Spices Galore!

July 21, 2011

And I thought I knew were my food came from. Boy, was I wrong! I couldn't identify half of these plants at first. All I can say is I better be allowed to bring these spices back into the U.S. custom agents! Check out our tour guide Ali G. Yes, self named after the Sacha Baron Cohen character. And he was that funny!


I seriously spent half of my money on spices! Hope people are hungry for curry!


Sonne and I drinking spice tea on the spice farm.


Cinnamon - I didn't even know it's just the bark off a tree!


Vanilla beans - an orchid plant no less. (I knew that one from my trip to the orchid garden in Costa Rica a few summers back. The garden where I accidentally dropped the world's smallest orchid!)


All spice


Palm frond clothing - soon to be all the rage with SF hipsters.


Nutmeg


Louise and I wearing natural lipstick from annatto. Yeah - that didn't wash off for hours!


Annatto


Lemongrass


Cloves


Ali G. holding out tumeric.


Corriander


Ginger


Pepper


A palm tree farm. Love me my coconut butter!

Stonestown, Zanzibar

July 21/22, 2011

A lot of pictures = a lot of history and fun activities!


Stonestown on the island of Zanzibar - a UNESCO world heritage site. And a complete maze! Just try and not get lost!


The prison that never was on Prison Island. It was used as a quarantine station for incoming ships to Zanzibar instead.


Prison Island is also home to a tortoise refuge. This guy is 150 years old!


Watch your fingers . . . seriously! They LOVE their spinach.


Prison Island off the coast of Zanzibar.


Fresh fish, shark, octopi, chapati, and cassava dominated the Night Market in Stonestown. I ate a chapati but didn't trust the fried plantains not to be covered in fish juices.


This madness goes every night from dark until midnight - the Night Market.


Tracy and I and a beautiful Stonestown sunset.


And right next to our hotel!


The altar of this church is where the whipping tree used to be. Slaves were tied to the tree and whipped before an auction - those who didn't cry were considered brave and were sold for more money - a whole whopping 50 cents for the top paid slave.


A now active church, honoring Dr. Livingstone who argued against slavery, in the heart of the slave quarters.


A slave holding room - perfect for 50 men or 75 women and children. The middle window is the size of the original windows in this pen.


Stonestown is 99% Muslim. Us female folk kept our shoulders covered while walking around the city.


The old fort, now used for selling wares and dances.


A better picture of the old fort.


The House of Wonders (owned by the sultan) - the first house to have electricity in East Africa.


The birth place of Freddie Mercury. The band, Queen! Ahem.


Just one of the many intricate door frames found over Stonestown. All the door frames are either curved or square, depending on if they were built by Indians or Africans.


The beach view from our lunch restaurant, Archipelgo.


Stonestown, Zanzibar.


Clarissa, Lauren, and myself on the ferry to Zanzibar.


The hectic nature that is Dar Es Salaam. We only took this ferry 4 times in three days!


Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Adios Malawi

July 18, 2011

My last night in Malawi - aawww. Today was an action packed day with a 6 am start for our 25 km hike up to Livingstonia and then dancing with the local witch doctor. Although my legs aren't happy with the walk today, they will be tomorrow when we spend ALL day sitting on our butts and driving into Tanzania.


Chris, me, Sumna, and Nick at the start of our death hike, 25 km and 7 hours of hiking to the top of that ridge behind us.


Incase you were looking for an investment opportunity. Get your glasses and read the sign.



Coffee and bananas on our hike up.


Some of our fellow walkers.


Sumna, me, Chris and Nick in Livingstonia - we made it!


The Livingstonia mission. Amen.


Stained glass in the mission. David Livingstone is the one in the middle, the one with locals in awe of him on either side.


Chris, me, Sumna and Nick infront of Malawi's longest waterfall - 800 meters tall. I think it would have had more of a wow factor if I had seen it before Vic Falls. :)


Mini waterfall.


The local witch doctor, Benson, sporting the newest in hospital fashion - the scrub dress.


Me getting my groove on with the witch doctor. This is how he sees into one's future - however I was too cheap to pay him extra to find out what it was he saw exactly. It seems as if the standard fortune for the others had to do with marriage, kids and good health. . . so I felt pretty secure in my future too. (Not counting that one palm reader a few years ago who told me I was going to die at an early age.)


Why, whatever would the witch doctor need with a burning stick and hot coals you ask? To eat it of course. silly!