After getting our fix of the internet, Bhav and I headed off to Zanzibar. We were fleeced for our tickets but at least we got there without being sick; Bhav’s Indian sweets were a little too much on our empty stomachs.
At the ferry terminal on Zanzibar Bhav got talking to 2 men who promised to find us good accommodation. Normally we’d politely but firmly refuse (as they’d probably be out to rip us off or worse) but we decided it couldn’t hurt. First stop was Bottoms Up and the hotel managed by one of the 2 men. It’s a fairly typical hotel made out of what would have been flats or a big house and was essentially a brick skyscraper of 6 floors. The top floor was an open viewing platform where they served breakfast. The room on offer there was on the 4th floor and contained 2 traditional style beds. Having been conned for the ferry ticket we were keen to save some money, so even though the room was normally US$30 inc breakfast we were aiming for $20 but the best we could get out of him was $22. This prompted us to try another 2 hotels until, tail between our legs, we returned to Bottoms Up and told the manager who’d just started his shift that the previous guy had said $20 and we wanted to accept.
After all that there wasn’t much daylight left. Zanzibar is our first real taste this trip of the potential problems created by Ramadan. Approximately 95% of the population are Muslim and with such a high concentration it means food and drink opportunities are limited during the hours of daylight, and even if you can find it (which actually isn’t difficult) you’re not supposed to eat or drink in public otherwise the police might “get interested”. After sunset, marked by air raid sirens (seriously!) and the call to prayer the night market at the waterfront gardens were open.
Zanzibar being an island meant that the majority of the food on offer was seafood, not being a fan I went for amongst other things some barbecued chicken (the best I’ve ever tasted!). Food wasn’t the only thing we spent money on that night. We ended up buying some artwork too.
Our room at Bottoms Up
View over the roof tops of Stone Town from our Hotel
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