Zanzibar conjures comparisons to Xanadu and Shangra La, except that it really exists. It’s an island off the east coast of Africa: it used to be its own nation but now it’s part of Tanzania. Patriarch of the “spice islands,” its history stretches into the millennium past, and its culture reflects a sophistication not found in most of Sub-Sahara Africa. The people are an Arab, African, Portuguese mix. The language of Swahili originated in Zanzibar – it’s a combination of the language of its progenitors.
Spices are grown much the same way they have been for centuries. No machinery was apparent – all the cultivation and harvesting still must be done by hand. I learned that peppercorns grow on bushes that wrap themselves around trees, cinnamon is the bark of a shrub, and lemongrass is just that. There are dozens of scents – probably hundreds. The pleasant feelings they evoke explain why spices were so valuable in the ancient world. Our guide invited us into his house to eat lunch. His children played with us.
Like all of colonized Africa, resentment towards perceived past transgressions by their occupiers run deep, but from my vantage point Zanzibar seems to be embracing their history, though time there seems to be standing still - except for cellphones and automobiles, Zanzibar is stuck in the past. The tourist industry is still primitive considering Zanzibar is a recognized European vacation destination. The boats in the harbor are constructed of wood via the traditional manner in boatyards along the road. The butcher market is abominable. However, the inhabitants seem satisfied and who’s to say what civilization means?
Absolution Style by Premium phpBB Styles
