kizimkazi
At her next visit to Zanzibar the woman learned
that her dearest friend Hassan had married and
become a son.
As she went to vist the family, the baby, called
Abdullatif was sleeping so deeply that all the
efforts of the parents to wake the baby up
had no success. The child war far in the land of
dreams.
that her dearest friend Hassan had married and
become a son.
As she went to vist the family, the baby, called
Abdullatif was sleeping so deeply that all the
efforts of the parents to wake the baby up
had no success. The child war far in the land of
dreams.
Dream of Abdullatif:
I was dreaming that I was flying on the back of the bird rukh. The bird was huge and had enormous
claws with which it could seize a ship and eat up the whole manship even elephants it could carry
through the air. After a long flight over the ocean an island appeared under us and as I had become
hungry so I asked the rukh to let me down there and I walked into a village.
There Mrimba of Machinga tribe lived. He was the headman of the Machinga. They were simple
people, fishermen and peasants and they gave me to eat and to drink. I could sleep in a hut of
Mrimba and he took me up in his family. One day a dhow came sailing to the island, people got out of
the dhow and came to Mrimba and the owner of the ship, a noble and rich man, spoke to
Mrimba:"Honoured Mrimba, I am Sultan Ali bin Seliman and I come from Shiraz. I' m a merchant
and I will give you presents of trade and beads if you let me and my family stay on your island".
And he gave everybody presents according to his standing.
Sultan Ali took Mrimbas daughter to his wife and they lived on good terms with the people till one
day the Sultan said to Mrimbas daughter: "Go to your father and tell him that it is not suitable for
him to live in the same place as myself, his son in law. He shall go to the mainland".
Mrimba answered to this:"Tell Sultan Ali that I agree to go to the mainland, but he must spread out
cloth for me all the way, so that I may walk on cloth as far as the mainland". So the sultan spread
out cloth from the island to the opposite mainland and Mrimba passed over.
But I didn' t want to leave the island then meanwhile I had become a merchant too, trading with
Persia, India and Arabia and getting a rich man too.
Now sultan Ali ruled the island but he had no power on the mainland. He ruled in peace and goodness;
his subjects didn' t have to pay taxes. He built either a fort nor a town wall.
Sultan Ali and Mrimbas daughter had a son, Mohamed bin Sultan Ali. As Mohamed had grown up to
manhood he went to the mainland to see his grandfather who handed over his power to Mohamed,
because he was the eldest son of Mrimbas daughter. Mrimba gave him permission to make war on
the mainland, to capture slaves, ivory and gold. The gold came from Great Zimbabwe, a famous
Kingdom. Now Sultan Mohamed had all the richness also from the mainland and our town became very
rich during his rule. He built a Mosque, rised a wall around the town and the harbour.
I also had become a wealthy man living very comfortably. But sometimes at night I dreamed of the
rukh and woke up, fearing he could come along and take me away in his claws.
claws with which it could seize a ship and eat up the whole manship even elephants it could carry
through the air. After a long flight over the ocean an island appeared under us and as I had become
hungry so I asked the rukh to let me down there and I walked into a village.
There Mrimba of Machinga tribe lived. He was the headman of the Machinga. They were simple
people, fishermen and peasants and they gave me to eat and to drink. I could sleep in a hut of
Mrimba and he took me up in his family. One day a dhow came sailing to the island, people got out of
the dhow and came to Mrimba and the owner of the ship, a noble and rich man, spoke to
Mrimba:"Honoured Mrimba, I am Sultan Ali bin Seliman and I come from Shiraz. I' m a merchant
and I will give you presents of trade and beads if you let me and my family stay on your island".
And he gave everybody presents according to his standing.
Sultan Ali took Mrimbas daughter to his wife and they lived on good terms with the people till one
day the Sultan said to Mrimbas daughter: "Go to your father and tell him that it is not suitable for
him to live in the same place as myself, his son in law. He shall go to the mainland".
Mrimba answered to this:"Tell Sultan Ali that I agree to go to the mainland, but he must spread out
cloth for me all the way, so that I may walk on cloth as far as the mainland". So the sultan spread
out cloth from the island to the opposite mainland and Mrimba passed over.
But I didn' t want to leave the island then meanwhile I had become a merchant too, trading with
Persia, India and Arabia and getting a rich man too.
