“Haraka haraka haina baraka.” (“Hurry hurry brings no blessing.”) -old Swahili proverb
In Mombasa, hurry hurry is not even possible—it’s too &^$#!^* hot! I will confess, at the halfway point on the cruise and in heat and humidity both in the mid to high 90s, my spirit of discovery was flagging. So, though we had two days in Mombasa, I did little more than an organized city tour. Many of our co-passengers went on safari adventures overnight or for a full day, but as we have a 3-day safari coming up in South Africa, we opted out of those adventures from Mombasa.
The city tour did provide some interesting perspective, as we learned of the many religions that prevail in the area and a little bit about the lives of the people. While the area is 60% Moslem, there are strong Christian and Hindu communities as well. We visited a Hindu temple, which seemed a little more “hell-fire” than the ones we saw in India (i.e., wall carvings showing the horrendous fates of those who eat meat or drink alcohol), and saw a couple of massive churches as well as some more modest mosques. The Hindu community comes from an earlier generation’s influx of workers from India to build the railroad. They stayed on, and formed an influential base that now controls 60% of economic activity in Kenya, according to our guide. However, I have to take that figure with a grain of salt, as he cited 60% as the statistic for a great many things.
We also visited Fort Jesus, a stronghold that provided defenses through various foreign occupations. Though it couldn’t have been too much of a stronghold—it changed hands 9 times, usually in fierce battle. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1593, it was controlled on and off by Oman, and finally fell under British control around 1920 until Kenya obtained its independence in 1963. The fort also played a role in the slave trade, and was a place where prisoners were held an executed over the years. Its location now gives a lovely view of the Mombasa harbor, but its history evokes bloodshed and shadow. It also was where the movie Beau Geste was filmed.
We also took a walk through the narrow streets of Mombasa’s old town. Alleyways off to the side offered glimpses of the sea, and the streets were filled with people going about the course of their day. Here, and in the main business districts, the streets were filled with mostly males, but it was hard to determine where they were going or what they were doing.
There was a languid feel to the streets, possibly because of the heat. But it may have been explained by what I learned later in the day. Kenya has an unemployment rate of around 50%. Workers tend to live in small quarters, often with one family to a room, and a family earns on average the equivalent of $250 per year. With these close quarters and narrow means, people may well have been out just to get some air.
In Mombasa, hurry hurry is not even possible—it’s too &^$#!^* hot! I will confess, at the halfway point on the cruise and in heat and humidity both in the mid to high 90s, my spirit of discovery was flagging. So, though we had two days in Mombasa, I did little more than an organized city tour. Many of our co-passengers went on safari adventures overnight or for a full day, but as we have a 3-day safari coming up in South Africa, we opted out of those adventures from Mombasa.
The city tour did provide some interesting perspective, as we learned of the many religions that prevail in the area and a little bit about the lives of the people. While the area is 60% Moslem, there are strong Christian and Hindu communities as well. We visited a Hindu temple, which seemed a little more “hell-fire” than the ones we saw in India (i.e., wall carvings showing the horrendous fates of those who eat meat or drink alcohol), and saw a couple of massive churches as well as some more modest mosques. The Hindu community comes from an earlier generation’s influx of workers from India to build the railroad. They stayed on, and formed an influential base that now controls 60% of economic activity in Kenya, according to our guide. However, I have to take that figure with a grain of salt, as he cited 60% as the statistic for a great many things.
We also visited Fort Jesus, a stronghold that provided defenses through various foreign occupations. Though it couldn’t have been too much of a stronghold—it changed hands 9 times, usually in fierce battle. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1593, it was controlled on and off by Oman, and finally fell under British control around 1920 until Kenya obtained its independence in 1963. The fort also played a role in the slave trade, and was a place where prisoners were held an executed over the years. Its location now gives a lovely view of the Mombasa harbor, but its history evokes bloodshed and shadow. It also was where the movie Beau Geste was filmed.
We also took a walk through the narrow streets of Mombasa’s old town. Alleyways off to the side offered glimpses of the sea, and the streets were filled with people going about the course of their day. Here, and in the main business districts, the streets were filled with mostly males, but it was hard to determine where they were going or what they were doing.
There was a languid feel to the streets, possibly because of the heat. But it may have been explained by what I learned later in the day. Kenya has an unemployment rate of around 50%. Workers tend to live in small quarters, often with one family to a room, and a family earns on average the equivalent of $250 per year. With these close quarters and narrow means, people may well have been out just to get some air.
It was interesting to be an American visiting Kenya at this time, because of the excitement over the election of Barack Obama. I gave an Obama button to one woman who had been explaining to me how America and Kenya are now sisters, and used another in trade with a vendor. I don't know if we'd have felt as welcomed here a few months ago as we did now, but the election did create something of a bond.
I’m afraid my own languor kept me from exploring as much as I'd have liked. I guess that’s inevitable on a trip of this length, but it continued on into the next stop at Zanzibar (the next entry). We then have three days at sea, so I’m hoping to become re-energized before we make landfall in South Africa.
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