Lamu island, Kenya - no TV, no laptop, no meat
Kenya is an extremely interesting culture and one that I hope to return to very soon (see Kelele).I was very specific with my intentions for a December holiday after an absolutely manic 2008. I wanted it to be calm, relaxed, non-technologically based and quiet. I wanted to read, to wander around a beach if I felt like it, to eat great food, meet great people and generally forget everything.We could not have picked a better venue for this and as you can tell by the title of this post I did not watch TV, use a laptop or eat meat (purely by coincidence) for the entire trip. Not too shabby if you ask me.The people are friendly, exceptionally friendly and to be honest by the end of the 12 days I wanted someone to swear at me actually. Friendliness is one thing, being over-friendly is an entirely different experience. The locals on the island of Lamu know where their bread is buttered and that is tourists. To be more precise, obnoxious British and American tourists. But more on that lot a bit further on.We were taken for a ride or two, spent a bit too much on Dow rides (the local means of transport), paid a bit too much for a meal here or there and definitely got absolutely screwed over by the colonial capital of the island, Peponi Hotel. Peponi is owned by a drunk, presumptous, wealthy Brit who clearly couldn't give a crap about anything other then where his next drink was coming from. It's a pity really because his wife seems to work incredibly hard, the managerial staff, waiters and barstaff also worked themselves silly, not the owner. He remained relatively drink the entire time. Thankfully I didn't have the misfortune of staying in the hotel, we visited occasionally for a drink and for new years eve - mistake.The first six or so nights we spent at a quaint little B'n'B in Shella (the "Europe" of Lamu as the locals say) called Sea breeze. The staff there were helpful, pleasant, friendly and I would most definitely suggest checking them out if you are heading to Lamu. It's very basic in the setup, a bed, a shower/bathroom/toilet area and a cupboard. That's it and that's more than you need.A few things I learned on the trip:1. Don't take closed shoes.2. Take two pairs of boardshorts.3. ONLY take t-shirts.4. Take insect repellent, buy it, steal it, just have it.5. Don't take anything a local says as the truth. Get a second opinion.6. Bargain prices down.7. If you feel like you have found a deal, take it.8. Experience the local culture.
Number 8 on the above list was somewhat harder to achieve specifically because you are actually living the daily lives of the locals anyways on Lamu. They kept saying that Lamu is a 365 holiday. Which it appears to be. But in order to achieve the real authentic feel of the island we took guided tours of the "slums" of Lamu, we stayed in a self-catering unit for the final 5 nights which pushed us to go to fishmarkets, fishermen, vegetable markets and more to ensure that we were well equipped for our stay. That was one of the highlights for me. Seeing the fresh fish, cooking with fresh produce and co-existing as much as two relatively white tourists can do in the space of a two week holiday.I truly hate going to a place and feeling like a real life tourist. I love experiencing culture for culture in the true sense of the word. If this is what you are after and have a good way with people then Lamu is most definitely the place for you.Here are some photos and videos of the trip:
