Mombasa!

This is a post I probably should have done a looooong time ago.  It is about the city I live in, Mombasa.  It is a city a little over 100 miles south of the equator.  It garnered some attention last year when it was mentioned in THE blockbuster hit of last summer "Inception" starring Leonardo Di Caprio.  Mombasa was the city that Leo had to go to to get the sedative strong enough to keep him and his team asleep through 3 dream levels. 

Mombasa has a population of around 940,000, although it feels like an overgrown village rather than a thriving city.  It started out as a trading post for the Arabs over 1,000 years ago.  Here is the Wikipedia link:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mombasa.  Unlike the rest of Kenya, it was never colonized by the British and as a result, has a unique culture (it's called the "coastal culture", if you're from Mombasa, it adoringly called the "coastal culture", if you're from Nairobi, it's disgustingly called the "coastal culture") compared to the rest of Kenya.  Instead of the British, it was colonized by the Sultan of Oman and ruled by the Sultan of Zanzibar until 1963, when the sultanate was dissolved and the land was gifted to Kenya.  The Swahili language and culture was born in Mombasa as a result of Arabic and African cultures mixing together.  Compared to other parts of Africa, Mombasa also has a mixture of various races including Indians, Middle Easterners, and Africans.  And because of the large presence of all the Muslims and Middle Easterners, al-Qaeda, unfortunately, has a presence here.  I probably was one of the few people not thrilled hearing about Osama bin Laden's death.

Mombasa from the air.

The famous Tusk statues of Mombasa.  These are the symbols of Mombasa and are included in the city seal.

Snapshot of the city.

City streets.  It's always crowded with people.  Kenyans tend to have a slow walking pace (they say that by walking slow they sweat less in the heat) compared to Westerners so I usually have to push my way through the sidewalks when I'm downtown.

Some more city streets.  The guy in the center is pulling a cart full of containers of water.  The water is sold to various businesses and homes as not all places downtown have running water.  

Downtown mosque.  Kenya is only around 12% Muslim, but most of the Muslim population lives on the coast of Kenya, especially in Mombasa.  Many mosques like this are all over Mombasa.

Typical view of the city streets.  The 2 ladies in the foreground are typical Muslim ladies with their body's covered in long black dresses called bui buis and wearing a headdress called a hijaab.  I have met many Muslims here and they are the nicest and most caring people.  It's a shame that Islamic terrorist groups give the religion a terrible reputation in the Western world because they do not represent the religion at all.

NINJA! Muslim ladies that not only cover their hair and body but their face are nicknamed ninjas, obviously because of their appearance.  The face covering is called a burqa.  These long outfits are usually worn over regular clothes.  These ladies usually smell awful, especially around 5 pm, because they sweat like crazy under all those layers of clothes (it's like 90 degrees here).  

On a side note, my Kenyan friends at the movie store that I go to say these ladies are usually are the sluttiest girls in Mombasa.  During the day, they wear super conservative clothes and are adamantly praying, but at night, they are usually the girls wearing the shortest and tightest dresses at the discos.  

The market.  It is one of Mombasa's historical landmarks.  I have been told by tour guides that the Arabs used to trade slaves at this building.  Today the building is used to sell fruits, vegetables, and livestock.  The smell around here is not the most pleasant.

Downtown butchery right next to the market.

Downtown elementary school.  Primary school education (until 8th grade) is free in Kenya, yet, many children still dropout.  Likoni, one of the poorest areas of Mombasa have a 95% primary school dropout rate.  This school is downtown and it is one of the wealthier schools and likely a private school.  Most parents that can afford it, send their children to private schools as public schools often lack funding for various programs (including lunch) and the education quality is extremely low.

Fruit stand lady.  I know I look like a huge tool with my pants rolled up in every single one of my pictures, but it's because shorts are looked down upon due to the conservative Muslim culture of Mombasa and the conservative culture of Kenya in general.  If I want to look like a "local", I was told I need to wear long pants and roll the bottoms up.  Only the tourists wear shorts.  