Now sultan Ali ruled the island but he had no power on the mainland. He ruled in peace and goodness;
his subjects didn' t have to pay taxes. He built either a fort nor a town wall.
Sultan Ali and Mrimbas daughter had a son, Mohamed bin Sultan Ali. As Mohamed had grown up to
manhood he went to the mainland to see his grandfather who handed over his power to Mohamed,
because he was the eldest son of Mrimbas daughter. Mrimba gave him permission to make war on
the mainland, to capture slaves, ivory and gold. The gold came from Great Zimbabwe, a famous
Kingdom. Now Sultan Mohamed had all the richness also from the mainland and our town became very
rich during his rule. He built a Mosque, rised a wall around the town and the harbour.
I also had become a wealthy man living very comfortably. But sometimes at night I dreamed of the
rukh and woke up, fearing he could come along and take me away in his claws.
(Legend of Schirazi people: According to one of many legends a group of people came from Shiraz
in Persia to Eat Afrika at about AD 1000. It is told that Abi Ben Sultan of Shiraz had a bad dream,
where rats were eating his inventory stocks. Tis dream induced him to sail to the Indian Ocean with
seven dhows carrying his six brothers and treir families, then struck by a storm his entourage was
divided and the Shirazi established seven settlements on the East African islands, one of them
beeing Zanzibar.)
in Persia to Eat Afrika at about AD 1000. It is told that Abi Ben Sultan of Shiraz had a bad dream,
where rats were eating his inventory stocks. Tis dream induced him to sail to the Indian Ocean with
seven dhows carrying his six brothers and treir families, then struck by a storm his entourage was
divided and the Shirazi established seven settlements on the East African islands, one of them
beeing Zanzibar.)
The woman was surprised to hear from Hassan
that Brian wasn' t in Kiweni anymore but
worked in a restaurant in Stonetown as
manager. So there she went. It was great to see
him again although it was sad that something had
went wrong with the Hotel and all the work of
Brian and his crew had performed now was lost.
The other way round the woman in secret
thought that no herd of tourists could desecrate
her "Robinson beach". As Kiweni now was not
possible to go to, Brian recommended the woman
this time to visit the south of the island and to
go to Kizimkazi, the utmost top of the south.
that Brian wasn' t in Kiweni anymore but
worked in a restaurant in Stonetown as
manager. So there she went. It was great to see
him again although it was sad that something had
went wrong with the Hotel and all the work of
Brian and his crew had performed now was lost.
The other way round the woman in secret
thought that no herd of tourists could desecrate
her "Robinson beach". As Kiweni now was not
possible to go to, Brian recommended the woman
this time to visit the south of the island and to
go to Kizimkazi, the utmost top of the south.
Anyway now Kidude became her favourit restaurant in Stonetown, which was very near to the
hotel that she usually frequented when in Town, The Clove Hotel, a simple but nice place whith a
roof bar for breakfast
hotel that she usually frequented when in Town, The Clove Hotel, a simple but nice place whith a
roof bar for breakfast
Voyage to Kizimkazi:
Hassan had promised to accompany the woman to Kizimkazi so they took a ride with the cab of a
friend of Hassan. On the road he told her the story about the 182 mango trees which are shadowing
the street at Bungi performing a long alley.
Not very far from the street there are ruins of an ancient palace which, as they tell, long time ago
belonged to a persian princess, called Bikhole. The princes was rich and incredibly beautiful,
nevertheless she rejected every proposal of marriage. Her father could or would not subdue the
daughter so she lived in her palace as she pleased.
friend of Hassan. On the road he told her the story about the 182 mango trees which are shadowing
the street at Bungi performing a long alley.
Not very far from the street there are ruins of an ancient palace which, as they tell, long time ago
belonged to a persian princess, called Bikhole. The princes was rich and incredibly beautiful,
nevertheless she rejected every proposal of marriage. Her father could or would not subdue the
daughter so she lived in her palace as she pleased.
Still there were many men who tried to conquer the heart of the princes and tried to convince
her of their abilities as lover. As the legend tells the princes spent a night of love with one of
her suitors every now and then. But in the morning she let her eunuch decapitate the lover. The
head she buried at the street and planted a mango tree above it. As the princes was asked why
she had killed her lovers she answered: "These men who have spent a night with me have
experienced the utmost happines of temporal life. What else can they desire now but
paradise?"
