Tanzania, 2005

I took the opportunity of being in Tanzania for the first time to do some sightseeing. The conference was held in Dar es Salaam, a vibrant and bustling city, made all the more interesting by the strong Arab and Muslim influence over the centuries. It reminded me of Mombasa in Kenya which I visited in 1991. Bagamoyo (about 75 kms from Dar) has a real aura of ancient history, having been the main port on the African east coast for trade in spices, ivory and slaves dating back hundreds of years. The village of Bagamoyo also conveyed a sense of timelessness, with boat-builders and fishermen living in much the same way as countless generations of ancestors.

Despite being disturbed by the haunting shroud of its slave-trading past, I found Zanzibar to be a total delight for the senses, with its fresh food markets, spice farms, ancient carved wooden doors, idyllic beaches and tropical palm-tufted vistas. I've tried to capture some of the sights, sounds and smells of Tanzania in my poem, Swahili Spice.