Downtown movie store.  They sell burned copies of movies for about $.50 each.  It's awesome.  I've seen all the movies nominated for an Oscar this year because of this store.

Many stores in Mombasa have the same names as stores in the US that sell similar products.  They even have a Chase Bank here that is completely unrelated to Chase Bank in the US (unfortunately...I have been incurring crazy ATM fees each time I withdraw cash in Kenya).

This area is called Lights because this is probably the only intersection in Mombasa that has traffic lights (although nobody really obeys them and most of the time they are turned off).  It is a huge intersection full of markets selling food and second-hand t-shirts and shoes from the US (I think Goodwill donates shirts that they can't sell to places like this...the other day I saw an old Kenyan gentleman wearing a shirt that said, "I don't need a tractor to pull hoes"-can't believe Goodwill could not sell that one).

Nyali!  Nyali is the nice part of Mombasa where all the wealthy people live.  This is the movie theater complex, one of the few places with A/C in Mombasa.

Cafe Mocha in Nyali.  This cafe is where I spent much of my time.  

The shopping complex across the street from the movie theater in Nyali.

Kisauni.  The area next to Nyali.  I think this picture is a good representation what a normal neighborhood looks like in Mombasa.    

Some more pictures of Kisuani.  Some parts of Kisauni are considered the most dangerous areas in Mombasa.  There are a ton of drug addicts in Kisauni and it can get very dangerous at night.

The garbage pits of Mombasa.  Like many cities in developing countries, Mombasa has a problem with huge piles of trash in its local communities.  This particular pile is right by a restaurant and a large residential area in Kisauni.  I have had to walk through these piles on more than one occasion to catch a ride on the matatus (the vans).  One of the volunteers with my program lived next door to this pile.  She had flying cockroaches all over her room that visited her after they finished eating their meals in this pile.

Right next to the lovely ladies Brigid (left) and Olivia (right), some of the volunteers I came with, is a burning garbage pit. When the garbage pits become too big, they are lit on fire.  The pleasant smell of burning plastic wafts through many areas of Mombasa. 

The Likoni Ferry.  A ferry is required to cross to Likoni as Mombasa's port is located in this area and a bridge would impede the passage of the large oil tankers that come in to Mombasa.  This ferry is probably the worst thing about Mombasa.  Many pickpockets exist in this area and waiting for the ferry can take foooorreeeevveeeer.  There are usually 2 to 3 ferries running at all times, but often times they like to cross without taking any people for reasons that I don't understand (there is a saying here called "This is Africa" - TIA for short - everybody [including the locals] uses it to explain things that just don't make sense, this situation perfectly describes a TIA situation).

The markets surrounding the Likoni ferry area.  Likoni is the southern most part of Mombasa.

The streets of Likoni.  The cart here is a Mombasan garbage truck.

Mud houses in Mtwapa, a suburb of Mombasa.  Mtwapa is a northern suburb.

BEACH!  Mombasa has so many beaches.  The beaches are the best thing about Mombasa.  They are so quiet and the water is clear and beautiful.  The beaches have a lot of little crabs all over and the ocean, even the shallow water right near the beach, is teaming with small fish and starfish.

This is a wedding at Mombasa Intercontinental Resort in Mtwapa.  This is one of many resorts in Mombasa as the hot weather and beautiful beaches attract many tourists and resorts. 

The Tamarind Resort in Nyali.  This was the resort I and the other volunteers usually frequented.  This place is amazing! 

Sexy old German man in his sexy banana hammock at a resort.  This guy had all the geriatric ladies at the resorts all hot and bothered.

Mombasa downtown skyline.

More of the skyline.  Mombasa a bustling city with a lot of great opportunities for growth and development and despite all of its flaws, like Africa, I will miss it when I'm gone.