Lamu

I hate computers. Maybe it is lack of sleep thanks to escapades in Hell's Gate (Thanks Ken), or maybe i just suck at computers, but i just lost the written records of our trip to lamu. It was really good, probably would have brought many a tear to many an eye with its rich geographical descriptions and witty recollections of prostitutes, island nights and dhow captains. However thats gone, so what follows is a rough hack of what happened. Sorry.


After a nice train ride, a night camping in Malindi (this is where the prostitutes fit in, it turns out that the Da Gama campsite is just the garden of where all the whores of Malindi live), hot sticky 6 hour bus ride, and short ferry. We arrived in Lamu, where we had our first taste of liquid heaven, or fresh mango juice as its know there. So creamy, rich, sweet and glorious, and cheap, i could go on. I wont. Suffice to say that we drank a lot, maybe too much, and yet it still lingers in my dreams.

We also went on a 2 night dhow trip, us the hungarians, captain ali and his two crew. Fist day was just a long sail, arriving on Kiwayu island (near Somalia) at sunset, camped on the beach. Spent the next day snorkelling, chilling, eating crayfish and sailing to hell. Hell looks like a beach, believe it or not. We also got there round sunset, and after such a good nights sleep the previous night, how could this beach with its innocuous looking little flies buzzing around, be any different. I had the worst night of my life, or so it felt at the time. Between the little biting cane flies, buzzing mosquito's, and subterranean crabs seranading me with munching noises the whole night, i didnt sleep, and still have bites. The less said the better. Maybe the highlight of the trip (probably not) came at lunch time the next/last day of our sojurn on Peace Villa. While ali was preparing our daily standard luch of fish, vegetables and coconut rice, he gave us some fruit that he'd picked up, that looked a bit like a grapefruit, but was hard. He cracked it open and the penny dropped. It was the fruit Rafiki used in the Lion King to paint the picture of Simba on the rock. And they taste really good with curry powder.


The rest of our days in Lamu we just walked around, enjoying the high walls, ornate doors, and street food. Overall it feels a lot like Zanzibar, but maybe as i imagine it 10 or 15 years ago, before tourism took too strong a grip. And its also harder to get lost than it is in Stonetown. We went to the local cinema one night to watch Kill Bill (you have to enjoy some creature comforts of home sometimes).

I cant write anymore. All of my 'the's are coming out as 'teh' and i have to reread and correct every sentence.Next time i find some internet ill come back and elaborate. Right now we have to get to Nanyuki. It right on the equator and our next port of call. Kind of sad to be leaving Nairobi as its an easy place to slip back into old habits of weekend sports on tv, and we met some good people at Backpackers. But so is the nature of our trip, a bit rushed. Farewell Stanley, its been emotional!!