Welcome to Lamuuuu

 

Sometimes wishes come true and you get something you have always wanted.Lamu has been on my list of places to visit for a really long time and finally I got an opportunity to visit this famous island.Being here feels like meeting an old friend,someone I knew from my past and loved greatly. I cannot put into words what I felt that first day in Lamu. I walked in the streets and saw all I knew I would see from all the blogposts and vlogs on Lamu I had watched/read but somehow it all managed to feel new 💕💕.

If you are like me and get easily obsessed with things only for them to disappoint when you finally get them, Lamu would do no such thing,it will only become more attractive the longer you spend time in it.I came to Lamu 'knowing' the town and when I saw it for the first time,it was better than had been shown by the bloggers/vloggers it honestly felt like a warm rainy hug because the rain here is warm and never too heavy and we all know I love love warm rains.

Everything I read/watched about Lamu talked about the sun,the sunsets/sunrises, the beach,the donkeys,the people and the food.All this is very true but there are things about Lamu that nobody says so I am spilling all of Lamu's secrets ok maybe not all but some of it's secrets.

It is so very Muslim

Mosques by the ocean 💘💘.

Lamu is a muslim town,this is no secret,exactly how muslim is what no one ever says.It is so Muslim that people keep quite when the Adhan is made even if it was in the middle of making a sale.If someone talks during this time they are reminded to keep quite.The Lamu museum even has a warning asking visitors to the island to respect the muslim culture practised here.If you are planning to travel to Lamu just remember despite what bloggers/vloggers show bikinis can only be worn in specific places and not all places.Also decent clothes will go along way in making you blend in and have an easy travel experience which is always a good thing.

Everything is planned around salah and they even have three days celebrations prior to Ramadhan called mfungo where they eat and make merry to welcome the holy month.

It rains in Lamu

Rains at sea.

If all you based your knowledge of Lamu on was blog and vlogs like I shamelessly did,you would think that Lamu is sunny all year round but this is definetly not the case as it rains here just like most parts of the country they have two rain seasons each year.

Rural Lamu 

Coconut husks.

Who would have thought that there are farms and cows in Lamu,I for sure didn't think this.There is a whole part of this county famously known for the insecurity as it's along the Kenya-Somali border and the now infamous Boni forest.The people who live in this part of Lamu county are farmers and they keep livestock.

Rural Lamu is dope as there is plenty of coconut trees,which translates to a lot of madafu and sometimes even free dafus for Iftar. It is where I have learnt about tembo tamu, siki and mnazi and how they are different from madafu.Also tembo tamu is halal and I am on it 😆😆 because new experiences right?

Dafu,tembo tamu,mnanzi and siki are all coconut water at different stages with siki being fermented coconut water that is used as vinegar, tembo tamu being fermented coconut water that still isn't alcoholic and mnazi being the alcohol made from fermented coconut water that is so loved by people living in the coast.Chemistry at play,talking of chemistry does anyone remember the lesson on oxidization and that metals/iron rusts rust quicker in places along the sea? I am guessing no.

Truth be told I haven't thought of this in a long time until the other day when I was told to always wash the metal parts of my eyeglass frames after any of it touches sea water.This by a man who doesn't speak any english and I bet doesn't know about iron/metal rusting quicker in areas along the sea from theoretical high school chemistry.I thought I would discuss oxidization with him but figured I don't remember much and if he decided to be inquisitive it will make the easy conversation we were having very uneasy.

   Lamu is a maze 

The sea is the north star in Lamu,if you are lost find the sea and from there you will always be able to find your way around the island.

Lamu Island is a maze of narrow streets with buildings and streets that resemble each other a lot therefore getting lost especially if you are new is very easy.Word around town is if you are lost always find your way to the sea,then from the seafront you can always find where you are going to.

The spoken Swahili in Lamu

This magazine has really good travel stories and its free.I don't know exactly how to get the hard copies but you can read the soft copies on an app called issuu that allows you to get loads of free magazines for free

I love love to watch swahili TV shows made in Mombasa and my favourites currently are KTN's chini ya mnazi and Citizen TV 's Aziza.Why I love these shows you ask,the spoken swahili in it makes me happy and in Lamu it's like watching it for extended periods of time.These guys even have maana fiche when they speak and you might be forced to bring out all your high school fasihi(mashairi na maana yao) to understand what they actually mean for example; Mi mwenzio sijiwezi-I thought this meant either I am sick,tired or financial strained but no! it means I am weak with love 😎😎.

Lamu is very picturesque

The 'matatu' stage and fishing boats in Kizingitini.

Fresh off the boat.....................I mean fresh from the sea.

Lamu is so so beautiful and if you are not careful you will end up looking like a crazy person taking pictures of each and every thing.

Have you been to Lamu,what did you see or find out that is often not spoken about by the people who visit it.