After touring the Kaole Ruins, I booked a bodaboda ride and headed to Old Town. If you are reading this from the Dominican Republic, motorcycle taxis are popularly known as bodabodas in this part of the world.
My next stops included the Old Fort, the German cemetery, the slave port, and the mansion that once served as the official residence of the German colonial governor. As I walked from one attraction to another, I came across more historic structures, including an old post office, administrative buildings, and a 19th-century mosque. Unlike the ruined mosques I had seen earlier at Kaole, this one has been renovated several times and remains operational.
My tour of Old Town brought me face to face with two subjects I dislike most: the slave trade and colonialism. Slave traders and colonial powers left their marks throughout this part of Bagamoyo. Along the way, I also gathered the information I needed about the Abushiri Revolt, which took place in the late 1880s.
It was a bittersweet experience. Walking across the ground marked by painful history and touching the walls that had witnessed difficult chapters of the past, I found myself thinking about the countless stories and identities that were lost along the way. Yet, amid the anger and sorrow, I also felt the importance of preserving these places as spaces for reflection, resilience, and healing.
Bagamoyo was one of the major departure points for enslaved people brought from the interior of East Africa and beyond before being transported across the Indian Ocean. The name Bagamoyo is often associated with the Swahili phrase bwaga moyo, meaning “lay down your heart” or “give up hope,” a phrase traditionally linked to the despair experienced by those forced through this coastal settlement.
After touring Old Town, I stopped at Traveller's Lodge for lunch. The break rekindled memories of my 2001 weekend getaway at the peaceful waterfront property. Although I spent about an hour relaxing at Traveller's, my exploration of Bagamoyo was far from over.
The Catholic Museum was next. What unfolded as I examined the exhibits inside the museum will be the subject of my next post.