Lamu Days

Nelson and Pablo doing what they do best...




Our guide book describes Lamu by saying:

"Perhaps left until the end of your stay, Lamu may otherwise precipitate a change of plans as you're lulled into a slow rhythm in which days and weeks pass by unheeded and objectives get forgotten... All the senses get a full workout here, so actually doing anything is sometimes a problem. You can spend hours on a roof or a veranda just watching the town go by, feeling its mood swing effortlessly through its well-worn cycles- from prayer call to prayer call, from tide to tide, and from dawn to dusk."

On this the last of our 16 days on Lamu island, off the coast of Kenya, I can safely say that we have lapsed into the rhythm described above and have fallen completely under the spell of this place. Relaxation is total.

After a couple of days in the bustling village of Lamu, with its narrow labyrinthine alleys, whitewashed houses, and Muslims in white or black gowns, we made our way to village of Shela, 4 or 5 kilometres down the shore.

In Shela we found a small version of Heaven: a largish apartment with a 270 degree view out over the harbour, a short walk to the perfect beach of warm turquoise water, wide sand beach, and a border of massive sand dunes, fresh seafood at night, and absolutely nothing to do.

The days became a recurring series of exhilarating runs along the deserted beach in the hot morning air, oceans swims, cool drinks in the shade, and the odd fishing trip or two. With no sight of a TV or a newspaper, the real World seems very far away. The unreality of the place is emphasized by the lack of cars and the usual racket of daily life in Africa (and Canada, for that matter). Transport is done by donkey, so one is liable to find them meandering through the alleys all over the village. They no longer wear diapers and so it important to walk carefully so as not to step in their droppings. The main form of passenger traffic is by dhow, and the sight of these classic sailing ships only adds to the romance of the place.

As for the fishing trip, it only briefly crossed my mind that it may not be the best idea to be out in a 12 foot boat out of sight of land, within 100 km of Somali waters, with not a life jacket or spare sail in sight. We caught a few big fish, though.

When not doing anything (about 80% of the time), Danusia has been assiduously meeting all 600 villagers of Shela. It is quite a sight to see her strolling through the narrow alleys, greeting and glad-handing one and all (local people and white foreigners alike), reminiscent of an equatorial King of Kensington.

Sadly, all mortals are condemned to leave paradise eventually, and our time has come. We head back to the real World and whatever has happened in it since we landed on this island.


Captain Jack Sparrow:





Baby donkey, just born



The first fishing trip: (not the biggest fish, but hey, cooked on the beach and darned tasty)...




DW's gang