Approaching Lamu Town by Dhow
On Tuesday, we sailed into Lamu town from our second hotel on Manda Island. We enjoyed a great morning of wandering through the beautiful stone town.
Aaron and Charles making their way down a steep street
Our hostess at the Peponi hotel had warned us that Lamu town is a "rabbit warren" of narrow alleys that branch off in every direction. Although she provided us with a hand drawn map of the main sites, she did not venture to try and capture the complexity of this old stone town. We met a friendly young Swahili man named Charles, who agreed to be our guide for the morning as we explored the town.
A man working on the makuti roof of his home
Erica and our friend Charles checking out
an original hand dug Swahili well. Fresh water is,
and has always been, a precious thing in Lamu.
We could fill our blog with photographs of the amazing carved doors and coral and plaster walls that make up the maze of narrow streets and thin alleys that make Lamu town such an incredible place to explore.
The markets of Lamu are filled with local produce, grains, fish, wood carvings, Arab relics, fabric and jewelry. There are also many wonderful artisans who have opened their own studios and workshops with their unique brands of Swahili art.
Aaron in the crowded vegetable market
(a lot nicer than the nearby crowded fish market)
Two young Swahili girls in the narrow streets of Lamu
Back on the docks, to meet our boat at the jetty,
we met teams of donkeys loaded with wares for the local merchants
"A man without a donkey, is a donkey."
Swahili Proverb
The Masai watchman back at our hotel on Manda Island
A huge baobab tree over shadows a mosque
and nearby lodge on Manda Island
No comments:
Post a Comment