Kenya
Lamu

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    • Day 13

      Pole pole auf Lamu

      December 9, 2022 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

      Auf Lamu lernen wir eine ganz andere, einzigartige Seite Kenias kennen. Seit 1400 existiert die älteste, noch intakte Suaheli Siedlung Ostafrikas, bewohnt ist die Insel schon länger. Im späten 18. JH kommen arabische Einflüsse aus Oman auf die Insel und prägen seither die Suaheli Kultur.

      Vom Flughafen aus läuft man 100m bis zum Bootsanleger, von dem aus wir in 10min ins Zentrum übersetzen. Wir haben das Glück eines der alten Häuser mieten zu dürfen. Keine zwei Minuten brauchen wir zu Fuß dorthin. Zion, die gute Seele des Hauses, begrüßt uns und führt uns durch die zwei Etagen des etwa 400 Jahre alten Gemäuers. Wir können unser Glück kaum fassen und bestaunen den Pool im Zentrum des Erdgeschoss, von dem aus man den Himmel sieht, unzählige (Tages-)Betten, Wandnischen mit Ornamenten, Bäder, Vasen, antike Möbel und schließlich die Dachterasse von der aus man in die Stadt und aufs Meer blickt (s. Video).

      Lamu ist muslimisch geprägt und recht konservativ, auch was Alkohol betrifft. An einigen Orten bekommt man aber welchen, zum Beispiel in der Polizieistation - den auswärtigen Festlandpolizisten kann man Whisky und Bier ja wohl nicht vorenthalten! Zion - pole pole - hat Zeit und führt uns durch die Hauptstraße hin. Die Gasse ist 1,5-2m breit und am frühen Abend ziemlich wuselig. Freundlich aber so unaufgeregt wie nirgends sonst auf unserer Reise grüßen uns Jugendliche, Verkäufer, Frauen mit Kopftuch und Niqab. Männer ziehen zweirädrige Karren, an jeder Ecke steht ein Esel, irgendwo ruft ein Muezzin. Autos gibt es auf Lamu (bis auf eine Hand voll Tuktuks) keine, Bodabodas (Roller) auch kaum, die gängige Fortbewegungsart ist (Barfuß-)Gehen, Lasten transportieren Esel und Handkarren.

      Wir lassen uns durch die Stadt treiben, erkunden den weiten und einsamen Strand im Nachbarort und freuen uns über frischen Fisch und Meeresfrüchte. Bei einem Dhow (Segelboot) Tagesausflug am zweiten Tag lernen wir die frisch gebackene Miss Lamu Tourism kennen, schnorcheln im Korallenriff und haben Spaß mit der 4er Crew. Omari, der Kapitän macht bis kurz vor Schluss Stimmung, muss sich dann aber doch dem Gesetz des Kokosblütenweins beugen und liegt fahruntüchtig flach. Die anderen Jungs, die sonst regelmäßig Wasser aus dem Bootsbauch schöpfen mussten, sind noch fit und übernehmen.

      Alle Tage auf Lamu enden für uns unter dem Sternenhimmel auf dem Sofa auf unserer Dachterasse bei Mondschein, Kerzenlicht, Polizeibier und angenehmer Stille.
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    • Day 148

