A Zanzibar Sojourn

[Joe 90]

You get about KW!

Tip top thread and pics!

[Looper]

Champion travel fred Willy

I do like the Islamic architectural style with its intricate regular repetitive patterns



There is something deeply relaxing about the vaguely ASD geometric regularity and clockwork angular details

[DrWilly]

[tomcat]

...great pics...Zanzibar has changed quite a bit from when I stopped there in the late 60s: all I remember clearly is tidal mud flats, decaying fresh markets and a number of interesting old Afro-Shirazi houses previously owned by slave traders...

[DrWilly]

The seafood is pretty good here too.

J


Snuck in a steak and it was very, very good.

[DrWilly]

...great pics...Zanzibar has changed quite a bit from when I stopped there in the late 60s: all I remember clearly is tidal mud flats, decaying fresh markets and a number of interesting old Afro-Shirazi houses previously owned by slave traders...

do you recall all the small winding alleys?

and gem shops



or tour booking stalls?




Or tuk tuks?

[DrWilly]

Queen fans cannot go to Zanzibar without visiting Freddie Mercury’s house. Obviously not everyone’s cup of tea, so skip ahead if you’re not interested. I think the entry cost was $8 for adult and $6 for kids.



The museum was smallish, but well arranged with early pictures of him as a young boy.



The high school band he was in.



Some more recognizable photos.

[DrWilly]

The museum also contained some album covers, pieces of some of his iconic clothing, a piano, lyrics written on scraps of A4, one full costume and another jacket that strangely was not locked behind glass.

J











Doesn’t seem very safe to me, anybody could just lean over and touch it…

[DrWilly]

Painting in the lobby of the hotel.

[tomcat]

do you recall all the small winding alleys?

and gem shops

...yes: alleys with women cooking, cleaning and raising noisy Zanzibaris outside...bought my mother a huge smoky topaz from one of those shops. I harbored a suspicion for years that it could have been smoky glass...I found the Island's history far more interesting than the present I saw.

[Edmond]

Cool trip.

The high school band he was in.

It doesn't say which one is him.

[DrWilly]

Morning sun

[katie23]

Thanks for the pics, willy. I also like the pic reposted by Looper on post #27 - I like the design on the top part of the door. To me, it reminded me of peacock designs & Persian rugs, very intricate.

I had a Google re: Freddy Mercury. He was born in 146 & died in 1991 (45 yrs). If he was still alive today, he'd be Norton-like. However, his illness killed him and he died young and beautiful (except for the last few years when he was very skinny).

[DrWilly]

He was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5th September 1946, exactly two months before my father.

[cyrille]

^^He died young and beautiful except for the last few years?

Ooookaaay...

[DrWilly]

Apparently elaborately carved doorways are a thing here.



And archways.





An old mango tree growing between two buildings of the hotel.

[Edmond]

He was born Farrokh Bulsara on 5th September 1946, exactly two months before my father.

8 months before my father.


Your parents must have had you young.



Looks like a really nice melting pot of culture, art and architecture. Having never, ever given Zanzibar one passing thought in my entire life, I never would have presumed it to be so muzzy. Which isn't a bad thing, as long as they're not mutilating little boys and girls, and view blowing up lots of innocent people as a good way to spend the afternoon, which appears to be the case.

[malmomike77]

I looked up melting pot and it doesn't mention mussie slave trade or sex slave trade centre.

[DrWilly]

To be fair the main trade early on was slaves and ivory. Zanzibar served as the staging point to which humans and ivory were brought from most of the interior and East coast of Africa, prior to establishing cloves. These days the main exports are cloves and seaweed, to the tune of $50B and $6B respectively (in 2021).

[Shutree]

I've wanted to go to Zanzibar since I was a kid.

Me too. Zanzibar, Marrakesh and Mandalay. Names that seemed impossibly exotic back then. Mandalay has dropped off my list but still keen to see Zanzibar. Well jealous of Willy at the moment, especially after those seafood photos.

[klong toey]

Thanks for the travel thread Willy,food looks excellent .Freddie was a great performer nice to see some memorabilia.

[david44]

Thanks Willy and the mods this thread has been upgraded by the spamcleaners overnight.That seafood first class, is it real beer or no alco type?

[taxexile]

freddie mercury would have been imprisoned for shirtliftery had he remained in tanzania (including zanzibar)

rather hypocritical of them to have a museum of memorabilia honouring his name then , but i suppose it brings in a few dollars from gormless tourists who dont see the two faced absurdity of it.

but then again, it is africa, a continent of unparalleled lethargy, underachievement and scrounging

[DrWilly]

is it real beer or no alco type?

It’s a bit yellow and gassy, but it’s a respectable 4.5%

[DrWilly]

The Zanzibar Polo club is not more. Looks like the Hyatt purchased one of the original book of rules and list of members from 1914 at auction and then hung it on their walls. Or perhaps this is just a clever copy? Interesting, nonetheless.

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