressive looking cappuccino.<\/p>\n

$\"Cappuccino$ <\/a><\/p>\n

By this time I had gotten pretty accustomed to instant coffee and powdered milk, so this was a welcome treat, and it came with a view of the shipyard.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

After getting properly caffeinated, we met up with the Dave’s friends that we would be staying with in Stone Town.\u00a0 Before heading to the house, we stopped to pick up a few things at the market.\u00a0 This is where I experienced my second first world break down.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Most of our time at the market was spent with my purse clutched close to my body at the recommendation of my companions, but when we reached the fish market I couldn’t resist.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Unfortunately you can’t get the full experience from a photo.\u00a0 Most of the horror arose from the smell, the amount of flies, and worst of all… people without shoes.\u00a0 If there were ever a place you need to absolutely wear shoes, this is it.\u00a0 Not to mention there was a guy behind me, that I couldn’t look directly at, clubbing a large eel.<\/p>\n

Now, I know this makes me sound like a real princess.\u00a0 I love fish, and I do realize that this is probably the freshest fish you’ll find, but if there is one thing I found out on this trip, it’s that I am in fact a privileged American.\u00a0 I just needed to take baby steps.<\/p>\n

<\/span>It should be noted that I did eat fish and prawns from the fish market, just not as sashimi like these guys.<\/p>\n

$\"Sashimi\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

I didn’t want to spend the rest of my time in Africa with a weird fish parasite.\u00a0 Baby steps.<\/p>\n

<\/span>One of the nicer stores in the market, that was apparently very new and exciting for the locals was called the “Quality Shop”, but referred to by everyone as “The American Shop”.\u00a0 Obviously I needed to check this out.<\/p>\n

$\"American$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"American$ <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>I’ll admit that all of the products were familiar, but not necessarily a great snapshot of the American diet.\u00a0 Everyone was shocked to learn how infrequently most adults I know actually eat Pop Tarts.\u00a0 My hosts however, did have their first Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup experience, which as an American, I’ll gladly stand behind.<\/p>\n

$\"Reese's$ <\/a><\/p>\n

You’re welcome guys!<\/p>\n

After picking up supplies at the market we made it back to the house I would be staying at for the next two days.\u00a0 I finally understood why people lived in Stone Town, (though the market would still be a bit much).<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

And what a view!<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

(not to mention a great dog!)<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Yes, I could get used to this. In fact for this, I could probably even get used to the fish market (as long as I don’t have to watch an eel being clubbed ever again in my life.)<\/p>\n

Just steps out of the back gate was a gorgeous beach.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Even the dog appreciated it.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>That night we went out to a local restaurant where everyone seemed to know each other.\u00a0 The community there was much smaller than it seemed from the busy market place.\u00a0 This is also where I found out you could buy to-go beer and drink it on the drive home.\u00a0 They also have a system where you can buy beer at a significant discount if you bring in the empty bottles from your last beer.\u00a0 There is a similar system for sodas in glass bottles.\u00a0 There is a bottle deposit that you get back when you return your bottles.\u00a0 It’s a great idea recycling-wise, but also keeps broken glass out of the streets, allowing people to walk around shoeless.\u00a0 So, it’s kind of a mixed bag.<\/p>\n

The next afternoon we got to further explore Stone Town.\u00a0 We went to a restaurant called 6 Degrees South<\/a> for lunch.\u00a0 It was a very nice restaurant, with excellent cocktails<\/p>\n

$\"6$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"6$ <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>(though they were a bit confused about the po’boy).<\/p>\n

$\"6$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Best of all it had a great view of the water.<\/p>\n

$\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

Of course, I didn’t come all the way to Zanzibar for a po’ boy, so I ordered from the Local Zanzibari Favourites section of the menu.<\/p>\n

$\"6$ <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>Now admittedly, there are at least half a dozen words on here that I don’t understand, but I went with the Ndizi Na Nyama.<\/p>\n

$\"6$ <\/a><\/p>\n

It was very good, and pretty similar to Indian food.<\/p>\n

After lunch we wondered around Stone Town for a bit.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

I saw the shopping everyone back in Arusha was so excited about.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

But best of all, I got to see this house that Queen front man Freddie Mercury may or may not have been born in.\u00a0 Apparently there are several spots in town that boast this claim to fame.<\/p>\n

$\"Mercury$ <\/a><\/p>\n

I like to think that infant Freddie Mercury has a similar photo.<\/p>\n

When it was time to leave we wound through narrow confusing streets for quite sometime before asking for directions from a local that wanted us to pay him to ride his bike in front of us and show us the way.\u00a0 When we refused he told us, “You’re just going to get lost again.”<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>He was right, but I would still rather be lost in my own car than have to take public transportation.<\/p>\n

$\"Stone$ <\/a><\/p>\n

In spite of my few first world freak outs, I really loved Stone Town.\u00a0 It was warm, gorgeous, and full of good food, friendly people, and stunning architecture.<\/p>\n

I was well received by the mosquitoes there too.<\/p>\n

$\"African$ <\/a><\/p>\n

I’m told that Zanzibar doesn’t have malaria.\u00a0 So far, so good, but I’ll be more confident in that in a few months.<\/p>\n

Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Actually, you should always wear shoes everywhere.\u00a0 It’s not my most adventurous quality, but I have a weird thing with feet.\u00a0 Just wear shoes, there are very few reasons not to.\u00a0 I’m not talking about starving 3rd world kids that can’t afford shoes.\u00a0 Even the very poor here were not what we, as Americans, envision […]<\/p>\n