      Lamu - cradle of Swahili culture

      February 28 in Kenya ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

      I have asked Cosmus (a taxi driver I had gotten to know a few days ago) for a ride 🚕from Diani Beach back to Mombasa and it’s Airport. Like on the way coming to Diani Beach, the time flew by while we were chatting about my experiences at Diani Beach and many other things. I arrived well in time for my flight ✈️ to Lamu and was probably one of the first to check in.
      The flight with the small airplane was short (40 minutes) and since I was sitting in the front where the emergency exit was I had plenty of legroom. 😊
      On arrival at Lamu airport, an assistant waited for me to guide me to the guesthouse where I was staying. The airport is actually on Manda Island. So, at first we took the boat 🚤 to Lamu Island which is really just across the Lamu canal. Then we walked approximately 10 minutes through the narrow alleys of the old town until we reached the „JamboHouse Lamu“ - my accommodation for the time in Lamu. It was still hot and humid (like in all other places at the east coast) and although I had carried my luggage for only a few minutes I was sweating like crazy 🥵
      On my arrival day I just chilled in the afternoon on the cozy terrace of the guesthouse and went for a walk at the seafront during evening hours. I had left my mobile phone in the guesthouse to recharge 🔋and the whole old town experienced a power outage after dark. So it was pitch black which made me worry about finding my way back to the guesthouse. 👀 Luckily, the power outage was only brief. Otherwise I probably would have had a tough time navigating a town that I only knew for some hours by then. 😅

      On the next morning, I coincidentally met Jack (from Australia) at the breakfast table - I knew him already from my time in Nairobi. 😊He was leaving that day but I also started talking to Austin (from the U.S.) who was sitting close by. We both went on a DIY walking tour 🚶through Lamu old town - guided by the instruction of one of the old „Lonely Planets“ (which still had all of the helpful info in it). 😩
      Walking through the narrow alleys of the old town again and with more time for observation I noticed the many cats and donkeys 🫏 as well as their donkey poop 💩 in the streets. In the old town, donkeys are the major form of transportation (when you don’t want to walk). A few younger people also possed motorbikes 🏍️ ; the streets are too narrow for anything else. Moreover, automobiles are not allowed into the old town. 🚫
      Our first stop was the Lamu museum which extensively informed us about Swahili culture and history. ℹ️ The 'Swahili Coast' is the region extending from Mogadishu (Somalia) in the north to Sofala (Mozambique) in the south, including the Lamu archipelago, the islands of Pemba, Zanzibar, Comoros, and the western coast of Madagascar.
      The Lamu Archipelago in the north of the Kenyan Coast offers a rich cultural heritage and has been referred to as the cradle of Swahili civilization due to its numerous living settlements and ruins 🏚️ of ancient abandoned cities. Lamu Old Town‘s existence can be traced back to the 12th century which makes it the oldest town and the heart of an over 700 years old Swahili heritage in East Africa. The buildings of the merchant stone town and its traditional way of life sets you at least 100 years back in time 🕰️ and highlights the high level of sophistication attained by Swahili people from the 9th century throughout the golden ages of the 15th and 17th centuries. But it was the map 🗺️ with trade routes between Swahili people and settlements going as far as Arabia, Persia, India, China and Indonesia in the museum that impressed me the most. Swahili settlements were maritime and trade oriented. It was through trade that Swahili people were able to travel overseas and at the same time foreign Muslim scholars and craftsmen reached the East African Coast using monsoon winds. 🌬️ Travelling the sea for trade exposed the Swahili coast to cultural influences across the Indian Ocean, Arabian sea, and the Gulf of Aden - with the Omanis 🇴🇲 seemingly having a particularly high influence.
      Next we visit the Swahili house museum. As the name suggests it illustrated how a Swahili house 🏠 typically looks like. The entire way of life of the Swahili strictly follows the Sharia Islamic law 📖 and encompasses very high moral standards coupled with uttermost cleanliness, adherence to their faith and accordance of respect to all living things.
      We continued our journey and visited some galleries with African art, the local market, the biggest mosque 🕌 in town as well as the fort on the way. There was even a german post office museum but it was closed.
      In the afternoon Austin and I went back to our guesthouse to relax for a little bit before we went out for dinner again. We went to the Moonrise restaurant which served excellent food. 👌

