Stone Town
Once we were ensconced in the Emerson, we ventured out into the street, now confident we had our bearings. At first sight the twists and turns of the narrow lanes appeared confusing, but getting around was easy. It seemed to us quite safe and tourist friendly (a point reinforced by the guidebooks) although the laidback, non-pushy manner of the locals, also quoted, was not in evidence. The hawkers were after the tourist dollar here as elsewhere, haggling to show us around or buy their trinkets. Ironically it was on our final day that we came across the by now fabled genuine tourist guides, that casually show people around without undue pressure.
This occured whilst trying to photograph St Joseph's Cathedral, with a view that incorporated the tower of the the Bohora Mosque, when a voice suggested a better location. Mohammed was a quite mature gentlemen, very keen to talk cricket and to show us around (sadly the places we had been for the last two days!). But in his short time with us, he indicated the major sights and suggested to us the blue door of the parents house of Freddie Mercury (of the rock group 'Queen' fame). 
On our first evening we enjoyed sundowners on the veranda of the Africa House, on the edge of Stone Town. The Africa House is a stylish renovation of the old British Club, and will soon reopen as a hotel. Walking through the streets at night is both exciting and safe. Near the harbour, at the Jamituri Gardens we found numerous food stalls selling the best local delicacies, adding a whole new dimension to the concept of 'fast food'. 
The following day we toured the town, starting at the Palace of Wonders, built by Sultan Barghash in 1883. Within was an eclectic mix of exhibits, including an excellent small museum explaining the history of the island, the power and breadth of the Omani empire and early life on Zanzibar. 
Next door to the Palace is the Arab Fort, dating back to the 1700's, originally built by the Omani to defend themselves from the Portuguese, although ironically the Fort sat upon the site of an early Portuguese church! 
After more twists and turns through the back streets, dodging hand carts and overloaded bicycles, we found the Anglican Church of Christ (on the site of the old Slave Market). The church was built to commemorate the end of slave trading, and the altar is sited on the location of the original whipping post, with a memorial outside to the slave trade. Under the next door building are slave cells - small cellars with chain that have been opened up to the public. One really surprising factor about Zanzibar is the religious tollerance that still pervades today, with all denominations practising in harmony with one another. 
Within the church is a small wooden crucifix, said be have been carved from the tree under which David Livingstone died (and where his heart is buried) in Chitambo, Zambia. On returning to Dar, we managed to get the faster hydrofoil and were met by our taxi driver as arranged. We tried to get provisions for our onward journey, but even in Dar, little was available above the standard fruit and vegetables available in most Tanzanian outlets. Finally we did find a small supermarket. That evening we spent hours fiddling with the laptop to make the connection work, sadly to no avail - so much for our Global Roaming Software!
