My second day in Lamu was as bright, sunny and humid as the day before. I set out mid-morning to wander down the waterfront towards Shela, the smaller town at the southern point of the island. Everyone had said that it was an easy walk of two and a half kilometers between the towns, and that was true until about halfway there. It turns out that a good bit of the way is underwater when the tide's in, and I found myself rather stuck. A local woman came along and tried to point me the right way, but we didn't get much further before she to couldn't walk much further without going for a swim. Fortunately, there are boats used as buses going back and forth, and one stopped for us and a couple of other people at that point.
Shela is much newer than Lamu Town, and not as restricted to maintain history. So, this is where rich people have vacation homes. Thirty years ago, it was a fishing village, but now it's full of boutique guesthouses and such; it's nicer than Lamu Town, but I'm glad I'm staying in the old town. Shela was too quiet. It's a pretty place, though, and the beach is very nice. I wandered around the mostly deserted pathways a bit and poked in some souvenir shops before having lunch and reading for a while at my shady table overlooking the water.
After lunch, I took a long walk down the beach. The beach is about 12 kilimeters long, but I just walked until it started to curve around the end of the island. There were only a few people out; I think I met more donkeys on the sand than people.
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| I like this shot, except for that guy with the obnoxious orange pants... |
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| Several dhows, the old-fashioned wood sailing boats, came by. They all seem to have flags from different countries... |
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| Looking across the channel to Pemba Island. There is a resort hotel over there and some ruins that are supposed to be interesting. |
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| This incredible building looks like something out of the Crusades; it turns out it's a privately owned villa. |
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| Back in Shela, waiting for a boat back to Lamu. |
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| Must be carpet-washing day... |
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