So the alley of 183 Mango trees on the way to Kizimkazi is said to have originated.
her of their abilities as lover. As the legend tells the princes spent a night of love with one of
her suitors every now and then. But in the morning she let her eunuch decapitate the lover. The
head she buried at the street and planted a mango tree above it. As the princes was asked why
she had killed her lovers she answered: "These men who have spent a night with me have
experienced the utmost happines of temporal life. What else can they desire now but
paradise?"
So the alley of 183 Mango trees on the way to Kizimkazi is said to have originated.
KIZIMKAZI
At the end of this drive the woman arrived in Kizimkazi where at this time of the year (June)
hardly a tourist was in sight and accordingly bad were the finances of the hotel owner. The woman
paid him for 10 days in advance and at that evening the hotel had electric light again. Then the
woman waved good bye to Hassan and the taxi driver and faced her new recidence.
But electricity was not the only problem. The water pump in the village was broken and there was
no sweet water available in the hotel. So there was no shower. For washing the woman was brought
a bucket of water from a well which was very little.The european people are used to wash
themself all the time, and in that climate you do sweat even more than at home. But trouble makes
you inventive! The woman took the very fine sand ( fine like flour) mixed some shower gel to it,
scrubbed herself with it over and over, went to swim and afterwards she poured a couple of mugs
sweet water over her head (what a luck that she was wearing very short hair). Ready - go!
The woman was was reading her books, playing and walking on the beach with the dog of the owner,
in the evening they were playing cards or had Swahili - German lessons with the owner and some
young German guys, who were teaching the bigger children in the village school to assemble solar
torches. One day she went to the village to see the eldest still existing mosque of the island. As she
was walking through the village the children came and cried "jambo, jambo" and took her hand. The
grown-ups were more reserved. The woman felt herself uncomfortable, it was like beeing queen
Elisabeth, passing through, smiling, nodding and waving her hand and actually knowing nobody.
Despite of the not existing comforts the woman stayed 10 days because she was hoping to be able
to repeat the experience gaining nearness to herself she had had in Kiweni.There was an easy
atmosphere in Kizimkazi but she didn' t relly feel comfortable enough. After the first week there
also was no food left (no further tourists had appeared and the owner run out of cash again). Here
even the woman stopped to be inventious and decided to leave this place. She wanted to visit a
hotel at the east coast, in Paje, where a japanese woman is the owner and famous for her japanese
home cooking. She took the Dalla to Paje and learned to know Mama Saori.
At the end of this drive the woman arrived in Kizimkazi where at this time of the year (June)
hardly a tourist was in sight and accordingly bad were the finances of the hotel owner. The woman
paid him for 10 days in advance and at that evening the hotel had electric light again. Then the
woman waved good bye to Hassan and the taxi driver and faced her new recidence.
But electricity was not the only problem. The water pump in the village was broken and there was
no sweet water available in the hotel. So there was no shower. For washing the woman was brought
a bucket of water from a well which was very little.The european people are used to wash
themself all the time, and in that climate you do sweat even more than at home. But trouble makes
you inventive! The woman took the very fine sand ( fine like flour) mixed some shower gel to it,
scrubbed herself with it over and over, went to swim and afterwards she poured a couple of mugs
sweet water over her head (what a luck that she was wearing very short hair). Ready - go!
The woman was was reading her books, playing and walking on the beach with the dog of the owner,
in the evening they were playing cards or had Swahili - German lessons with the owner and some
young German guys, who were teaching the bigger children in the village school to assemble solar
torches. One day she went to the village to see the eldest still existing mosque of the island. As she
was walking through the village the children came and cried "jambo, jambo" and took her hand. The
grown-ups were more reserved. The woman felt herself uncomfortable, it was like beeing queen
Elisabeth, passing through, smiling, nodding and waving her hand and actually knowing nobody.
Despite of the not existing comforts the woman stayed 10 days because she was hoping to be able
to repeat the experience gaining nearness to herself she had had in Kiweni.There was an easy
atmosphere in Kizimkazi but she didn' t relly feel comfortable enough. After the first week there
also was no food left (no further tourists had appeared and the owner run out of cash again). Here
even the woman stopped to be inventious and decided to leave this place. She wanted to visit a
hotel at the east coast, in Paje, where a japanese woman is the owner and famous for her japanese
home cooking. She took the Dalla to Paje and learned to know Mama Saori.
