Zanzibar has had no power for two months but many people believe the outage will bring only good in the long run

(This article first appeared in Sunday Times Ecosse on 14 February 2010, this is the unedited version.)

You may have heard. There is no electricity in Zanzibar other than the startling lightning of monsoon season. A fire decimated much of the system that brings us power from the mainland, and spare parts are on order. Talk is of no electricity for a week, two weeks, three weeks. Some even say we might yet rival the six week power cut of 2008.