White Sands and Hot Spices of the Zanzibar Archipelago
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Zanzibar Photo-essay for the Sunday Guardian.
Most African Safari junkies round off their African bush adventures by dipping their feet in the waters of one of the white-sand beaches of the Zanzibar Archipelago. But I headed straight for Zanzibar even before I saw my first thomson’s gazelle. I had just completed an exhausting shoot in Tanzania and there is nothing like the Islands of the Zanzibar Archipelago to rest your body and soul. It was meant to be a quite holiday but I just could not resist picking up my camera again to photograph the quaint islands, the placid beaches, and its warm people.
Prison island is called so as it was originally ment to house convicts. Much like the famed `Alctraz Prison’ this was going to be the perfect island for hardened criminals. The jail was constructed but it was never used as one. Rather it came to be used by the British as a quarintine station for those who came from Asia or other parts of the world to Zanziba and were infected with diseases. The visitors would be housed here until they were treated for their diseases.
Zanzibar since centuries was on the direct trading route to African from both the Middle-East and India. Its no wonder then that its culture today has strong Asian and Arabic influences. Many Indian traders settled on the island and Zanzibar till today has a sizable population of Gujrati businessmen . The archipelago with its main islands of Pemba, Prison and Zanzibar is still known for its spices and `spice tours’ are a must for any visitor to this semi-autonomous Tanzanian country. But today its mainly the beach lovers who throng here. The white sand beaches have the finest of sands and the most placid of waters on the Indian Ocean. Some images from a visit:
Football is what every Tanzanian boy gets to kick at a very early age.
As always Sanjay you leave me speechless with captures that are so alive! Your photographs truely speak a thousand words! My favourite being a boy in the oversized shorts that was probably handed down from his elder brother, bare feet kicking a deflated puntured ball, speaks of a dream of a better tomorrow, contentment of the “abundunt” life! oblivious to the woes and worries of life! Amazing capture Sanjay!
Hi Radhika, many thanks for your comments. I am glad you found so much meaning in the photos. I am especially glad since you live in Africa yourself and know how it is there. Thanks again.