That sign right there says it all "Welcome To Zanzibar" Our first little taste of paradise.
6am came way to early this morning and it was hard going to load up on the Ferry headed ot of town. Here is a shot of Dar from the sea...the Cathedral demands respect in the skyline. And the hge cargo ships dot the harbor. I really have missed the sea.
As we pulled away from the dock...Mama Moshi reminded us why we had to be there so early. This is rush hour and there are only a couple boats...these were all of the people waiting in line behind us. The owner of the Ferry company came around to shake hands with the whole group...then he led us to the front of the line and on to the boat.
Enjoying the sun...I guess the early hours kept it from being too hot. The spray from the splashes of the boat were a nice break from the heat...although we got off feeling pretty sticky from the salt.
Reaching Zanzibar was like finding an oasis in the desert. The beautiful white beaches and inviting trees screamed for us to come and lounge beneath them.
This is Chris's debut in the blog...I gave him mercy from too many pictures because of the skin allergy...but he's a sport and he's totally rocking the Neo shirt from The Matrix.
Their boats here are soo cute... The little shade on it reminds me of something I would see in Venice or something. It is like stepping back into the days of Spice Trade here on the island.
I think doors like this are my favorite part of this island. It shows the Islamic and Persian influence on the architecture. They are very muslim here...there were Sultans and great Arabian stables at the palace. These carved wooden doors are plated with brass ornaments and ornately decorated with beautiful scenes. They are at the front of every nice business or church. These are the ones to enter our hotel...the Dhow Palace.
From inside of our courtyard if you look up, the beautiful wooden balconies luminate the wall. There is stained glass decorated in all of the windows. These balconies overlook this lucious pool.
Those stone "thrones" at the end feel very C.S Lewis ish.
Our next stop was the market. We walked through and checked out vegetables and fruits, meats, fish, and of course....SPICES!!
These chiles were so tasty looking and the colors were awesome.The greatest shock for me is to see the difference with the men and the women here. The men are very westernized and look just like American citizens. The women still wear full garb of shawls and wraps. It just looks unnatrual.
Our next stop was a church built in the 1870s. They built the church over the last slave yard to ever be open in Africa. The high alter is actually placed over the "whipping pole" where they put slaves. As they beat them, the less they complained, the higher the price was. The cathedral was beautiful but unfortunately was not in the best shape. You can't really tell in this picture but the exterior was gross and black in some places.
Our final tour destination was the House of Wonders. This was the house of the 3rd Sultan of Zanzibar. It was called the House of Wonders because it was the first house in Africa to have electricity, running water, and even an elevator. The three story mansion was unbelievable. I definitely missed my calling to be a princess in Zanzibar.
The view from the top of the house is breathtaking in every direction..
.it is no wonder why the Sultan lived there. 
The view over the stables looked out like this and I laughed as I looked out that direction.
This picture is a perfect description of what Zanzibar is. It is a mix of Christian and England (note the steeple) Muslim and the Middle East (note the mosque)... historical buildings (note the red roof of the stables from the 1860s)...and the modern (note the satellite on the roof). This is such a melting pot and full of many different cultures!
Our next stop was a church built in the 1870s. They built the church over the last slave yard to ever be open in Africa. The high alter is actually placed over the "whipping pole" where they put slaves. As they beat them, the less they complained, the higher the price was. The cathedral was beautiful but unfortunately was not in the best shape. You can't really tell in this picture but the exterior was gross and black in some places.
Our final tour destination was the House of Wonders. This was the house of the 3rd Sultan of Zanzibar. It was called the House of Wonders because it was the first house in Africa to have electricity, running water, and even an elevator. The three story mansion was unbelievable. I definitely missed my calling to be a princess in Zanzibar.
The view from the top of the house is breathtaking in every direction...it is no wonder why the Sultan lived there. The view over the stables looked out like this and I laughed as I looked out that direction. 
This picture is a perfect description of what Zanzibar is. It is a mix of Christian and England (note the steeple) Muslim and the Middle East (note the mosque)... historical buildings (note the red roof of the stables from the 1860s)...and the modern (note the satellite on the roof). This is such a melting pot and full of many different cultures! I am now having to rely on internet cafes, so although it is 4 I am done for the day with the blog. The rest will be up for tomorrow. I apologize, but this is the only way I can keep pictures coming.
From the beautiful beaches of Zanzibar, (insert Jack Black song here)
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