      On the next morning I went to the Whispers Cafe for breakfast - I had forgotten to inform Arnold (the host of my guesthouse) about my breakfast wish. 🤦 But that also gave me the chance to test out something new. It’s a theme that runs through all restaurants in Lamu: many things on the menu cannot be served because the ingredients are missing. The reason is simple - only mango 🥭 and coconut 🥥 grow naturally on Lamu island. In addition, chicken 🐓 and eggs 🥚 as well as fish 🐠 are raised or caught by the locals. Everything else needs to be imported. So, you have to be a bit more flexible with ordering. The fried eggs with toast and the coffee where good anyways. 😅
      At lunchtime I took a boda boda 🏍️ to Sheila beach and stayed there for the afternoon. It was very hot and I didn’t want to risk another sunburn. That’s why I stayed most of the time in the shade and went for a refreshing beer 🍺 to the very cozy Pepino Hotel. The food is expensive (and excellent) there but the drinks are reasonably priced. I walked a bit through Sheila town as soon as the sun didn’t shine as strong anymore. Many Europeans own the houses or resorts/hotels there. I guess this is the main reason why it appears cleaner 🧹and more geared towards tourists but at the same time lacks the cultural aspects and true feeling for the live of the locals, in comparison to Lamu Old Town.
      At 5 pm I met Salim - my guide for the sunset 🌅 hike to the sand dunes near Sheila town. We passed a small village and I had the chance to taste coconut wine in a local bar of the village. It was not really my cup of tea. In fact, it tasted horrible 🤢 but this is what the locals drink here after a long working day. In contrast to my initial thoughts, it is made from the juice that a coconut tree reveals when you cut its branches. The juice is then fermented as is for a day or two and voilà - finished is the coconut wine. 🧪
      After the tasting Salim and I continued the trip to the highest point of the sand dunes where we had a great overview of Lamu island. Even during dry season it was very green with lots of palm trees 🌴 and other vegetation. After sunset we walked back to Lamu town and ended the tour. Despite the better temperatures then it was still a sweat breaking endeavour. 🥵 So, I took a mandatory shower at my guesthouse before I went to the Moonrise again for dinner. I had the catch of the day - red snapper filet in garlic sauce with coconut rice and chargrilled vegetables. Needless to say that the food was excellent again. 😌

      My next destinations on the east coast of Kenya is Malindi and Watamu (a bit further south than Lamu). I will report in a couple of days how it is there. Stay tuned! 😎
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    • Day 78

      I love boats!

      March 19, 2016 in Kenya ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

      First off - the dinner last night. How funny! The guy selling it to us said we would be served 10 traditional meals from his home, cooked by his wife, tea, coconut wine, he said he'd be playing the drums and a local violin thingy, his wife would show us the cooking of the meals, someone somewhere was going to belly dance, and we would be accompanied by two Canadian guys, students in Nairobi. So we settled on 500 each, he had started at 1500. Keep in mind, Jack and I can have a meal at a local restaurant for 200-300 total (we had diner tonight for 78 shilings total). How much of that do you think we got?

      We met him at our meeting point, he says the Canadian guys were coming from the other end of the town so we would meet up with them. We get to his house, we ask about the guys, he says someone else is bringing them over. We pass a family member sitting on the ground making chapati in the hallway and sit in their main room, on the floor, which also has a TV playing an Indian soap opera and a bed. A couple family members were watching TV, so Jack and I are sitting in front of them.

      They start bringing food out, Canadian guys aren't there. He says not to worry, we can start without them, there's plenty more food. He served a plate of beans, chapati, tiny half plate of fries, these grilled breads apparently (about the size of a Joe Louis) and finally this lobster meat pie, pie being made of chapati dough. Oh and tea. Add all these items together in a restaurant and you're looking at roughly 320 shillings if I'm being generous.

