Day 18

In good company

Today we explored the rich natural diversity of Zanzibar. I again was in very good company: Ms Jose Hamann, the Marketing Executive of the Zamani Zanzibar Kempinski, two likeable guys from a Zanzibar DVD-Project, our driver and “Babu” Juma Silima Uledi. Silima was our guide for today and he is just an amazing guy: It seems as though he knows every corner of Zanzibar, every story, historical place, plant and even every person here. Moreover he is a funny and friendly guy and talks fluent Ki-Swahili and German (due to some years he spent on the Island of Rügen in Germany). “Babu”, what they call him here, stands for “Grandpa”. This might have something to do with his 10 children …

Jozani Forest

The Jozani forest is part of the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park. It is the largest forest on Zanzibar. And it’s stunning! A deep green jungle with thick vegetation and enormously trees – in some areas it is so deep that the sunlight has problems to find its way through to the forest floor.

We met Kesi Hukumu Ali there too, a biologist and very competent guide of the forest. So with two great guides there was nothing we didn’t get to know about Zanzibar’s flora.

For Zanzibar’s people the forest is not just a bunch of trees – but more like a colossal medicine depot. It seems that they have a cure for everything: The fruit from the Red Mahogany helps for skin infections and wounds, the Suregada Zanzibariensis is good for stomach pains, the root of the Rauvolfia Mombasiana you can use for chest pain and so on. There are many plants used for the treatment of period cramps and pregnancy pains and one against impotency (Screw Pine). There is even one plant against Malaria – the Neem Tree – makes more sense to me than taking pills for weeks. In fact this Neem Tree seems to be a real multifunctional wonder: It is used in the treatment and prevention for over 40 diseases; roots, trunks, leaves … there is a use for everything.

Red Colobus monkeys

In the forest lives also a population of really pleasant fellows: the Zanzibar Red Colobus monkeys. They count as critically endangered species but it seems as if they don’t care: They had a lot fun jumping around and were very curious about our presence. Silima told us that the older monkey generation had some prejudices against humans but the younger ones seem to say: ‘Hey, they look just like us – let’s show them what tree climbing really is about!”

Mangrove forest

As a round up we visited a nearby mangrove forest: It has a very special atmosphere in this swampy area. It is known as the “forest of the sea” – the trees like the mixture of freshwater and saltwater which is incoming with the tide. One more place to get the feel of a very tropical region!

Zala Zoological Park

After so many trees and plants we stopped at the Zala Park for a little thrill: The Park is home to snakes and other local reptiles. We where guided around by Ramadan – a student of Nature Conservation and a really great guy! He is so enthusiastic about reptiles and has a very practical approach in attending them. While he showed us around he suddenly spotted a new snake in one of the bushes. He got a big leave and packed the snake right below the head. Yes, it was a highly poisonous one! I asked him what the leaf was for: “Well, for protection. With new snakes you never know …” I still wonder what a leaf would have helped against the razor sharp teeth of a snake or its poison for that matter? But I guess it was more a psychological thing; he has survived four python bites, three tree snake bites, three more bites by other poisonous snakes and a bite from a monitor lizard – a though guy indeed!

Zanzibar Butterfly Centre

Our last stop for today was way more relaxing: We visited the Butterfly Centre where you can wander around peacefully and watch over 200 butterflies fluttering around. Even if the lifecycle of a butterfly from the egg to the caterpillar to the chrysalis and finally to the butterfly was very interesting – but our pleasure derived more from spotting them and then following these beautiful species around.

So today we learned a lot of things about medicine, flora and fauna – and how naturally beautiful Zanzibar is!