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At the point where the massive Pangani River
empties itself into the Indian Ocean, a village
has grown. The Pangani River passes through the
north side of the town, separating the old
buildings and the present-day market from the
farms and small houses on the south side. The
river itself requires a ferry to cross, its dark
brown waters heavy with alluvial silt as it
meanders slowly into the ocean. On either side
of the little town, coconut palms and sisal
plantations undulate towards the horizon.
Once a centre of Swahili trade with the African
mainland, the town of Pangani is now a sleepy
backwater that little remembers its days of
splendour. The old German administrative boma
still stands behind a colonade of tall shade
trees and the former prison, painted a fading
ochre red, looks over the river’s lazy waters.
Old houses along the main road offer lived-in
examples of colonial and traditional Swahili
architecture, the buildings slowly crumbling
against the monsoon winds. Visitors passing
through the area would do well to explore what
remains of the old town on foot. Even a short
walk rewards visitors with a glimpse of quiet
life in the old trading towns along the Swahili
Coast. |