      No coconut wine, no music (he said a neighbour passed away today so they had to be respectful), no Canadian guys (he said they must be waiting time drinking beer on the boat that was bringing them over), no dancing (he said his sister would bring us to a wedding tomorrow when he knew we had booked a boat trip for tomorrow), and if you counted, that was 4 dishes, not 10. Having already paid 500 shillings as a "down" payment from him to buy food, we waiting to be out of his home and away from his family to argue that he wasn't getting a penny more. We had to argue quite a bit, he said it was his money and we had to give it to him, when we said it was 4 out of 10 dishes he responded "if you're still hungry, no problem, we go to shop right now and get more" referring to the restaurant we could have gone to ourselves... It wasn't until Jack started raising her voice once we were around many locals that he suddenly changed his gears, begged us to lower our voices, and said "I agree, I agree, 500 is enough".

      To be honest, I enjoyed the experience. We got to see his home, meet his family, eat a meal on the ground with our hands which is always fun, and in the end pay almost the same as we would in a restaurant. Worked out OK. We ran into him the next morning and he ran in another direction to avoid confrontation. It was nice of him, lol.

      That being said, today was AMAZING! Mohamed met us this morning at 9am, as promised, and brought us over to the pier where we waited for our boat. He had said he would be our captain yesterday, but by now I knew to expect otherwise. He finally admitted once asked that Masjid would be our captain, the man who is coming with the boat. Our only question - does he speak English? And he does! Turns out, I guess we were good company, because Mohamed decided to come along for the day anyway! He, Masjid, a third guy that I can't remember the name of, Jack and I had an amazing time on the boat and on the beach.

      We drove and sailed to an island called Manda Island. Hung out on the beach for a little over an hour while our lunch was being grilled. The water was clear. The island deserted. There was maybe 2 resorts on this beach, and no apparent guests. One of the resorts was 150,000 shillings per night (1,500$us) and I believe it! It was absolutely gorgeous with sun beds and private beach and anything you could dream of. Except for guests. We got to see Lamu from the water. Just cloudy enough to offer shade in the morning, and bright and sunny in the afternoon. The third guy on the boat assured me there were no jellyfish here, not the season he says. So I swam!

      Once lunch was ready, we hoped back in the boat and drove though a gorgeous mangrove to get to the Takwa ruins. Ate some coconut rice, fresh grilled fish and fresh fruit. Believe it or not, it was perfect. I know fish isn't my thing, but it fit too perfectly with the day. The ruins were nice. I never know how to describe these things without sounding super boring. They were made of limestone and coral rocks from the island itself. There was a mosque which showed the Muslim faith was present a long long time ago. It was deserted because the well water was contaminated with salt water, so the whole community moved across the waterway to Lamu Island. It was honestly interesting to see, maybe you should google it?

      Jack hopped back into the water, this time being on the other side of Manda Island, therefore being in the big Ocean as Mohamed said, so enjoyed blue waters and big waves. It was again a deserted beach that went on for days. Kind of happy no big development company took over this land, because it's emptiness is part of it's magic.

      We sailed back home in perfect winds, kicking back and talking politics with the boys. We even talked about the kidnapping that happened in Lamu in recent years. They were laughing that the women was kidnapped from Manda Island by a boat with a 50 horsepower engine... That was the same as our boat, and it's really not the fastest! They said it was 3am, and the boat had to pass by 2 naval bases and 1 police department to return to Somalia. They said no one moved, no one acted.

      We also chatted about their identity as Lamuniens, not Kenyans. They're separatist. They say the port brings in most of the money for Kenya and yet the port offices are in Nairobi. So all the big money makers aren't in Lamu or on the coast at all, but in Nairobi, profiting from their labour as they saw it. They believed that Kenya wouldn't survive without the income of the coast, which is the only reason they are still associated. Makes sense, coastal countries always perform better.

      All in all, a fantastic day. I feel completely relaxed, pleased with my day. Happy we made the decision to stay longer in Lamu. I got to enjoy a local tea from a street vendor along the shore, watching people walking by, some working, some just enjoying the stroll, donkeys and cats a plenty... Nice.
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    • Day 77

      Exploring Lamu

      March 18, 2016 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

      I actually carried around my DSLR today (I don't usually in cities), so unfortunately for all of you, I don't have too many pictures of Lamu to share! The ones I did post happen to have been taken right now, as I eat the fruit I bought at the local market from my hotel's balcony by the ocean front. Just as hot throughout the morning. Nice and breezy in the afternoon. We spent the morning getting somewhat lost in the back streets, somewhat following this walking tour suggested by the lonely planet. I was grumpy not having eaten, so we made a small detour to feed me. Sorry Jack...

