February 22-27, 2015

Please note the date I post below the title. These are the dates we visited the area I describe in that particular post. After the theft of my ipad, I have had some difficulty downloading pictures and video efficiently from Google+. Post topics and the timeline will vary. My apologies for any confusion.

I can't say enough about our hosts in Dar es Salaam. Michael's cousin had once again provided us with another amazing contact. Rahma and her family, welcomed us into her home late at night, offered us showers, large bedrooms and dinner. It was like a five star resort and we were thrilled.

We spent five glorious nights (the best beds and sleep EVER!) with Rahma. She provided us with transportation and advice about the area. We took it slow on our first day. Rahma suggested visiting a local market on the coast. Alongside the handicraft market, there were other shops, a restaurant and a hotel. Michael had contacted an old friend that was now living in Dar es Salaam and he was able to meet us for lunch. It was spontaneous and great that they were able to connect after 25 years.

After lunch, Maeve and I bought some trendy cool pants and sandals at the market. There were a lot of vendors trying to get us to view their crafts and clothes and we had to negotiate for a good price. Michael's friend helped us a bit too.

There were also excursions that departed from the docks at the coast here. Some small locally crafted boats will take you for day trips to nearby islands. Rahma suggested we visit one, so we made arrangements to go the very next day. We hadn't had a beach day in months, so we were more than ready for a day of R&R.

We lucked out with a few clouds which is not something I would normally say, but it was very hot and we weren't used to being in the sun all day. It was about a 30 minute ride on a small boat which fit us and about 6 other tourists.

It was a lovely island with only a few other visitors...just the way I like it. A few thatched umbrellas and hand made lounge chairs made the experience complete. There was a larger hut where locals prepared fresh grilled seafood daily for lunch (so Maeve and I brought our own sandwiches). It was the perfect, relaxing day.

lovely little umbrellas to escape the sun

While we were in this part of Africa, I wanted to make sure we visited the trade ports on the East African coast. There was significant slave trading here and I did not know much about it from this part of Africa. I also thought it would also educational for the kids.

Once again, Rahma helped us plan our excursion. It started with a 45 minute drive out of Dar es Salaam. Our first stop was in a town called Kaole. It contained ancient ruins from the Muslim Shirazi settlement. There was evidence of mosques and many tombs here that date as far back as the 13th century. Back then this area was a small trading center for fishermen and farmers and that type of activity lasted for several centuries.

washing in well water that is said to bring good luck

I was told to enter and this is where you pray

needed to exit quickly once I spotted the bats on the ceiling

Michael and our guide walking to the boaba tree

Walking around counter clockwise is supposed to make you younger...like turning back the clock, although it looks like we started out wrong.

After Kaole, we made a quick stop at a nearby crocodile farm. It was small, but interesting nonetheless. Just a few connected concrete enclosers that separated several crocs by age. We did learn that certain birds like to hang out near crocs and make their unique nests in nearby trees. If you see these nests, you know crocs are not far away.

birds nests that are formed near crocodiles

Our last stop was in Bagamoyo, an important trading port town. We negotiated a price for our guide and he showed us the area.

The town Bagamoyo was founded at the end of the 18th century. In the first half of the 19th century it became a trading port for ivory.

Asians and Europeans had placed high demand on ivory. Potters and porters traveled long distances and often stopped in Bagamoyo to rest. They also began using slaves to help carry the ivory. After some confusion and independent research, it seems unfounded that this area was used as a slave trade port, but slaves were definitely used in this area.

Bagamoyo was then occupied by Germans in the late 1800's. They tried to colonize this part of Tanzania. In their efforts they 'punished' Africans who did not follow the newly established German rules. Germans felt that too many protesters would cause chaos so some Africans were hung in order to set an example.

View from the top of the prison run by the Germans

A triangular monument to honor Africans hung by the Germans

Our guide took us to the coast. We could see the fisherman that still gather to prepare their boats and sell their catch of the day. This is also an area where boats are made.

As part of our tour, we visted a small museum. Much of the subject matter dealt with slavery in this area. Slaves from Eastern Africa were transported to several places. The following facts were reported in the museum. Most (52% or 769,000 slaves) were sold to different landlords in Zanzibar or Pemba (nearby islands) to work clove farms. Persia and India had 23% of slaves (347,000). Some were taken to South Africa (19% 276,000) and 6% (95,000) were working with French sugar cane farmers on Mauritius and Reunion islands.

The museum had original artifacts from that time. There were chains that were used to bind rows of slaves together. We also saw original pictures and documents.

The museum also had a lot of information on the famous Dr. David Livingstone (the subject of the quote, "Dr. Livingstone I presume."). He was a Scottish explorer of Africa, a medical missionary and an anti-slavery crusader. He is hailed as a hero in East Africa. When he died here from malaria and dysentery, locals carried his body many miles back to Bagamoyo. His body was laid to rest for one day at the Old Church before returning it to England. His heart was removed and buried in Zanzibar.

Slavery officially ended in that area in 1873, however the practice continued into the late 1800's. The museum documented the low number of slaves that were freed. In 1901, 221 slaves were freed either by ransom, release or court. In 1906, another 162 were freed.

place where Dr. Livingston's body rested for 24 hours before sending his body to England

Dar es Salaam had a lot to offer. We worked in beach time and important historical field trips. We are indebted to our hosts who graciously helped us arrange all of our expeditions.

Rahma and her niece with us in front of her house