Forodhani Gardens
On the west side of Stone Town, between Mizangani Road by the House of Wonders (the first building in Zanzibar with electricity) and the Old Fort is a park called Forodhani Gardens that faces the ocean. In what is literally a stone town, Forodhani Gardens is a refreshing change of pace from stone and/or sand that surrounds it.
During the heat of the day it offers cooling shade (especially if a sea breeze is blowing) and a break for the eyes.
I wandered through the park Saturday afternoon while walking around to explore the city and returned in the evening to meet a class mate who is posted in the Republic of Georgia.
As evening approaches, Forodhani Gardens really comes to life. People start to wander around the gardens, eventually the kids come by to start playing in the water along the seawall (photos of this later) and finally a open food market opens to offer fresh cooked seafood and other consumables (I tried freshly pressed cane juice - excellent!).
My colleague (a former travel writer) and I thought that the night festivities would be interesting to photograph. Unfortunately, much like walking through the commercial streets in Stone Town, the vendors were so aggressive to hawk their foodstuffs that neither of us had any desire to even try and photograph. Maybe when it’s “in-season” there are lots more people there and the vendors will be less pressed to get anyone to buy something from them and good photography would be possible. But that night it just wasn’t happening. It also put us off from eating there. Then again, if they lowered their prices it would be better too - it was cheaper to eat at a restaurant, which is what we wound up doing. One thing I can say about Zanzibar, they have some excellent restaurants.
Everyone, I'm going to be out of the loop for a few days (I'm assuming my internet won't be working when I get home . . .) because I'm about to head home. I passed my class (yay!) and I've packed my bags. Time to pack the power adaptor. Don't fret, I still have stories and lots of photographs from my trip to Zanzibar so you'll have more entertainment coming. It will just be sent from Liberia instead of Tanzania.
I wonder if Tanzania needs a land expert?