Letters from my fatherland: A secret by the coast

Beautiful beaches, with clean blue water and large fierce waves is what I first observed in Pangani. It had taken us a full day to arrive in Pangani because of a five-hour bus ride from Moshi to Tanga. It then took two more from Tanga to Pangani. The bus ride was full of stops at local towns and dusty dirt roads with potholes! The vegetation on the trip was note-worthy – natural forests and beautiful sisal plantations. Adding the beauty of Pangani, the day-long journey was worth it! Unlike the island of Zanzibar, Pangani is quiet and attracts a lower number of tourists. But, the natural beauty of the small town and its beaches make it like-able. Over the years, Zanzibar has been a famous tourist destination. Locals in Zanzibar have not just been catering for tourists but have also been relying on them for their livelihood. This was not the case in Pangani. It is still a secret! Not as many people were on the beaches, the locals survive as fishermen.

The beaches were not filled with vendors trying to sell crafts and souvenirs to tourists. Instead the beaches are located right in the middle of local villages. Villagers go about their day-to-day activities as tourists spend time on the beaches. Geographically, Pangani is located in Northeast Tanzania about 45 kilometres from Tanga. The town sits next to Pangani River and was a major trading point during the nineteenth century. In those days, the townspeople established plantations of sugar and coconut on the river banks, which can still be seen today. As we walked on the beach, every local village was surrounded by coconut trees. Again, because of the lack of fascination of tourists and because the industry hasn’t matured all the local businesses, villagers offered coconuts for free and engaged in conversations with visitors. I liked the fact that I was treated more as a guest rather than a tourist!

We spent a majority of our time at a locally-owned guest house on Ushongo Beach called Drifters Lodge. It has been in business for over ten years. The owner as well as the staff members were from nearby villages – giving it a nice, local and warm feel. The beautiful lodge provided us with delicious meals every day, over-looking the beach and also organized activities for us. One morning we spent our time travelling on a large ski boat to visit a nearby island. Ushongo Beach is full of small islands that are inhabited just by birds, not people. These islands are great get-away spots for tourists! We spent one morning on one of those islands enjoying cold drinks and freshly-prepared sandwich! One morning my summer colleagues and I woke up before 5:am to see the sunrise! The sunrise I observed in Pangani was one that will be forever etched in my memory. It was a scene out of a postcard--so colourful, peaceful, and simply, breathtaking! During the afternoons, we would take walks on the beaches. During our walks, we passed by several villages including Ushongo, Kikokwe, and Bweni. At times, we’d stop and play with the children in the villages. One of the spots had a nice-sized hammock where each of us took turns playing with the children. Outside our own lodge was a nice swing made out of an old car tire. The children came to play on that swing as we interacted and played other beach games with them!

As we talked to the villagers I also learned more about their lifestyle. Most rely on fishing. The predominant religion is Islam and because we were visiting during the month of Ramadhan, most of them were fasting. During fasting season, business was slower as people ate less and therefore, sold less. Families live collectively in extended family households and most had more than three children. One thing was obvious--they were delighted to speak of their heritage and culture! They had a great sense of pride in belonging to Pangani as their families had been there for many generations and had played a major role in coordinating resistance against the Germans. During my short time there, I realised what a rich and unique history Pangani has!

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