Journal Entry 2 - Yumbe House, Lamu Island 10th July 2007

I'm very disappointed in myself for not keeping this writing up but I'm finding it hard to just break away, step back and write. Some writer I am! We're now on the island of Lamu. We arrived here on Sunday and it's now Tuesday.

The trip from Mombasa to Lamu was pretty hardcore. It was an 8 hour bus ride. That's grand til you see the road we travelled on. It was slightly bumpy. Slightly being a severe understatement. It was kinda fun though, I enjoyed it and we had a good laugh. We played travel scrabble which kept us entertained for a few hours :p


We had yesterday off and I spent a good bulk of it swimming in the Indian Ocean. So unreal. This place is out of this world. But it really is. The people are so laid back and cool, everyone says hello when you pass, and welcomes you to Lamu. The food is exquisite, the best I've ever had. I was worried when I was told it was mainly seafood but it's all I've been eating and I love it! I really will miss this place when we leave it on Friday. Back to Mombasa we shall go.

Arriving on Lamu Island.

I'll be off shortly to teach in Stonetown Acadamy, which lies beautifully on the ocean front. If I went to that school I would never pay attention, the view from the windows is far too nice. I really can't describe the beauty of this island, you just have to experience it. There are no cars here, just donkeys. The streets are so narrow, we have to walk in single file. Electricity is rationed so every day at some point the power will go, luckily so far it's just been at night so the lessons haven't suffered. I plan to come back here soon, Lamu is one of the greatest places I have ever been to.

Colin teaching in Stonetown Academy, Lamu.

Journal Entry 1 - Mombasa, 4th July 2007

Three days in and Dublin seems so far away now. Another world. Things have been busy and eventful. I've seen more in the past three days than I have over the past three years! It's so surreal yet all in front of me.

Right now I'm sitting drinking Tusker in the terrace of the Jawambe Hotel B+B. Maria is quietly strumming my bargain €60 guitar I found in the Buy and Sell before I left. Charlie is reading up on Lamu in his East African Lonely Planet and informing Craig about our third destination. I feel like we've done and seen so much in so little time and have so much ahead of us. I'm very excited.

The neon lights of Jawambe, the place we called home.

We have two days of teaching behind us and I really feel they were very successful. The teachers we taught were really interested and enthusiastic about what we were showing them. Wikipedia was definitely the highlight - understandably. (On every Camara computer that goes out to Africa there is a special Wikipedia CD-ROM included with 2,000 articles so the internet isn't needed, and the people using it can get a feel for what Wikipedia can do). The concept of there being millions and millions more articles online really wowed them. The fact that they can't afford an hour online in an internet cafe is a sad truth.

We crammed a lot into the two days we had. It was very impressive that the teachers could take so much in - something like that should take quite a few weeks as computing is so complex! Everything seemed to lead onto a million new things. You tell them to put their file into a folder and realise they don't know what a folder is. Explaining is harder than you might think. I take so much for granted! Personally I would have liked a bit more time to explain some things better but I am very very happy with what we have achieved so far. Let's hope the next three days are as successful.

Maria in the classroom in Mbehni.

Today we had a day off and spent the day sightseeing. We started the day off making a de-tour with ali though, who wanted us to take some photos and footage of a school receiving some computers. Sadly there was a bit of a communication breakdown along the way meaning things didn't go quite to plan. Still found it interesting. Ali is the coolest guy ever. You know those people who just have so much charisma and warmth and wit and just everything? That's Ali. He's funny and interesting and just so good to have around. It's great having him look out for us here, even if he does purposely teach us the wrong Swahili words and phrases to create misunderstandings and awkwardness.

After the computer detour we got into a Tuk Tuk and made the now familiar bumpy ride to Fort Jesus. The whole Tuk Tuk thing is unreal. They nearly kill about twenty people every trip but manage to somehow not. I adore them.

Tuk tuk tastic.

Anyway we headed to Fort Jesus which was fantastic. The highlight though was probably the Old Town which we visited afterwards. Really cool old shops full of people trying to get you in to buy what they have to offer. We didn't hang around there too long but hopefully we'll get back again before we head off. We stopped off along the way when we met up with Eileen, Kevin and June and some coffee in the most lovely little Swahili coffee shop. Had to remove our shoes before entering. The food there was incredible, I'm really surprising myself here.

Kevin in the cafe in the Old Town.

Last night Ali took us to quite possibly the most amazing nightclub I have ever been to - situated overlooking the Indian Ocean. It's called The Florida. I tried Tequila, drank lots of Tusker and ate the most incredible bar-b-que chicken I have ever had. Something I find myself saying everyday here. At midnight a huge ship arrived into dock and passed right by the nightclub - it was amazing.

Jambo from Mombasa...

Ok, so, my severe lack of entries is not a bad sign. It's because I really haven't been able to disconnect myself from this place and write about it. I hoped I would, but so far I've just been busy taking it all in. I am in this unbelievable place having the most unbelievably experience and I couldn't be happier.

I'll write more details either when I'm back in Mombasa next week or when I get home. It's just hard to not be distracted by what's going on around me.

We did arrive safely as I'm sure most of you are aware by now. The B+B we're staying in is really lovely, I couldn't believe it. I had the worst possible expectations but this is better than some of the places I've stayed in before when touring! Lovely beds, lovely breakfasts, REALLY cold showers which works because it's so hot.

The schools so far have been brilliant. I was initially nervous about teaching but I'm really gaining confidence as we go along. The teachers are incredible. We basically get two days at every school, and have to cram in a lot of information in those two days. We've witnessed these people go from not knowing what a mouse is to writing up charts on Linux's answer to Excel. This stuff is difficult, I'd find it difficult to take it all in in two days, let alone a generation who just don't usually click as easily into computing.

Everything else is fantastic. We've eaten out most nights in lovely places. I've been extremely pleasantly surprised with the food. I adore it. I'll miss it when we leave. The chicken is the most amazing I've ever tasted. My favourite Mombasa mode of tranport would have to be the little Tuck Tucks we've been mainly travelling around in. They're like little taxis which fit only three people. Pictures coming soon. The drive is a bumpy near death experience all the way along, it's brilliant.

We also had a fantastic night out in one of the most amazing nightclubs I've ever been to the other night. It's called The Florida and is a huge bar/nightclub/restaraunt overlooking the Indian Ocean. We watched a huge ship sail in at midnight whilst drinking Tusker. It was very magical.

This stuff is very hard for me to describe to you, I really can't do it justice. But believe me this place is just something you need to experience before you die. The people here are incredible. The place is incredible. Everything about it just blew me away.

Tommorrow we head off at 7am for a lovely bumpy 8 hour ride to Lamu. Lamu sounds quite magnificant. No cars, just donkeys. We have to get a Dhow over to the Island. I doubt internet access but I can assure you lots of pictures when I get back.

I'll leave this there for now, have been hogging the B+B's computer for far too long and I need to pack.

*~Leanne~*