Bagamoyo field trip!

Have we mentioned that Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is hot?! So we all were eager to get out of the heat of the city and spend this past weekend about 70 km north of Dar along the coast in the historic town of Bagamoyo. After settling into our beachside accommodations on Friday afternoon we hopped on bikes for a ride across town and a tour of some of Bagamoyo’s historical spots. First up: the Kaole ruins, dating back to the 13th-14th century, where the first Shirazi Arab settlers turned Bagamoyo into an early major international trading point. Along with some fascinating history our guide showed us, somewhat as an aside to the normal programming, a diverse range of native trees to Tanzania. We were shown Neem trees, Mangrove trees, Marula trees, Strangler Fig trees, and the beautifully massive Baobab tree.

After a restful night we had another day full of the history, this time by foot, we got to see Stonetown in Bagamoyo. The bright sunny day was dimmed by the sobering history of this beautiful place. Bagamoyo was first established as a trading port, in large part, to export slaves and ivory brought to the coast from the hinterlands of eastern Africa. We toured the church of the first Christian missionaries in East Africa, saw the old mosque, the old port, and slave market. Centuries later the space once used to sell slaves is now home to the Bagamoyo Arts Market.

It was a quick trip to Bagamoyo but we were struck by the history, the natural beauty, and the kind people. After the full Friday and Saturday we were all grateful for the short break from Dar but perhaps ready for another restful weekend.