Leaving Lamu for London

I left Kenya four times. The first was after being north on Lamu for six weeks of sheer relaxation on a pristine beach. I foolishly thought I needed a change.

A Taste of India Across the Sea

When I left India by ship from Mumbai, I cruised across the calm Arabian Sea to Mombasa on a week-long journey. Delighting in vegetarian curry on the trip, I thought it would be my last.

East African Dhow Ride

Photo courtesy: Rasheed Hamis — Wikimedia Commons

Dhows were often cruising the sparkling waters off Dar es Salaam’s coast for fishing or transport to nearby islands.

My dhow journey started after I bussed from Mombasa to Kikoni near Kenya’s northern border with Somalia. Stepping into a dhow, we arced around protected waters until the peaceful sojourn ended at Lamu Island’s wharf.

A race from a rhino

South of Nairobi and close to the border with Tanzania, was Amboseli Game Park with a view of Mt Kilamanjaro over the boarder.

This was a bird watchers paradise but for me, the thrill was spotting a pride of lion.

Kenya’s capital

Photo courtesy: Chuckupd – wikimedia.org

After over five weeks on the coast, it was time to venture inland. Kenya, along the Mombasa to Nairobi highway, was a journey through a wonderland. Baobab trees and sisal plantations dotted the landscape. Elephants were a common sight along the side of the road.

Kenyan beach memories

Photo courtesy: Giorgio Montersino – wikimedia.org

South of Mombasa, lay a long stretch of beach. I remember waiting for a bus at Diani Beach, and hearing loads of German tourists disembarking from a tour to check into a hotel.

This didn’t make sense to me because although the beach glistened with pure white sand, the sea was impossible to swim in at low tide the way it had been on Lamu. When the tide was out, the sea appeared to be knee deep forever.

My fondest memory was from Tiwi Beach where three African children played. The youngest, Milka, eventually fell asleep on my lap.

Lamu

I rallied north from Mombasa almost to the border with Somalia. At the end of the bus ride, I sailed by dhow on the final leg around the bend to Lamu Island. It seemed as if I had left an Indian island with no cars (Rameswaram) and arrived at another trafficless destination where mules were the only form of transport.

Kenya’s Mombasa

The ship docked after a week crawling across the placid Arabian Sea. My foot touched African soil for the first time to the sound of an African greeting, “Jambo.”

As I explored Kenya’s coastal city, Mombasa, sea breezes sailed in off the ocean.