Stalking the woman in red in Uzi

Photographing landscapes is hard enough. But taking portraits of strangers poses a special challenge. You just wouldn't know how people would react being photographed. Others feel that it is an invasion of privacy which it really can be, getting annoyed if not downright angry. Some are too shy and would walk away from the lens.


an aerial view of Ng’ambwe, Uzi which I eventually visited on-site



3 women of Ng’ambwe



the woman in red was working with several ladies when I first approached her


On occasions, I can be lucky. Take this woman in a blazing red dress in Ng’ambwe, Uzi. She was at first nonchalant and then became engaging. It helped that I lingered in the location for awhile and that must have made them more comfortable with me. I was interested in what they were doing – they were planting seaweed – and they probably recognize too some of my companions who they might have worked with in the past.


holding some seaweed planting material



an engaging smiling


As a subject, I could not ask for anything more. Her red dress is fiery and catches the light glaringly. And her generous personality showed in the shots that I took.


unbridled laughter



her easygoing work demeanor shows here



a final take

To go: Uzi is about 25 km southeast of Stonetown, Zanzibar, accessible by road only during low tide via a causeway at Unguja Ukuu.

crossing Uzi

Uzi sounds exotic - reminds you of the gun, doesn’t it? –but for the regular visitor of Zanzibar, there isn’t much to see there. Sure, it has thick forests and the accompanying wildlife (mostly monkeys), lush mangroves and lonely beaches. There are also about 6000 people spread over three villages that are largely romanticized as Zanzibar before the age of mass tourism, which goes to say that things are spare if not backward in the island. Anthropology enthusiasts might visit Uzi. Or as in my case, people may just be looking for seaweed farms.


the “highway” to Uzi island



the causeway is carved through a mangrove forest


This second largest of the islands around Unguja holds a unique distinction though. By land, it can only be accessed via a causeway that is accessible during low tide. When the water comes up, the road disappears and you might as well travel by boat.


the channel water rising with the tide


Largely a project of the aid agencies, the causeway is a semi-paved clearing through the mangrove forest that separates Uzi and Unguja Ukuu of the main island of Unguju.


our reliable 4x4 ride



a bicycle crossing the causeway


In crossing the island several times I often worry if the wheels of our car will hold up. There are certainly no auto shops in the island and the only other way is to cross the rocky road would be by foot. The people of Uzi are used to these rough conditions; but what is mundane to them is still kind of exciting to me.

To go: Uzi is about 25 km southeast of Stonetown, Zanzibar, accessible by road only during low tide via a causeway at Unguja Ukuu.