The Colours of Africa

Nowhere in the world have I seen such vivid colours: the green, yellow, sparkling orange, flaming red... and, of course, a range of gentle blue hues from the sea and sky...

By Mario Bralić
Photo by Mario Bralić & Marko Todorović

As I was planning the trip to Tanzania, I knew very little about this far-off land. I collected information from guides, over the Internet and talked with people who spent some time in Africa. Still, the impressions I got from reading the novels of Earnest Hemingway and from Leni Riefenstahl, both of whom were obsessed with Africa, were most dear to me. For, I hoped that I would encounter similar adventures.

The continent being straddled by a vast body of sea, my plan was to use dhows (traditional Arab sailing vessels) to sail along the ancient maritime merchant routes connecting Africa, Arabia and India. These were the routes on which dhows were used to carry precious cargo between the three. Throughout the past, and today as well, the most exclusive merchandise and know-how was transported in this way, and culture was thus exchanged.

Finally, I was on my way in search of the scents, tastes, art and colours of Africa. On the sea-side part of my trip across Tanzania, I toured old ports and shipyards such as Tanga, sparsely populated and undisturbed islands such as Pemba, as well as the island Zanzibar, now an exclusive tourist destination.

After a flight of some length, we arrived in Dar es Salaam. A huge and fascinating morning sun and dancing sunlight welcomed us. I made haste and departed from a large city that, like any other metropolis, breathes hustle and noise. Already, while on a bus to reach Tanga port, the second largest in Tanzania, we touched the edge of the jungle as we passed local villages. And already, then and there, I encountered the colours of Africa, an impression that remained firmly imprinted in my memory. Nowhere in the world have I seen such vivid colours: the green, yellow, sparkling orange, flaming red... and, of course, a range of gentle blue hues of the sea and sky...

As during my previous travels, I solicited assistance from the locals. Our friends welcomed us. They were surprised by our impatience and plans to get everything organised as soon as possible. Pole-Pole ('slowly, slowly') and Hakuna Matata ('there are no worries here' or 'no problem') they answered to my bewildering questions as to whether any problem could be handled with expediency. In Africa, time flows in step with nature, especially in summer, as it happened to be on this particular occasion. To my naďve questions about how Africans work in the summer heat, the well-intentioned and sincere answer was – they don't! They work early in the morning and before sundown. And, as far as foreigners go, some are constantly agitated and give up on their trip and leave, while others enthusiastically join the rhythm of Africa.

There is a continual crisis in this country and people are hard up, but the Africans welcome guests with a smile and the greeting Habari ('welcome', lit. 'what's the news'). Bargaining is customary, and one can hardly escape it. As they offer you merchandise, they proceed to explain all about the product, teach you a word or two of Swahili and invariably ask where you come from. The people here do not like to have their photograph taken. To make one, one must be accepted by them as a friend who may then be allowed to record a part of their soul. They are offended if you offer money for this, while the children – as elsewhere in the world – are always smiling, outgoing and like to pose for picture-taking.

Beaches and Islands

We walk on the white sand along the almost deserted and long beaches. Our hands are full of seashells, snail shells and corals. The sea glistens with colours ranging from a hue of blue to light-blue and brilliant bluish green, its salinity higher than other seas. Pemba Island (the Arabs called it Green Island) is filled with fortresses dating back to the very beginnings of the Swahili civilisation, with a number of small fishing villages scattered around it. This is where, for the most part, passionate anglers and divers come. All around the island, like budding green mushrooms in the sea, one can see many small and larger boats and dhows ferrying passengers and cargo along the ancient trade routes.

I sail between the islets with local fishermen who navigate in light sailing boats. The protruding coral reefs would scare any yachtsman, but these fishermen meander between the sharp reefs with ease to reach locations where quality fish are found in abundance.

Zanzibar

Unguja, the largest island of the Zanzibar archipelago, is in actuality a huge coral reef accommodating long beaches with virginal white sand, numerous coconut palms and spice plantations. Here, on this paradise island, all the senses come alive. The wind brings the scent of spices, flowers, food and fruits. The eyes rest on the whiteness of the sand, on the green branches of giant palms and orange-coloured earth. Reflections of ancient, intensely coloured houses shimmer on the turquoise-coloured surface of the sea, while on land one can discern a lively blend of different-coloured fabrics, decorative pearls and other hand-crafted products in shops and street bazaars.

The Zanzibar Stone Town is a fortress-city crisscrossed by a labyrinth of streets abounding in shops offering Arab-made goods. One roams these streets as if in a movie – quite carefree – until one realises he has lost his way. But, not to worry, with a smile the locals will take you back to your starting point. You may feel a curious unsettling feeling as you hear that slave trading took place on the square. Variegated music can be heard coming from every direction; including African rhythms and Arabic sounds to the music of Freddie Mercury coming from a café that bears his name, and where he used to sit until the wee-wee hours. The best thing to do as far as eating goes is to order fish and shell fish, large shrimp and fruit. As a rule, coffee and tea are spiced with cinnamon and hot chilly pepper. They probably taste like nothing you've ever had the occasion to drink.

On this island, one can see and savour the best of Africa, Arabia and India. This is indeed the right destination for hedonists.

Maasai

Members of the Maasai tribe also come to the beaches of Zanzibar. From among all the African tribes, only the Maasai bear the epithet of nobility that was respected even by British colonisers. The Maasai warriors are dressed in traditional attire, wearing ornaments, their hair long and braided. I admire the way they walk; they seem not to touch the ground. As it is hard living just from cattle raising, these proud warriors go out and sell handicrafts to tourists, thus earning money for the entire tribe. They are quite communicative, and sometimes speak up to three languages, so it is not hard to befriend them, in contrast to the Maasai who live on the mainland and pay little attention to foreigners. To this day, their wealth is measured by the number of cows they own. They live a nomadic life, tending their cattle and moving around in search of better grazing ground. The border between Tanzania and Kenya is open to the Maasai and they freely move across 'their lands'. But, regardless of status, both groups respect the rules of the clan and tribe they belong to and, with a smile, simply say: "I am Maasai."

My impressions and stories about Tanzania inspired the curiosity of my younger photographer colleague Marko Todorović. His roaming spirit and eagerness for new challengers drove Marko deeper into the continent in search of his own perceptions. We shared impressions but our photographs were stamped with personal vision.