Mombasa and beyond

We arrived in Mombasa safe and sound, several days after a harrowing bus ride from Bungoma to Nairobi as well as a night in the capital city. We are happy to finally be on the coast where the weather is beautiful, the flowers are blooming and where we can watch pack of monkeys play outside our air-conditioned hut. 

We’ve been exploring Mombasa a bit since being here, going into town (which requires a short and very packed ferry ride) to buy some gifts and see a few historical areas. Spencer and I spent yesterday morning - after a huge breakfast that consisted of helpings upon helpings of eggs, bacon, sausage and fruit – at a handicraft co-op that sold all handmade sculptures and various trinkets. We were able to watch the hundreds of artists work on there pieces with rough and sometimes crude tools. It was quite an interesting excursion aside from the fact that we both had a nagging suspicion that the artists were being cheated money from their expensive pieces that were sold at the store.

After that came the spice market, where you could buy just about anything for a “good price” as the stall owners would say. Unfortunately, being tourists, it was difficult to escape the fact that we were probably paying much more than the locals for spices and other goods, despite my use of few words of Swahili, which I thought may sway the sellers to a better price. Oh well, Spencer and I both concluded.

After lunch and a historical visit to Fort Jesus, we returned back to our own thatched roof hut (complete with air-conditioning, a shower, toilet and gigantic bed) to sit on the porch and watch the waves come in.

Today was spent around the hotel taking in the sounds of the ocean and basking in the hot African sun. All in all, it was a relaxed day, which may continue into the evening as Spencer is currently taking a much needed nap. Oh and tonight, we’re heading to a restaurant that is located inside a hollowed-out cave that overlooks the Indian Ocean. It’s supposed to have great seafood and an even better atmosphere.

We are heading out tomorrow to Nairobi, and will be taking a safari beginning Thursday. Internet will be sparse I’m guessing, so you probably won’t hear from us until Saturday, when we’ll be celebrating my 26^th birthday.

Hope all is well at home. Much love to everyone.

K (& S)