March 2024

Our bus drive through Mombasa was fascinating. Not only did many locals wave to us as we passed, but in some cases, they even blew kisses!

Tuk tuks are a thing here, but they also have privately owned minivans for hire. The owners take pride in decorating them in colorful paint jobs.

After noticing that they all had “Mom SACCO” on them, I looked it up. “SACCO” stands for “Savings and Credit Community Organization,” while “Mom” is short for “Mombasa.” Rather than get a bank loan, many people use SACCOs to fund these minivans.

One neighborhood we passed through was lined with furniture stores. They were making the furniture on site. It looked quite nice, and I’ll bet it’s a bargain

A lot of different religions coexist peacefully in Mombasa: Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist are the main ones according to our guide.

It was insanely hot and humid, so I really felt for the Muslim women who I saw clad in black from head to toe.

As we crossed the city’s main bridge, our guide told us there were so many suicides from people leaping into the river there during the Covid shutdown that a special patrol had to police it.

Another road we went down was lined with shack cafes where they barbecued big hunks of meat. We were told that men enjoy eating this meat while drinking Tusker beer, which is the local brand.

There were some interesting cuts of meat for sale at the various “butchery” shops we passed. Along steak and chicken, they advertised things like “mbuzi,” “moyo,” and “kuku.”

These days, Mombasa is eager to become a major cruise ship destination. A local newspaper even featured an article about our ship’s arrival.

Talk about a scenic drive!Read more