Evening star., 1954-06-30
Place to Get Away From 1t All: Zanzibar
By Miriom Ottenbero

~ came word that an Arab newspaper
had been suppressed for pro-Commu-
INST articles and British warship was
standing by in case Of disorders. This
is like talk of picketing Paradise.
Not that Zanzibar hasn't troubles
like the rest Of the world. Sudden
death"-a ravaging form Of blight
his many Of the Glove plantations al
ready hard-presSed by drop in Glove
prices There's unemployment and talk
Of starvation.
But the visitor to this Indian Ocean
spice island with the musical name is
Likely to become too bemused to think
of such worldly things as Communist
infiltration or unemployment. To the
romantic, what chance does reality
stand against Sinbad the Sailor, the
Queen of Sheba. DR.. David Livingstone.
Vasco da Cana and the host OF others
whose names figure in zanzibar's exotic
past?
other faraway places have had their
heroes and villains, their legends have
moments Of greatness. but now all you
see in many Of them are natives In
Western dress, dirty streets and dime
stores. Zanzibar is still just Tar enough
off the beaten track to maintain its kin.
ship with the past. In fact. its very age
is on the side of enchantment. Inc
city's narrow streets are too thickly SET
tied already to find room for the neon
lighted store fronts OF its mainland
neighbors. It's only hotel, reached
through a succession of what look like
alleys but are actually streets. is a IL
$1,000 - fod from the home nj
an Arab merchant. Its big modern air.
port is far enough out OF town to MAIN
tain the illusion of the city'S antiquity.
Wandering through the maze OF
streets, this is the sort OF thing you see:
A couple of black-veiled Arab women
with pantaloonS just showing below
their dark robes, following meekly be-
hind a Stalwart who carries their sea
chest on his shoulder. Their pantaloons
show they have just come OF sailing
ship or dhow, down from Arabia. When
they become more "cityfled," they will
abandon the pantaloons but not their
head-to-foot black. -.
A bearded sultan ordering his chaut-
feur to halt the bright-red limousine so
he can wave and smile at some chill
dren.
Women shopping in the Khanga Ba-
zaar. The khangas, preferred by the
women of Zanzibar to Western dress.
are as carefully selected as the latest
Paris models. They come in sheet OF
material which is cut in two to form
the softly draped gown and matching
headdress. The sense of humor OF ma
tive street walkers is reflected in
phrase of Arabic-frequently obscene
woven into the pattern. A woman OF
Zanzibar wouldn't be caught dead IN
last years khanga If she can possibly
find the shillingS for a new one.
White-robed Arabs of the dhows.
their heads Swathed in bright ScarfS.
their waists girdled with silver-studded
belts from which dangle wicked-look-
ing curved blades in heavily embossed
silver SheathS. Sometimes, these Weap-
ons wind up in the shops OF Zanzibar
along with ornate Arab chests. They
are sold by the Arab Seamen for the
wherewithal to buy provisions for their
return trip to Arabia or the Persian
Gulf. The forefathers of these Arabs
dealt in slaves and ivory. Now they
carry firewood on their trip home.
Open-fronted, shops where men sit
croSs-legged in the cool 'semidarknesS
to sew designs in silver thread on black
velvet. -.
The Church of England Cathedral.
built on the site of the old slave market.
where a stained glass window is dedi-
Gated ITO the glory Of God and in
memory of Livingstone and other ex-
plorers, men good and brave who to
advance knowledge, set free the slave
and hasten Christ's kingdom in Africa
loved not their lives, even unto
DEATH" ..
The market place with it's stalls for
small shark, goat meat, beef. bananas,
mangos and tapioca and it's rows OF
charcoal-laden baskets woven Of CO.
coanut palm. ..
Heavily carved Arab doorways with
doors spiked with brass. :. . little Indian
girls with jewels in their noses to show
they are engaged \. babble of Arabs,
Hindus. Goanese, Persians, Swahili. =.
Or perhaps you are lucky enough to
get guide who knows where the ma
tiveS are holding a weekend get-to-
gether-an ngoma. Mine called him
self-presumably for my benefit
George Washington. He was Moslem
from Madagascar. a sympatico spirit
proud of his learning who insisted or
paying for the home-bottled pineapple
brew that satisfied remarkably in the
heat of the city.
Out into the country we went. past
the ruins Of a sultan's palace with
Persian baths for the ladies OF. the
harem; through avenues of palms tt
cocoanut plant where we Swipec
cocoanut fresh from the oven; pas
the village of Bububu which takes it!
name from the sound of a bubblins
spring; past pole with a queer rec
ball on top of it. asked George what
it was but he wouldn't say. I founc
out later that the good Moslems anc
the good Christians of the countryside