      The doors have beautiful carvings, all houses have these inner courtyards, the women get to remove their veils inside so there's always a curtain in front of the door. Mini streets leading to more mini streets, and just as you think you've hit a dead end there's an opening somewhere. As soon as we exit the 2 downtown streets, again people are all saying jambo, smiling at us. Welcoming us. Truly warm people. There's cats everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Locals here feed them. There's donkeys all over also, including a "donkey sanctuary" just around the corner.

      I think both Jack and I are feeling the end is near, and we're reacting to it differently. Jack seems unable to make decisions, she wants to do it all but she wants to stay in Lamu for always. I want to relax, anywhere really. I feel very satisfied with what we've accomplished, I loved my time here, and I'm ready to relax before heading home and to work. I work a night shift within 24 hours of my arrival, so relaxing here is my only option. I've been short tempered for 2 days now, and I think my mind just doesn't know how to act when the end is so near... It's angry at me and won't let me relax and enjoy. Little annoyances like food taking too long to arrive are driving me crazy. I don't have time to waist! So many mixed emotions.

      That little rant comes from us spending the morning trying to decide when to leave. We made the decision to take a flight back to Malindi to save the bus time, but when to take it took a while. I was OK with staying in Lamu if that meant I could relax, which means Jack would have to go off and explore on her own. I was also OK with leaving and trying to get all our "planned" stops in (planned used losely here). Jack couldn't bring herself to chose. Staying here means not going to Watamu or the Gede ruins. She wants it all. Apparently our conclusion was to spend a lot of money. Lol.

      We booked a flight Sunday afternoon, a boat trip for tomorrow and just to top it off, a home cooked traditional meal with local music in some guy's house for tonight. We're going all out ladies and gents! I'll get to relax, and probably burn to a crisp, tomorrow all day on a sail boat. Jack will get to explore the streets when we get back and Sunday morning. Easy peasy.
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    • Day 85

      Abschied von Lamu

      September 23, 2021 in Kenya ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Heute ist mein letzter Tag des afrikanischen Teils meiner Reise. Morgens gibt es nochmal Frühstück am Hotel und dann wird noch ein wenig gechillt. Ich treffe mich später mit My und Jake zum Lunch. Von dort aus geht es dann etwas verspätet mit dem Boot zum Flughafen.

      Ich fliege von Lamu nach Nairobi und von dort aus geht dann mein Flieger zurück nach Frankfurt.
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    • Day 84

      Lamu erkunden

      September 22, 2021 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Das Hotel ist super klein und es gibt nur 2 Zimmer, weshalb wir 3 die einzigen Gäste sind. Wir bekommen ein leckeres Frühstück mit Omelette, Toast, frischem Obst, frischgepressten Saft und Kaffee. Nach dem ausgiebigen Frühstück werden wir von einem Dhow abgeholt. Damit fahren wir nach Lamu Town und bekommen dort eine Stadtführung. Lamu Town ist UNESCO Weltkulturerbe und ein Schnelztigel verschiedener Kulturen. Es gibt viel arabischen Einfluss aus dem Oman, aber auch indischen Einfluss und Portugiesischen Einfluss. Es gibt Kirchen, direkt neben Moscheen. Die ganze Insel ist Autofrei. Es gibt eine Moped-Strecke, die Lamu und Shella miteinander vernindet, innerhalb der Städte ist die Fortbewegung nur zu Fuß oder per Esel möglich. Auf der Insel leben 14.000 Menschen und 3.000 Esel. Die Esel sind zum Großteil schwer beladen, da diese vor allem Lasten tragen und nur wenig geritten werden. Es gilt dass Sprichwort: Ein Mann ohne Esel ist ein Esel.

