Mombasa

Mombasa, say it out loud. Doesn't it sound foreign and exciting? Let your mind conjure up images of a place inhabited for centuries by the Swahili. First trading with the ancient Persians, Chinese and Indians and then being ruled by the Omani's, Portuguese, Omani's again and finally the British. It is an ancient trading city, that even today is the most important and largest port in Kenya and plays a vital role in the movement of goods from a large swath of Central Africa to the world, as it always has.

Mombasa has over one million residents and sprawls onto the mainland from it's island location. As important as the port is to Kenya, Mombasa is also a gateway city to Kenya's numerous tourist attractions and most people use it mainly as an entry and exit point. It is close to magnificent beaches replete with five star resorts and all the accouterments that go with them. Kenya's spectacular game reserves, are a few hours away by car and even closer by bush plane. Yet it has it's own gritty charm and surprising attractions.

The Elephant Tusks on the main thoroughfare of the city were built to honor the visit of Princess Margaret back in the '60's and have become a favorite of all visiting Mombasa.

The other must see in the town is Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593. The Omani's captured it and Mombasa in 1698 and ruled until 1729 when the Omani's retook it. The taking and retaking goes on until the British arrive in the 1800's. The town has been captured and recaptured so many times it would take an entire post to do justice to the comings and goings of conquering peoples including a cannibalistic tribe. The Fort is actually pretty cool and as you can imagine offers commanding views of the entrance to the Old Port.

Outside the Fort is an area called Old Town containing some of the oldest buildings in the City including it's oldest Mosque. The Port is actually still in use today although mainly for the smaller dhow's still plying the coastal waters of Africa. It's a pretty compact area featuring some curio shops and small restaurants. This symbol of Arab hospitality is erected at the entrance to the area: a replica of the coffee pots runners used to take to merchants and shops in early times.

Mombasa is also home to many Hindus and we stopped at a Hindu Temple. Always fascinating for the depiction of their various deities, this one had some pretty graphic warnings about eating meat, drinking alcohol, theft and other transgressions. And we thought going to confession and doing penance was tough!

We also stopped at a fabulous craft market called the Akamba Cooperative. The Kamba people are a tribe of carvers and they banded together to form this cooperative to sell their wares. It employs over ten thousand people. It is primitive work being done just as their fathers and grandfathers did often with the same primitive tools. The work they produce is fantastic. The rhino was carved out of one mango tree trunk.

One of the cool things about traveling around is the profusion of different advertising signs you see. The good Doctor Aziz seems to be a man of many talents.

As always the street scenes in a city tell of the comings and goings of the people. How they work, get around, live and interact.  Mombasa provided some great shots.

Mombasa was our last East Africa city to visit. It did not disappoint, Our journey will now take us to some exotic island paradise's on the way to our disembarkation in Singapore. Of all the sights we saw, things we experienced and lessons we've learned up to this point, the curiosity and friendliness of the people will not easily be forgotten.