Hurrah. The sun was out and we were able to do our walking tour of Stone Town. The old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar has changed little in the last 200 years. It is a place of winding alleys, bustling bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses whose original owners vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors -- there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. Most of the houses that can be seen today were built in the 19th century when Zanzibar was one of the most important trading centres in the Indian Ocean region. The coraline rock of Zanzibar was a good building material, but it is also easily eroded. This is evident by the large number of houses that are in a bad state of repair. Several buildings have already been renovated and the Stone Town Conservation Authority has been established to co-ordinate the restoration of the town to its original magnificence. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I photographed Victoria Park so as not to be tempted to take a picture of the government building on the other side of the street. Many countries are uncomfortable about tourists taking such pictures. Hmm. What does this say about a government?

A major stop was the old slave market. The cathedral was built in 1873. The altar presumably was built on the exact spot where slave whipping and auctions took place.We saw the underground slave holding cells, which was an eerie sight. For centuries the Arabs sailed with the Monsoon winds from Oman to trade primarily in ivory, slaves and spices.

Next, we made our way through the markets where it seemed almost anything could be bought and sold.

Our last major stop was the House of Wonders It was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash and was the first in Zanzibar to have electric light and an electric lift. Not surprisingly, when it was built, the local people called it Beit el Ajaib, meaning the House of Wonders. Today, it is still one of the largest buildings in Zanzibar. This fascinating look back into the lives of the Sultans, includes a room dedicated to the Princess Salme of Zanzibar, daughter of Sultan Said the Great. It contains various items of furniture and paintings. The Arab Fort is situated next to the House of Wonders and was built between 1698 and 1701 by the Busaidi group of Omani Arabs. It is a large building with high, dark brown walls. topped by castellated battlements. The fort is open to visitors and now contains various shops and an open air theatre.

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Returning to Stone Town we were greeted by a sunset as we captured activities along the beach. Then a few hours later the day ended with a superb dinner on the beach — a new experience.

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