      Die unterschiedlichen Einflüsse spiegeln sich in den Häusern und vor allem Türen wieder. Viele Häuser sind aus toten Korallen gebaut, d.h. sehr atmungsaktiv und luftig - häufig die einzige Möglichkeit die Raumtemperatur einigermaßen kühl zu halten. Wir dürfen eine Baustelle von einem Luxushaus besuchen und ich bin begeistert von der Bauweise. Wir besuchen außerdem eine Schreinerei und ein paar Handwerksläden. Wir werden ständig von allen Seiten begrüßt. Meist mit einem netten "Karibu Lamu Rafiki" Willkommen in Lamu, mein Freund. Nach ca 2,5h stoppen wir bei einem gemütlichen Café und ich trinke einen leckeren Smoothie mit frischgepressten Früchten.

      Auf dem Rückweg lassen wir uns zu Manda Island bringen und besuchen dort das Diamond Beach Hotel und Restaurant. Dort gönne ich mir eine super leckere Buddha Bowl mit Halloumi. Am Nachmittag geht es zurück ins Hotel zum Chillen. My kommt irgendwann vorbei, weil sie Austern möchte. Wir machen uns dann zusammen auf den Weg. Ich habe keine Lust auf Austern aber schnappe mir Samosas als kleinen Zwischensnack. Wir kommen gerade rechtzeitig zurück zum Hotel bevor es stark zu regnen anfängt. Da haben wir gerade noch Glück gehabt. Es regnet bestimmt eine Stunde lang ziemlich stark.

      Als es aufhört zu regnen machen wir uns auf den Weg zu Kijani, einem Restaurant in der Nähe. Vicky und Apistolis aus Griechenland sind dort und mit den beiden möchte ich mich zum Abendessen treffen. Jake und My kommen dann direkt mit. Wir haben einen netten Abend mit super leckeren Essen (Tuna Ceviche - meine ersten Ceviche überhaupt). Ich bin richtig froh, dass der letzte Abend meiner Afrika-Reise so schön endet. Zwischendurch war ich etwas geknickt, da Watamu nicht ganz so spannend war, wie gedacht. Die Spontanität und Offenheit hat sich echt ausgezahlt.
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    • Day 39

      Kitesafari day 1

      February 22, 2022 in Kenya ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Heute begann einer der bisher speziellsten Trips, welche ich bis jetzt gemacht habe. Wir verliessen heute Morgen den Hafen von Lamu und segelten zum ersten Spot: Viel Wind, flaches Wasser und unberührte Natur.
      Erste Kitesession seit langem. Es war eine super Session, bis ich den Kite wegen eines Crashes mit meinem Ellbogen releaste.
      Danach kämpfte ich ca. 30 min im Wasser, bis ich von einem Boot gerettet wurde. Es war somit ein wenig frustrierend, dass ich die Situation nicht mehr ganz unter meiner eigenen Kontrolle hatte...oder eigentlich gar nicht mehr. 🤦🏽‍♂️
      Anyway... als ich den Kite, die Leinen und die Bar wieder entfädelt hatte, gab es zuerst Mittagessen. Nach einer kurzen Pause ging ich wieder für 2 h aufs Wasser! 😍
      Und siehe da... beinahe meine erste "Backroll".

      Anschliessend gab es Abendessen und danach einen richtig epischen Abend mit Feuer am Meer. Anschliessend verbrachten wir unsere erste Nacht in single Zelten. Nur das Netz trennte mich von der Natur. 😁 Fazit: Wahnsinns Tag und nun weiss ich auch, wie man ein "self rescue" macht.🙈
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Lamu, لامو, Горад Ламу, לאמו, LAU, ラム, ლამუ, 라무, Antiga Cidade de Lamu, Лама, Ламу, 拉穆

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