Cameos from kenya

When you last heard from us, we were headed for Nairobi. From there we drove to the pristine beaches of East Kenya. After spending a couple of days at Simba Lodges on the banks of Lake Naivasha, we drove in heavy rain through the bustling metropolis that is Nairobi, the capital. Again the guidebooks have it wrong.

Second impression

We had been warned about Nairobi being full of beggars and thieves hiding in dark alleyways, ready to rob you at knifepoint. As we approached the capital, I could see Martin tense beside me as we braced ourselves for the crime onslaught. Nothing happened. The streets were clean, well-lit and beggar-free. Nairobi was far cleaner since my last visit 15 years ago. The only downside was the driving — the roads were jam-packed with drivers who think traffic signals are mood-lights and stopping is optional.

Frazzled from avoiding countless accidents, we left our bright yellow Nissan Xterra at a servicing station in Nairobi. After a couple of days, we drove on, armed with our camera. Driving to Mombasa on the coast was a breeze with our serviced Xterra purring like a kitten. Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, is an island linked to the mainland by bridges.

It's a bustling, vibrant city with many budget places to stay. We were overwhelmed by the crowd and the lack of space, so we drove north, to Watamu beach. If you're looking for a quick getaway, Watamu is the place. The beaches are white sand and the atmosphere exudes Kenyan hospitality.

We headed for the Ocean Sports resort, which also has a campsite. We stayed for three nights in our tent popped open on top of the car, dealing with mosquitoes and monkeys in the stiflingly humid heat while Martin took pictures of the starry sky. We were in paradise.

We had to force ourselves to leave and sullenly drove through the Italian colony of Malindi — full of ageing mafia men and their weather-beaten wives — to Lamu Island.

To reach the Lamu archipelago we had to say goodbye to Roxy (our Nissan Xterra) at the port. We were ushered hurriedly by ten opportunistic beach boys, on to an outrageously expensive speedboat. We discovered later that we had been fleeced.

There was a far cheaper ferry we could have taken.

Lamu is similar to Zanzibar — the island is largely Muslim and since we happened to arrive during Eid, the call to prayer echoed through the narrow streets.

Lamu is a quaint island, perfect for a weekend of dhow cruising, fishing and snorkelling.

We managed to get on-board a sunset dhow cruise. Sarah (a Belgian lady who had recently converted to Islam) took us on a tour of the islands. Riding on a dhow is not for the faint of heart. Whenever the wind changed course, the large sail tilted the boat and we feared it would capsize. It never did, though.

Moving on

After a couple of days we were united with Roxy and headed down the coast towards Tanzania. I have finished editing the latest webisode. Visit our blog (arabiatafrica.blogspot.com) and watch our first footage of Kenya! See you on the road.