Of African adventures, urban plans and life's guiding principles

Sunday, September 1, 2013

First contributions to Perspectives project are in!

A sincere thank you to Justine Brunnett and Allison Punch for their insightful contributions to the Perspectives project I'm slowly working to grow - check them out here: http://uhurunausafiri.blogspot.com/p/a-collection-of.html!

Kenyan wanderings

Crazy how time flies. I'd studied abroad on the Kenyan coast for a semester in 2006 but aside from a quick trip in 2008 hadn't been back to visit again until this past week. It was so fun to spend time catching up with my old home stay families; it was also a useful reminder of just how much time had passed since the last time - the kids who were itty bitties when I was there are now grown, and the once-were-teenagers now have children of their own. All in all, I don't think I could've had a better time thanks in large part to the hospitality and kindness of my Mombasa and Lamu families as well as the easy goingness, adaptability and adventuresome spirit of my travel pal Allison who I'd studied Swahili with in Arusha.

Mombasa

Mombasa is a Swahili port town on Indian Ocean with a cool old town dating back to its start as a Swahili trading settlement in I would guess the 1600s (which I of course failed to take pictures of) and a modern city that is still growing today. It's a hotspot for Kenyan tourists from the interior of the country so there are plenty of silly touristy things to do. Like visiting crocodile parks and cycling trails :)

A visit to Mamba Village Crocodile Farm in Mombasa with Allison and homestay cousin Nura

This part was fine. The part where they put another smaller one on my head? A lot less so...

Crocs sunbathing as they await their evening feeding

The evening feeding dangling pieces of goat (I think?) from a hook 15 ft above the croc pool. Yikes.

The beginnings of our 10km bicycle adventure at another park outside of Mombasa with homestay brother Mohammed (now a regular American after a year of study abroad in Pennsylvania and cousins Nura, Asya and Mohammed Ali (who goes by the nickname Cassius Clay - amazing)

Lamu

Lamu is hands down one of the most unique places I've ever visited. It's an island and traditional settlement which has been continuously inhabited for the past 700 years (source: UNESCO) - it's roads were built well before the arrival of anything automated like a car or motorcycle (urban planner paradise..) so they're really narrow...pretty much just wide enough for a donkey carrying a load of sand or coconuts or whatever on either side to pass by. Tourism is the bread and butter of the local economy (though dhow building and fishing help) but tourists mostly stick to the nice beaches in Shela on th eother side of the island and Lamu's waterfront where most of the interesting commerce happens. It's a place full of secrets with big Swahili homes hiding behind giant carved wood doors and conservative dress with many women keeping everything but their eyes covered with the help of baibui, hijaab and ninja (not making fun..this is legitimately the word people use for the face covering which I think is a relatively new addition that came along with the spread of a more conservative Islam). Allison and I were lucky to stay with Nasra and her family (another old home stay) where we get a better taste of Lamu life than we would in a hotel. We woke up every morning to the smell of coconut bread that Nasra's mom bakes to sell every day, spent a lot of time catching up with every one, and worked hard to convince Nasra's one and a half year old that we actually weren't as terrifying as our pale skin and foreign hair made us seem (unsuccessful - maybe next trip). Lamu hasn't changed too too much from the last time, though is getting ready to transform with the new port that is expected within the next several years.

Lamu skyline :)

Getting lost in the maze of Lamu

Traffic jam..

Grinding rice for the morning's batch of bread

Playing the part of tourists with Nasra and fam at Ras Kitau in Lamu

Evidence of how time flies - Nasra's muchkins Abdul (3 going on 23) and Shumi (1 and a half)

Mama Nasra

Home made baby hammock that Shumi climbs into for her afternoon nap

Abdul on his way back from Mosque with the big boys

Silver smithing! My pockets are a whole lot lighter three pairs of earrings later...

Further evidence of time flying - Babu (top left and bottom second from left) now playing the part of uncle to Abdul 7 years later!!

My lovely travel companion Allison a couple days after her 21st bday and I sunset cruising with Nasra's brother and friends

Nasra and I (and photographer Allison!) strolling Lamu's waterfront

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Home again in Tabata Segerea

With my Swahili language intensive wrapped up, I'm settling in to Kaduma's home in Tabata Segerea, Dar es Salaam to kick off my job hunt (not before having a little...okay, lot of...fun and hitting the road one more time). Most of this week was spent reconnecting with old friends and contacts and having a general blast with Kaduma's family. Have I mentioned I love this place? There was plenty of cooking, a good amount of farming and even a couple good adventures with some of her extended family...highlights to follow :) Tomorrow morning, I'm off to Mombasa for a few days, then to Lamu, then back to Mombasa then to Dar. Then to the job hunt..

This day ranked among my favorites this far - Zuhura, Grace Juliette and I hiked to the Dar es Salaam airport so Julie and Grace could check out planes take off and land for the first time. I don't think there are words to explain just how excited Juliette was, but suffice it to say it was well worth the walk!

More adventures - this one was a trip to City Center with Juliette and Grace - here is Juliette checking out peacocks in the botanical gardens in Dar es Salaam