Over the weekend, I traveled to Mombasa with a group of seven friends. Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, though it seems a lot smaller and less chaotic than Nairobi. Throughout history, many immigrants have settled in Mombasa as traders or craftsmen – from the Middle East, India, Iran – and so the area feels cosmopolitan, yet true to its Swahili roots. (Also, interesting, Mombasa is also currently holding the 17 suspected pirates of the U.S. Alabama, bringing the number of pirates held by Kenyan authorities in Mombasa to over 100.)
It was so nice to get out of the crazy city, feel the humid air and get a sense of the Kenyan coast – where things seem a lot more laid back and slow. We stayed at a hotel on the beach, ate fish and dipped our feet in the Indian Ocean. It was glorious. On Friday night we went out experience “Kenyan Karaoke” – complete with cheesy American pop songs, misspelled lyric prompts, and very random music videos / sporting videos in the background (imagine “Summer of ‘69” belted out with a 1980s roller-skating video in the background, or “We are the World” sung while pictures of scantily clad rappers and women dance on the screen.. odd, but amazing). Highlights of the weekend: camel ride on the beach (!), catamaran sail in the rain, and a long Sunday afternoon meal at a lovely Italian restaurant overlooking the sea. There is something wonderfully peaceful and awe inspiring to me about flying at night. As we landed back in Nairobi on Sunday night, I felt relaxed and happy, thankful for a weekend away, and ready to embrace the week.
Over the weekend, I traveled to Mombasa with a group of seven friends. Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, though it seems a lot smaller and less chaotic than Nairobi. Throughout history, many immigrants have settled in Mombasa as traders or craftsmen – from the Middle East, India, Iran – and so the area feels cosmopolitan, yet true to its Swahili roots. (Also, interesting, Mombasa is also currently holding the 17 suspected pirates of the U.S. Alabama, bringing the number of pirates held by Kenyan authorities in Mombasa to over 100.)
It was so nice to get out of the crazy city, feel the humid air and get a sense of the Kenyan coast – where things seem a lot more laid back and slow. We stayed at a hotel on the beach, ate fish and dipped our feet in the Indian Ocean. It was glorious. On Friday night we went out experience “Kenyan Karaoke” – complete with cheesy American pop songs, misspelled lyric prompts, and very random music videos / sporting videos in the background (imagine “Summer of ‘69” belted out with a 1980s roller-skating video in the background, or “We are the World” sung while pictures of scantily clad rappers and women dance on the screen.. odd, but amazing). Highlights of the weekend: camel ride on the beach (!), catamaran sail in the rain, and a long Sunday afternoon meal at a lovely Italian restaurant overlooking the sea. There is something wonderfully peaceful and awe inspiring to me about flying at night. As we landed back in Nairobi on Sunday night, I felt relaxed and happy, thankful for a weekend away, and ready to embrace the week.
we are the world... amazing
ReplyDeleteLove you on the camel! Love reading about your adventures! xo jill
ReplyDeleteYOU WENT ON A CAMEL WITHOUT ME!?!?!
ReplyDeleteI know miss Katie, it just was not the same without you!!!! There was even an empty seat behind me! Where were you??
ReplyDelete