I found paradise

 It is called LAMU

Mom, Dad and I set off to Lamu on Easter Monday the 25th of April. Destination: The Majlis on Manda Island - part of the Lamu Archipelago. The Majlis started out as this Italian guy's house so it's built all exactly the way he wanted it. Then they bought two other plots of land and built houses they intended to sell. They said there was a 'crash' in Lamu and the houses didn't sell so they turned it into a 25 bedroom hotel. We had a suite in the main villa with beachfront access and view to Shela on Lamu Island where we stayed for 4 days.

Swimming Pool by the main villa - the arches you see are casts from an Indian temple

To heaven...and beyond! The view from this little bed which is right by the pool looks directly onto the Indian Ocean. Just picture the views, the ocean breeze and you with a Dawa. Mmm!

This boat is how workers get from Lamu Island to Manda Island every day. My parents and I got a kick out of watching them try to pack it even more full than you see it here. The boat looks like it's sinking already doesn't it!

We went for a walk up the beach one day, lovely white beaches, clear water, not many people and red skies. I'm wearing a scarf/pareo that has the country of Kenya on it. Lamu now gets a star by it :)

This mosque was also just up from our hotel - i love the colours and the boat in the front. Can't remember the last time I saw a mosque and boat photo...

Off to Lamu old town we went with a tour guide - Abdullah aka "Bob"- to show us the way. Abdullah has lived in Lamu since he was 8 and he was over 55 for sure. The tour was pretty average but it did allow us to walk around without having to be concerned about getting lost, plus we had the added bonus of getting to meet the people he knew (almost everyone) and watch him do his food shopping along the way - borrowing money here and there along the way. One time as I was buying water for my parents and I he ordered a bottle and let me pick up the tab. Cheeky. Anyway Bob did a good job of showing us the shops which, let's face it, was really all I was interested in. Lamu is like a poor sister of Fez - similar idea of donkey transport, medina houses with high walls and courtyards but the whole place isn't very well taken care of and there's no where near as much character or life as in Fez. Needless to say after buying a few prezzies at some wonderful shops we set off for Manda Island on our private little boat. Bliss.

Bob on the right with a hat, I like this photo because the Pineapples on the left remind you that i'm in Africa and not in Morocco....

Arabia meets Africa where people carry things on their heads

Nothing goes to waste in this place - 2 boys playing checkers with bottle tops. They were really friendly and had a good chat with us when I asked what they were up to and if I could take their photo.

Nice little boat we were taken around in - we used this to Island hop and for our private tour around Lamu Island which we enjoyed on our last day in the Lamu Archipelago

The beach the boat took us to on our tour of Lamu Island - Mom, Dad and I went for a walk along the beach and mom and I went for a swim. In our hour or so of exploring we only saw 1 other human being. Lots of crabs, but only 1 human. I will never forget this day with my parents, it was amazing. Dad was occupied by photographing little pink crabs about 3-4 inches in length that moved from left to right as opposed to front to back. We also found 2 sand dollars and one of those coil shells. The kinds of shells you buy in Florida. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to see this place.

The Lamu 'Mobile Home' - a couple of these we saw had porter loos outside the back which hanged over the ocean

Little kids that posed for me to take their photo - so cute

 

Beautifully coloured Mosque in a very very poor village we went to visit. The children above live in this village. There are no desks in the schools and very limited amounts of electricity provided by 1 or 2 solar panels which were purchased for 20,000 bob - about 145 GBP

Mom made a special request that the boat take us to see the mangroves - really glad she did! Look at how these things grow straight out of the ocean water! They use mangroves everywhere to build houses, etc. I still can't imagine how they cut them and how they make them straight when you see all these mangroves in their natural element curving everywhere.

Daddy waving goodbye - Kwaheri as they say in Swahili

We can't wait to go back and stay at the Majlis again some day - and soon!