This is a first-person travel vlog transcript by Nate and Kara Buchanan recording a day in Stone Town, Zanzibar. They attend a Swahili church service (mentioned 9:30), visit the Dharajani market, sample Indian dishes (multiple naans and curries), try local gelato/ice cream (homemade, about $1 a scoop) and return to get Zanzibar pizza from "Mr. Big Banana." The transcript includes sensory details (fishy market smell, ginger coffee), local interactions (handshakes at church, friendly greetings), and an overall positive sense of safety and enjoyment.
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August 19, 2016
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So yesterday when we went and toured the old church that sat on top of the old slave market, the guy told us that we could come back for a Swahili service this morning at 9:30. So we're gonna go check it out. We won't be able to understand anything, but it should be fun.
Sounds like they started without us. Maybe you told us the wrong sa.
We just left church. We made it for about an hour. Lots of speaking and I assume Swahili and singing. We didn't understand a single word and we were the only white people in the entire church.
It was awesome. My favorite part was about halfway through, everyone turned around really quickly and started shaking everyone's hand. And I think people were really excited to shake hands.
Everybody was coming up to us.
It was great.
It was fun.
We're still going.
Yeah. We heard African church can last a long time. So after an hour of not being able to understand things, it gets a little, a little monotonous. And now we're going to find a local market. I don't think it's like food stall, local market. I think it's like local, local market.
This fishy smell makes me think we found it.
Mr. Really has sold some ginger coffee.
How are we going to make it?
I don't know. A blend of finely toasted coffee mixed with sugar. A strong wake up drink designed to keep you ready for the day challenge. Entirely organic.
My piece of sn.
You can just imagine the smell of this place right now.
How long you think it'll take to get that smell out of your nose.
In a really weird way. That made me hungry.
That is weird.
I think that was called the Dharajani market. I don't know. One of the best markets we've been to in a long time though.
Our new friend explained to us that it translates to creek market. This big main road right here used to be a creek. So that just shows how long that market's been there because now it's a road.
It was cool. All the meats, while disgusting, are super cool to see. Yeah. But make me want to be a vegetarian for the next week. While we're here, Kara, where are we going now?
Indian food.
Hello, Jambo.
Yeah. Let's look at the menu.
Not a bad view.
This is definitely the fanciest looking in these restaurant we've ever been in. Nothing like all the food stalls and hole in the wall places we've been.
We have received a plate of a lot of things that we don't know what they are.
They look yummy Should I use my fork or just use this?
Feel like you break off a piece of that and you eat it with that.
I need to ask how we're supposed to eat it. Is that how you e it? Yeah. And even that one. And also when we use the basic veg.
We asked for some directions. Still a little confused. I'm gonna refrain from putting the fresh veggies on here because I just had food poisoning and you're really not supposed to have fresh veggies in places where you can't drink the water.
As much as I want to. Not ready for that again. So I'm just gonn.
Whoa.
Okay, so this reminds me of checking every spice again, because this came with.
All of our meals.
But this.
What is this? It is so good.
I won't judge if you try with the spoon. Tell me what it is.
I don't know.
I don't know.
They left some of the peel in here. It's like green. I definitely think it's a.
Maybe in tamarind sauce.
I don't know.
I love it.
So we got three different naans. Chili cheese naan, garlic naan, and then some other cheese and onions that we've never had before.
What do we get here?
I have no idea. Punjabi?
Is that what you think? Punjabi is what we think of it. Chickpeas, onions, and spinach.
Smells good.
It's like the creamiest curriest.
Sauce.
Yeah.
The greatest.
I like how much we enjoy Indian food, but we know nothing about it.
Having a go.
It is a beautiful day, but I think we need to get some ice cream.
Can I try the cocoa and cardamon? Yeah.
What is that?
Whoa. That is interesting. I feel like that's the most local choice you can make right there. Whoa.
That's crazy. Every day we change flavor, but to chocolate and peanuts. Always weird.
Perfect.
Oh, thank you.
Can I get a scoop of the cocoa and cardamom? Thank you.
You're welcome. I got chocolate and peanut butter. It's delicious.
So happy.
That was a great idea.
We have not tried all of the ice cream in Zanzibar. That's actually the first ice cream we've had in Zanzibar. I can say with, like, 95% certainty that that is the best ice cream in Zanzibar.
Yes.
Homemade gelato at its finest for, like, a dollar a scoop.
So on the vlog, it's gonna look like we just ate ice cream and now we're going to eat again. But there was, like a little time in between. We went back to the room, worked on our computers. I tried to, like, plan the rest of our time here in zanzibar to, like. It was a complete, utter failure. But still working on that. Now we're going to eat again. We usually try to mix up, like, the food that we eat, so the vlog's more interesting. But the zanzibar pizza was just too good last night.
We're getting the exact same thing.
No, we're trying to. New strategy. I'm gonna go with one savory pizza and two dessert pizzas, Because I'm not splitting my dessert pizza.
I'm not splitting my savory pizza.
We're getting four pizzas. We've come back to Mr. Big Banana because we've decided he has the best zanzibar pizza. Yes. And the biggest banana.
I think it's better than last night. No lie. We're gonna go take it to watch the people jumping off the ledge and eat.
Do you have mars bars tonight? Mars.
Desser. Dessert pizza number one. Dessert pizza number two.
Somebody wouldn't share with me tonight.
Making friends.
Hi, kitty.
Kitty.
This or ice cream.
Oh, you can't do that.
I don't know.
Ice cream is like.
I will never get sick of ice cream. I could eat it every day. I think this is, like, a little heavy. And if I ate it every day, I would feel super fat. I don't think I could do it. Like, if I had to choose one for the rest of my life, it would be ice cream. But today, I like those better.
Well, once again, while you're walking back down dark alleyways, I've developed a strategy for this, though. I take the camera off of the tripod, which is made of, like, lots of metal, and it has a really sharp thing at the end.
I feel like I could really pin.
Some people off with this.
If it came to it.
Let me add that we have felt so safe here. Every single person you walk by also says hello. Even if they don't want you to buy anything. Like, they just like jumbo. They're so nice.
We've heard it. Safe. I would prefer to have this heavy stick with me. Anytime I'm walking down dark alleys anywhere in the world, there's not a knock on zanzibar. Yeah, but it's just all dark alleys like this one.
