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
The Dromomaniac
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
I had only to walk 100 meters away from the bus station in downtown Mombasa to feel the excitement of being here. It was warm and humid but with a nice evening breeze against my face, cooling me down from … Continue reading
I spent a lot of time in the Fisherman’s Camp reception shack on the campsite staring blankly out at the lake, hanging out with Beth and Moses who worked there. Beth, like many Kenyan women, I am discovering, speaks with … Continue reading
When I first arrived in Fisherman’s Camp I met an Israeli who had walked some of the perimeter of Small Lake (also called Oloidien Bay or Lake depending on water levels) on the southwest corner of Lake Naivasha. He said … Continue reading
If I had arrived at Fisherman’s Camp self-sufficient with all my camping stuff, I would just have to pay a 500 shilling (US$1 = 80 shillings) camping fee. As it is, I am renting a tent (250), foam mattress (150) … Continue reading
