pictures from Kiwengwa

Kiwengwa is just one of the many white sandy beaches of Zanzibar. Just about 40 kilometers northeast of Stonetown, the island’s capital, Kiwengwa is popular to the tourists – the village has at least 7 resorts – but more importantly to me, it also harbors a healthy concentration of seaweed farms.


a coconut tree that stoops so low it is almost horizontal


the beach of Kiwengwa



another postcard shot of Kiwengwa

It was high tide during my visit so instead, we just took in the view. Most notable in Kiwengwa are the tall and regal coconut trees. It seems that these trees are not harvested for their lumber as they now reach 50 feet, even more. The pictures, here, show how picturesque Kiwengwa can be.



fishing boats docked in Kiwengwa's natural harbor



a couple of women in Kiwengwa



a desolate beach



resort staff lugging some bananas

the Friday mosque of Kiponda

The Ijamaa mosque is large by the standards of Stonetown. There are at least 30 mosques in this old quarters of Zanzibar and this is one of the oldest.


the Ijumaa Mosque sits in the narrow alleys of Kiponda, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania



façade of the Ijumaa Mosque



the elaborately carved wooden door of Ijumaa Mosque


Known in Kiswahili as Msikiti Ya Ijumaa Mizingani, it was originally built by Sunni immigrants from Faza in 1831. Like most of the mosques in Zanzibar, it was simple and unpretentious. It underwent several renovations and expansions notably in the 1850s and the 1950s. In 1994, the Ijumaa Mosque was refurbished in a more modern arabesque style with geometric arches and ramparts with funds from Arabic states. A marker in the mosque proclaims it as the burial place of famous Muslim scholars in Zanzibar.


an old gas lamp converted to electric



a small cube of a building right across the mosque



Arabic markers in marble



rampart shadows of the mosque

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.

Octopus for sale at Paje, Zanzibar

One and a half US dollars. That’s the approximate beach price of a kilo of octopus in Zanzibar. I asked. The sale was done right on the blindingly white sandy shores of Paje, a district that is now crowded with tourist resorts and villas. I saw several fishermen with their prized catches of the day. Some chose to ignore the man with the bicycle and spring scale. Perhaps they have some other interested buyers in the village. I could not imagine them going to the big market in Stonetown which is about 50 kilometers away, not with just an octopus or two in tow.


fisherman with octopus, Paje, Zanzibar, Tanzania



fisherman haggling with the buyer at the beach of Paje



buyer weighs the octopus using a handheld spring scale



the sale is sealed with a smile



the buyer bags the octopus


Subsistence fishing is real in Zanzibar. With tidal surges of 3 meters, waters in the area are hospitable only a few hours certain day, half of the time in a month. Come full moon time, water recedes and the reef flat extends kilometers, allowing menfolk to fish with spears and nets. Otherwise, when the sea is high, men need boats which are capital-prohibitive.


the wide sandy expanse of Paje as seen from the shore



Paje, in another perspective, as seen from the reef



a fisherman dragging his catch



fisherman with spear

So others say that there’s always agriculture or city work but to a lot of these Zanzibaris, choices are slim. And the sea beckons.


man hopping around the beach looking for the best price



end of the day: going home

chasing sunset in Mtoni, Zanzibar

I didn’t go to Africa for a safari, a vacation or for anything remotely close to leisure. The trip was a business call and the schedule was heavily structured: a night in Dar, 2 nights each in Pemba and Unguja islands and one final stayover in Dar. We always were in a hurry, maximizing time on the beach during the 3 hour low tide period in the morning, squeezing the most number of villages in a single trip and on occasion skipping meals in favor of work.


the blue hour in an isolated beach in Mtoni



the lap pool of Mtoni Marine right after sunset


Before the trip, I had all the intentions to do some photography and even brought a tripod. While I did use my camera in our visits to the seaweed farms, the tripod almost did not see any action. Finally, in our last day in Zanzibar, we got a couple of hours of free time. It was sundown too and fortunately for me, we were staying in Mtoni Marine Centre whose beach faces the west. Sunset and twilight shots were never far away then.


beach huts in Mtoni Marine at dusk



Mtoni Marine is flanked in the south by lush mangroves


Mtoni Marine is an Italian-owned boutique resort, with Omani-inspired architecture. Think of ogees, solid and thick Romanesque walls, recessed alcoves and clean uncluttered walls. Rates were not bad either. Basic accommodation starts at about $65 and at this reasonable rate, we got a canopied queen-sized bed, a rather surprisingly large shower room and toilet, a personal safe, and best of all, a balcony facing the sea.


ready for a romantic rendezvous for two



the open lobby features locally cultivated pine lumber


Although there are no internet connections in the rooms, wi-fi and broadband cable line are available in the lobby. The main restaurant was under renovation this June but the resort made best use of its existing rugby sports bar and its beach front as an alternative dining place. The bar actually is popular in Zanzibar and is frequented by a lot of Europeans and South Africans.


coconut rule: the roof has to give way to an old coconut



a resort attendant picking up flowers for tabletop decoration


As can be seen in the pictures, the resort offers a white sandy beach appointed with the necessary cottages and water sports facilities. A lap pool overlooks the waters. If these were not attractive enough, the resort also caters to families traveling together. Its self-contained 2-storey apartments have a couple of bedrooms and a kitchenette. I would not mind coming back here someday, with family in tow.


the architecture of the Mtoni lodges is classical Omani-Arabic



function and form: canopy nets keep mosquitoes out. Malaria is common in East Africa.


To go: Mtoni Marine Center is some 4 km from Stonetown and is right beside the ruins of the Mtoni Palace.

the Darajani Market of Stonetown, Zanzibar

The Darajani Market in Stonetown, Zanzibar is historical. It is located a stone’s throw from the city’s biggest market of another kind, that which traded slaves. Darajani however was opened in 1904, a quarter of a century since slave markets were outlawed in 1873.


a fresh fruit stall in Darajani Market, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania



squid and octopus for sale


Today, the market looks unassuming and humble. Blocks of soft gray stones still form the solid façade. The roof is comprised of GI sheets that are partially rusted. A finial sticks out at the roof’s highest peak which from a distance, almost makes the market resemble a church.


the stone façade of Darajani



vegetables being sold in front of the market



a Masai man passing through


Inside, the market is divided into four sections. There is quarter for seafood, from the popular octopus to crabs and fishes of various sizes. The walls are as red with blood as the floor is dark with hardened muck. One room is used for auction, which take place early in the morning.


fillet of fish on display



the fish section of the market



a room used for the fish auction


Another hall is for meat, primarily beef. Butchered blocks are displayed everywhere here, and carcasses are left hanging on hook for easy perusal. Zanzibar is predominantly Muslim so pork is virtually forbidden in Darajani (they say you have to go Christian mission for that).


beef slices for sale


the beef market


Outside of the main building, stalls shaded by plastic tarps offer fruits, vegetables and spices. In another section is poultry. In the periphery, and deeper into the town are more stores and buildings that offer dry goods, from clothings to shoes and even jewelry.


fresh local produce like bananas



a selection of fruit



eggplants and chilies provide a clash of colors


Amidst the cacophony of sales negotiations and the din of clanging buckets, the market moves in a chaotic rhythm of its own. A hubbub of life swirls inside. As tourists click and jostle for that snapshot of local color, locals imperturbably go by their own way. As a Filipino, I’m used to this. The stench, the mud, the noise are a reminder of home, in a good and oddly ,assuring way.


packets of spices catering to the tourists


To go: Daranjani Market is in Creek Road, north of New Mkunazini St., Stone Town, Zanzibar. It is near the Anglican Cathedral.