Africa

Hi to all I had the oportunity and pleasure a few years ago of spending some time in Africa. I was in the city of Mombasa. In order to give you some back ground on Mombasa lets turn to the free Dictionary. ( more about my amazing adventure later).

Mombasa (mŏmbă`sə, –bä`sə), city (1990 est. pop. 537,000), capital of Coast prov., SE Kenya, mostly on Mombasa island in the Indian Ocean and partly on the mainland (with which it is connected by a causeway). It is Kenya's chief port and an important commercial and industrial center. Manufactures include processed food, cement, and glass. Oil is refined and tourism is also important. From the 8th to the 16th cent. Mombasa was a center of the Arab trade in ivory and slaves. The city was visited (1498) by Vasco da Gama on his first voyage to India. Mombasa was burned three times by the Portuguese. The Portuguese controlled the city until 1698, when it was regained by the Arabs; the Portuguese briefly held the city again in 1729. It came under Zanzibar in the mid-19th cent. and passed to Great Britain in 1887. Mombasa was the capital of the British East Africa Protectorate from 1887 to 1907. Of note are the remains of Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593–94. The city's extensive beaches and resorts attract thousands of tourists annually.

I arrived in Mombasa in there spring time so it was great wheather. There was not a lot of rain and it was not to hot seeing how Mombosa is close to the equator. What I really liked about this city is that it was that it was not only exotic in several ways but it was also erotic. There was a mixture of old, new and ancient side by side. One had old apartments with modern hotels side by side and then down the way there was huts and people still living the simple life. Sometimes I think the simple life is better.

The Night life was extreme to say the least. The clubs were many and hopping all night and were just as modern, if not more modern then US clubs. If you had every thought about letting your hair down (figure of speech) this is a place to do it.

I am in the medical field so I have to caution here: I never drink the water unless it was in a bottole and I opened it. I never drink anything with ice in it. If one had no other chice then the best thing to drink is the beer because it is processed and eveeryone allways seems to have beer. I only drink beer in a bottole also and I was sure I opened it. Well this must bring up the subject of food. I ate fresh fruits that were not cut up. One does not want to eat any food that is wahed in tap water. I also food that came in a sealed package. I will share a food story with you. Most of the hotels have open air restaurants. I was at one with one of my friends that happen to be a chef. He ordered a steak and when it was brought to the table it looked a little strange to say the least. I say I do not think you should eat that. The chef ate it anyway even after saying that it did not look lke steak and jocking that it mabe Zebra. I treated him for a week after we left. Now all the food and restaurants are not like this but one must be alert.

I went on a Safari and it was great. I have nerver been closer to all types of wild animals before or since. There was a very nice hotel close to the Safari area and they had excellent food and accomodations. The Safari tour I went with took us through th jungle and gave us some extra sites to see. The Safari for me was major highlite of the adventure.

There were other highlites and excitement but I will have to borrow a line and close here.
What happens in Africa stays in Africa.

Adventure Man