Spice tour and departure

Today we checked out of our hotel and traveled back to Stonetown. On the way we stopped for a spice tour. This location is no longer an active spice farm, but is a great location for tourists to see the various spices within a small area.

We saw spices such as allspice, lemon grass, tamarind, ginger, cardamon, black/red/white pepper, etc. We also saw some fruit, such as star fruit, jak fruit (originally from Jakarta, hence the name jak), avocado, mangosteen, palmello (like a grapefruit), orange, lemon and lime.

The most interesting spice was the nutmeg. It grows on a tree and looks like a light colored peach/apple. But peel off the fruit (hard and not edible) and you will find a pit with a bright red net around it! The red part is dried and made into mace spice (not to be confused with pepper spray mace). Then the pit is cracked open to reveal the nutmeg which is dried and ground up for spice. (See photo.)

Of course the tour ended at a gift shop where we bought some small pkgs of spice. Think chai tea!! Pumpkin pie!! Etc.

After the tour our driver took Don and I to the airport south of Stonetown. There we said goodbye to Fred and Deb, our traveling companions (and still good friends) for the last 6 weeks. It will seem strange to have breakfast and supper without them. (Although all of us are looking forward to eating at home. I know, it's been very rough eating out for 6 weeks!)

So now here we sit at the airport on Dar es Salaam, waiting to check into our international flight through Nairobi to Zurich, Switzerland, where we hope to do a city tour during our layover. Then on to Chicago and home to Winnipeg where Leah will pick us up and drive us Home Sweet Home!!