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Thursday, July 05, 2007 - 7:36 AM
I enjoyed getting around Mombasa on my own (as opposed to being overprotected by our cabdriver from Diani Beach, who wanted to drive us and hire guides for us everywhere). I had an appointment with a woman who had helped found an interfaith group as well as a Muslim human rights organization, and she told me to take a tuk-tuk to the Old Law Courts on the border of the Old City. Tuk-tuks, as Tom said, are tiny three-wheeler taxis that bounce up and off of curbs and have never seen a seat-belt. One pulled over with two women,in the back, faces and bodies clad in full black burkhas with openings only for eye slits, and the driver motioned me in. I thought the women might be uncomfortable having me with them, but they moved over immediately and the driver said he was dropping them off soon. I saw they were quite young, and one who spoke English asked me where I was from, how I liked Mombasa, and whether I had children. As we were chatting, I took off my sunglasses and she said, "You have such lovely eyes -- why do you cover them?" If I hadn't been bouncing around already I probably would have fallen off my seat.
The architecture and mosques of the Old Town are beautiful, and there was more work for me in and around Mombasa than could be done in the three days we spent there. That, the fact that the children still want to take a tuk-tuk, the beautiful beaches with monkeys running around them, and the warm Indian Ocean water -- I guess we'll just have to go back someday!
Now that we're home and using faster computers (at least sometimes) we'll try to put a few pictures up on this site. Stay tuned for the final test of the family's blogging abilities... .
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