I can’t remember if I said anything about Philip, my Couchsurfing host in Mombasa. Everyone who comes in contact with Philip is taken by his infectious positive spirit. He should work for a suicide prevention hotline or Microsoft customer service, … Continue reading
Like Ethiopia, I have semi-lame excuses why this isn’t as comprehensive as it should be. In this case, I have only been to a few parts of the country, and now I am leaving soon. I’m leaving soon! Air Arabia … Continue reading
I more than met Banksy; I stayed over for two nights. Fate began with the desire to move. The self-imposed prison at Tiwi Beach with the desperate beach boys was too much and the approaching rain looked formidable, so I … Continue reading
I hate matatus (vans that act as local buses) with a fiery passion. I hate everything about them. They alone can make me lose my enthusiasm for Africa. I hate the economic sense behind it where the drivers have to … Continue reading
I sat next to this pretty girl on the bus from Lamu back to Mombasa. 19 years old, already engaged, ready to enroll at a computer school. We started with some small talk: Me: “Osama bin Laden?” Her: “I don’t … Continue reading
Everyone who comes to Lamu stays a long time. It’s by default that everyone gravitates to here. Where else can you go? Long-term travelers need a break, and Lamu fits the bill. It’s quiet, small, cheap to sleep, cheap to … Continue reading
Below, the road to Lamu. It’s an all-day trip from Mombasa northward along the coast. By the afternoon the road worsens, traffic thins, and you see more monkeys than cars. There are checkpoints and road blocks because it has been … Continue reading
Because it’s too expensive. … Continue reading
This leg belongs to the woman who works at Barka restaurant in Old Town. She was wearing the full Muslim hijab, covered head to toe, but I could see she had a nice henna design on her hands and I … Continue reading
