I know this is not unique to Zanzibar but the armies of touts, hawkers, street vendors and other plague hovering like shit flies have the power to develop some killer instinct in me. You just can’t walk freely in those narrow medieval streets. Some streets are only a succession of little shops each vendor harasses the pedestrians, some even blocking the way. Welcome here, welcome there, have a free look, good price…then they can get “upset” and abusive because you ignore them. Poor little things, their feelings must have been hurt. Same mess from the taxi drivers and other hawkers on a spree. Even Maasai vendors, fake or not, are harassing people! Historically, they’ve got nothing to do in Zanzibar. You can’t always avoid these streets as there are sometimes located in interesting places. Hence the title “in a perfect world in Zanzibar, I’d be carrying a Kalashnikov” and take care of these assholes. Karine suggested just a perfect world without them would be enough. Nope, in my perfect world, I’d have the need to suppress the frustration built up during all my trips over the years in Stonetown. OK maybe a Tazer would do.
good news, the Forodhani gardens on the waterfront have been nicely refurbished, the street vendors (mostly Maasai as they were probably no rent) have been kicked out! The place is now very pleasant, only food and drinks are available. Happiness doesn’t require much something. Just a bit of pest control to start with…
But once you get away from that situation, the town is quite a dream for street photography…we were a bit of an attraction with our old cameras. The digital ones are very common nowadays but a Rolleiflex, a Mamyia 220, a Leica M or a Polaroid 600 SE…that’s another story. Old people would sometimes smile at us, like remembering an old family moment, or just the good old times when tourists hadn’t flocked on the island and photography was still a slow activity? One man proudly mentioned a town photographer who used such cameras. Younger people were more puzzled. It even made our task easier somehow, looking unusual, less threatening maybe.
some people must have a hard time to make ends meet. Just a tray to expose few goodies…
this guy doesn’t seem to care a lot about his clothes but he rolled up his jean’s, ready for the next shower.
a female beggar. Less annoying than the vendors, far from it though she couldn’t be blamed if…
door details.
kids are still usually happy to pose. Some run away, few ask for money.
light measurement in these narrow medieval streets can be a challenge for the camera light meter: bright light in contrast with dark zones.
quite central in Stonetown, this baobab, in full blossom.
one of the few large streets in the old town. Pepsi has some trucks too of course but for most of the streets, this contraption is the thing to use.
it was lunch time at a school.
obviously, the street became the refectory.
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