Zanzibar

This morning we used the local open transport and were taken to their huge fish & meat market that was buzzing.

After our market experience we drove into the countryside in our little open truck to visit a 6 acre spice farm owned and run by 2 families rich with vanilla, allspice,nutmeg,cocoa,ginger, peppervines, cloves and many more. We also got to taste local fruit.

They dug up ginger and turmeric roots and we tasted shavings of many spices or were given samples of leaves to crush and identify.

A quick run up the coconut tree to gather a few coconuts.

Delicious fresh coconut water and then we ate the coconut and many more tree ripened delicious fruit. The men were all given ties and hats woven from banana leaves and the women woven bags to collect the spices.

Banana flower.

Our guide had a great knowledge of these spices having had a grandfather as a herbalist.

We then returned to our hotel for a late lunch then at our own leisure the girls took a wander through the narrow cobbled streets to check out a few shops.

Taking a break to sample their delicious Stoney Tangawizi a ginger soda.

Later that evening a few of us met and tried a local restaurant down the street.