Last night in Kenya

I'm back in Mombasa now after a sweaty, jostly but otherwise quite fine ride down the coast from Watamu. This is my last night in Kenya- tomorrow I do some sightseeing around town, and then head to the airport for the flight to Ethiopia. This is also the halfway mark of my journey overall, the first half in Tanzania and Kenya, and now the next half in Ethiopia. In honor of this, I'd like to mention a few things about the Tanzania/Kenya potyion that didn't make it in to the daily narrative:

- I love women's dresses. No, this isn't some kind of long overdue confession. Rather, just an appreciation for the incredible colors and patterns I've seen in dresses all over these two countires.

- Matatus rock! They're these litle minibuses that are the main means of transport, and they're much cheaper than any taxi or bus, and always colorfully decorated. usually with religious themes, but I've also seen Jay-Z, Eminem, Ludacris and Led Zeppelin.

- Safari moments that didn't make the main narrative, like when my driver got out to pee at one point, and a distant herd of elephants trumpeted and formed a defensive circle around their young, or when he caused a mother lion to long around puzzled when he mimicked the meow of one of her cubs.

- The sounds and smells of safari. You know the images, buy you have to include the smell of dung, pervasive mooing of wildebeest, and incredible racket of hippos.

- Also that it's not all fun and games. I saw bones scattered all over, we came across hyaneas chewing on the head of a wildebeest, and at one point we came upon a dying hyeana by the side of the road, after it had probably fought with others or (m guide guessed) been kicked by a buffalo.

- Cats! I never saw any in Tanzania, but there was a black cat at the border crossing with Kenya (good sign) and I've seen them around in cities and villages all over Kenya.

- The sound of the call to prayer at all hours of night and day. Tanzania and Kenya are both about half and half Muslim and Christian, and the coast in Kenya where I've been for the last few days is mostly Muslim, so there's always a mosque nearby.

These are a few things that come to mind now, I'm sure I'm missing many others. But soon it's on to Ethiopia, with all new adventures to share! I'm arriving very late, so probably I'll check in the day after tomorrow. See you all then!

Chris