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.

This is a piece that I wrote for Karibu magazine about the cultural tour that you can do in the coastal village of Jambiani - would recommend it for all visitors to the East Coast who want to understand a bit about the history, culture, flora and fauna of the area.

I promised to blog my recipe for our Pumpkin, Carrot and Orange soup, so here we go. Soup might seem like a strange choice in a hot country, but actually a bowl of hot soup can be very refreshing. This one is so fresh and healthy because of the ingredients that it definitely perks you up for the rest of the day.

Pumpkin, Carrot and Orange Soup

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized pumpkin or squash

3 carrots

2 oranges

One onion

2 cloves garlic

Grated fresh ginger

Vegetable stock

Zanzibar is often known as the spice island. The exoticism of its name can only be matched by the transporting scent of fresh cloves, miles away from the Christmassy fustiness of their dried cousins. But if you come here to visit, what should you take home with you? Often pre-packaged spice mixes feature overground spices that are past their best - the humidity here means that things go soggy and lose their oomph quickly.

This is the press release we are putting out to tell everyone about the new, improved Mustapha's Place.