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| Mombasa on the harbour |
Dirty, garbage everywhere and scruffy streets - that was our first impression of Mombasa upon our arrival by train, and when we arrived back from Tiwi, the second impression seemed to be more of the same. Old Mombasa could have some great character, along the lines of Zanzibar, and Lamu (that we never made it to) but the streets are a mess, and even in the main Government Square, an area that the official guided Mombasa walk directs you through, there were piles of garbage, a couple of smelly skips/garbage containers with stray cats eating scraps, and general mess everywhere. Great impressions for the main tourist trail. I guess we were seeing the 'real' Mombasa.
Getting in to Mombasa this time was great. Zoltan gave us a great ride from Tiwi, right in to Mombasa, and we quickly walked to a recommended hotel nearby. It's nice when it's easy. So, we had one afternoon, and the next morning to tour Mombasa. We decided to check out the old town in the afternoon, and leave the Mombasa highlight Fort Jesus for the following morning.
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| The Tusks - Mombasa |
Mombasa occupies an important role on the coast. It is the largest port in Eastern Africa, and supplies many interior countries with goods from far and wide. It also has many historical importances. Holding an important location, it was razed to the ground many times, thus forcing the Portuguese to build a stronghold - Fort Jesus - in 1593. Then it became even more of a target, and changed hands many times over the centuries. It was not only Europeans that held Mombasa, but also, after a 33 month siege, the Omani's moved in for than 170 years between 1698 and 1870. This is where it's Muslim and Swahili culture come from, similar to Lamu in the North.
It appears that the Swahili culture is slowly being fazed out, and after speaking with a few people in the old town, it sounds like the locals are being squeezed out and the new occupants don't really care about traditions or, apparently, the appearance of the old town. It could be so nice, but is not. Maybe one day UNESCO will move in??
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The Garbage in Government Square
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In our brief stop, we did see 'The Tusks'. An interesting looking sculpture over the road, but on close up viewing, is not a solid sculpture, but a metal frame which looks far better from afar!! The harbour was quite scenic, but there was lots of construction on the far banks. The old Fort Jesus did not disappoint however. Heading in the high walls, the interior definitely had some colour and character. We enjoyed walking around the ramparts, and even eating breakfast in a corner watchtower, overlooking the sea. You can walk down the Passage of the Arches, which is an exceptionally deep stairway built from the centre of the courtyard, steeply down towards the sea under the main wall.
So, a brief stop in Mombasa was all we really needed, and we caught a taxi out to the airport, past the lovely garbage dumps with the flies and little shacks on top, and off to start our journey home. A few monkeys were running around the airport, which was a surprising treat, and a nice parting gift from Kenya. *Stub
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| Fort Jesus, Mombasa |
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| Michelle inside Fort Jesus |
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