Zanzibar-Return to Stonetown

From Matemwe we made our way back to Stonetown via the spice plantations in the central region of the island.  Zanzibar is known for its spices and still produces about 70% of the world's cloves.  We heard that a spice tour, although a very tourist thing to do, is a definite must to on the island. 

 As we walked along the plantation, our guide would stop to break off a leaf, dig up a root, or scrape off the bark of whatever plant we were nearest too.  He would let us smell it and in some cases taste it then ask what we thought it was.  Needless to say we didn't know many but it was interesting to see all the different spices they grow in one place.  I learned that vanilla bean is very difficult to grow and must be hand pollinated.  This is why its so expensive to buy those vanilla beans! 

Josh gives it a try

At the end of the tour we were treated to some fresh coconut milk.  A local boy climbed up a tree for us to get it.  Josh thought it didn't look too difficult and tried his hand at making it up.  He got about half way before realizing it might be best to come back down.  Next we were adorned with coconut leaf crowns, purses, rings, ties, necklaces and bracelets.  Josh was excited because now we finally had an official engagement ring! :)

In all our coconut attire

From there we were treated to a fruit feast sampling bananas to jack fruit.  Most of the fruit I had had before but it was a treat to have them right off the tree/vine.  Our tour ended, as most do, with a visit to the gift shop or in this case an open air stall with bags and bags of various spices.  We got cloves, pilau rice mix, tea, coffee, vanilla beans, and cardamon. 

After the plantation we headed back to Stonetown where we settled into our hotel and wandered around the city for the rest of the night.  We stopped at a delicious small cafe for lunch and were treated to fresh fruit smoothies.  Later that night we made plans to eat at a nicer restaurant and enjoyed a quiet dinner next to the water. 

A red colobus monkey and her baby

Our last day in Zanzibar we scheduled a trip to Johanzi forest to do some hiking and see the red colobus monkeys.  The red colobus monkeys can only be seen on the island and are endangered.  Josh and I were amazed how close you could get to them and they didn't seem disturbed at all.  We got especially close to a mother and child.  Josh got some amazing shots of they youngster clinging to his mom's back.  We then wandered into the swamp portion of the forest.  During the rainy season that area is usually underwater although it was dry during our trip.  We didn't see a lot in terms of animals but did get to admire the huge mahogany trees and the vast fern overgrowth.  From there we went to the mangrove boardwalk and got to see how that environment is so different from the rest of the forest.  It was really interesting how these sections could be so close together yet so unique.  Our guide was really knowledgeable on the different types of mangroves and gladly jumped into the trees to show us examples of seeds.

The mangrove boardwalk

After the forest we headed back to town stopping shortly at a local market.  Although we were the only tourists in miles it was nice to walk along the stalls and look at the vast amount of fruits and vegetables they had to offer.  One man was selling rice and I never realized how many different varieties their were.  He tried to explain which ones were used for which dishes but I'm not sure how much of it I caught! 

Josh shows how close you can get to the monkeys

The rest of the day we explored Stonetown again.  You really could spend an entire week wandering the streets and not see it all.  We picked up a few final souvenirs and then decided to try the open air market for dinner. 

I have to admit I was a little on the fence about the market as I heard that most people who eat here get some kind of gastric issue.  Josh encouraged me to give it a try so we wandered around looking at what was offered.  Basically there are three kind of stalls in the market: fish stalls where you can get anything from shark to octopus, cane juice stalls where fresh sugar cane juice is squeezed right in front of you, and Zanzibar pizza stalls.  We enjoyed a glass of the fresh cane juice before deciding on dinner for the night.  Josh was more adventurous and got a few different kinds of fish.  Although his fish was good, the real highlight of his meal was the felafel.  Definitely a treat I haven't had in awhile!  I got a Zanzibar pizza which is rice, veggies, egg, cheese and mayo all grilled in a dough.  It sounds a bit strange but its delicious!  If we hadn't been so full at the end we would have gone back to try the dessert pizza!

Last sunset of our trip

The next day we headed to the airport for the short flight back to Nairobi.  It was a little disappointing to be be headed home but at the same time refreshing.  We had an amazing time on the island and made a ton of memories.  Zanzibar will always be special to us because not only was it the trip of a lifetime but it was the start of our lives together.