Blogs from Coast Province, Kenya, Africa

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Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa March 28th 2023

I decided to head to the coast for a few days to wait out the tensions in Nairobi. The girls have not been able to have regular skills training and the NGO is mostly focused on securing the property, their school, and daycare. I took the train down to Mombasa. It was a lovely way to see the landscape on the 5 hour ride down. Mombasa was the original capital of Kenya. During that time it was an important center for trade of spices. gold and ivory between Africa, India, and China. The architecture is a combination of traditional Swahili, colonial Portuguese styles from the 16th century and modern Islamic designs. The temperatures are much hotter here at low 90s with humidity. Not my ideal weather, but appropriate for being along the beach. I spent 2 ... read more
Snorkling
Maasi Dancing at a Dinner
Trying to stay covered

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa December 4th 2022

These are the kinds of weird sights that I live for when I'm traveling abroad. Sometimes my eyes take in hundreds of oddities a day (an hour?), but only rarely do I have a camera at the ready to capture them. Here are a few fun ones from Mombasa that just don't fit into any of my other blog posts, but I wanted to share anyway. I found a really weird chimney at this alley-way restaurant that looks like it was envisioned by Dr. Seuss. These guys at the Bamburi junction were selling the so-called "Flintstones" weights that I know so well. We had these kind of weights at Steve's gym back in 2007 (dubbed the original "CrossFit Kenya" on CrossFit.com) and I built myself some while I was living in Thailandmany years later. This tuk-tuk ... read more
Heavy lifting
Weed.  Nuff sed
Dr. Seuss?

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa December 3rd 2022

We held a commemoration celebration for the Rastafari Community Development Office on Saturday the 3rd of December. On the Ethiopian calendar, this is the day of the Kahinate Semaye (heavenly priests) who appear in the Book of Revelations. It was an appropriate day, we felt, to praise His Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I and to celebrate the opening of this mission for community development. InI the founding members (Ras Franklin, Ras Simba, and myself) were joined by some Sistren and Bredren from the greater Mombasa area who made the trod to visit the library for the first time and join us in Ilabrations. We held Nyahbinghi ises, ate exclusively fruits, and held reasonings. We were joined by video call with Ras Untunga of THE ETHIOPIAN WORLD FEDERATION, INC, who made a powerful presentation on the importance ... read more
Ras Simba represents
Glorious Banners

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa December 2nd 2022

Rastafari vibes are strong in Mombasa and the affinities with Jamaica are many. Maybe it's because this is Africa. Maybe it's because the climate is so like Jamaica (I've often commented that Jamaica is basically Africa without the elephants). Maybe it's because the Kenyan Mau-Mau movement inspired the Rastas in Jamaica to grow their locks. Maybe it's because both countries followed the leadership of Haile Selassie I to attain their independence from colonial Britain. Whatever it is, they really love Reggae here, and there are many wearing the dreadlocks. Traveling around this city, you will see the colors of Green, Gold, and Red. You will see the images of Haile Selassie I. You will see Bob Marley, Burning Spear, Joseph Hill, and others. You will see them on matatus. You will see them on t-shirts. You ... read more
Selassie the First shop in town
Culture Tumusiime at Dread Forest Salon
Reggae Night at Moonshine

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa December 1st 2022

Mwarauka (man of the morning), Ras Jimmy Kaingu, and Ras Nicholas John Nakis Amha Selassie. The 3 lions reunion. I’ve known Jimmy forever, since we were both much younger men with no children yet. His family have been friends with Chelly’s family since school days. In fact, it was his sister Christine who first brought Chelly over to Thailand. His brother Steve was one of the first people I met on the very day I arrived in Mombasa all the way back in 2007. He took me to train at his backyard gym and I became a regular visitor for reasonings around Jimmy's yard. While Steve's gym was a gathering place for anyone who wanted to train the body with exercise, Jimmy's yard was a gathering place for those who wanted to train the mind with ... read more
Figuring out the hands
Ras Jimmy
Nice Time

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa November 30th 2022

I wrote about the Rastafari Community Development Office of Mombasa in an earlier blog post. This is a cooperative community-service project with a lot of history behind it and great personal meaning for all of us involved. Essentially, it is a community library in combination with a connections center and a community shop. All of the books at the RCDOM have come from one of three sources: Those I shipped or carried over from the USA Those acquired locally by Ras Franklin and Ras Simba Those shared with us by the Kenya Libraries Association While the books acquired by the Rases in Kenya and provided through the Libraries partnership cover a general subject matter--ranging from Islamic studies to technical-school training manuals--those that I have either shipped or carried with me... read more
Africa On The Move
Itations 1
Itations 2

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa November 29th 2022

That's a "Matatu". The name means something like, "of three," and refers to the three benches in the back that hold passengers. Matatus are usually made from a Nissan 14-passenger van and they are the most common form of transportation in Mombasa. While not a public utility (they are privately owned), they run predictably on set routes for set rates. There is always a matatu around to get you where you need to go. Matatus are typically decorated with elaborate paint jobs, stickers, and decals. Sometimes the insides are specially upholstered or strung with lights. With thousands of these customized mini-busses around the city, it’s kind of like an episode of Pimp My Ride exploded. I took a picture of this particular matatu because of what it says on the back window. “I Design Myself.” That ... read more
That's a Matatu

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa November 28th 2022

That's the same ugly backpack I started my journeys with in the fall of 2006. It has been around the world a few times since then. To tell the truth, I don't always take it on my travels these days (appropriate baggage is key), but when I get home I always add the patch from any new country I've visited. The bag keeps getting uglier, but it also gets more interesting as this patchwork quilt of nations grows. I hope one day to run out of space and have to put patches on top of patches. How's that for life goals? I realize it's been a very long time (12 years?) since I've done an actual travel blog here, but I want to catch you all up on everything!!! Right now, I am in Mombasa, Kenya. ... read more

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa November 28th 2022

In 2007, I learned about this thing the Rastas call "Ital". Ital is an Iyaric (Rasta talk) word that means "vital", but with the connotation of "I" (as in, "I am vital", or "my vitality"). It can also mean, "I-Tall," as in, "these are the things that make I grow tall" (in stature and in spirit). Ital is a livity (way of living) that encompasses many aspects, but is usually discussed or considered around topics of eating: what to eat and what not to eat. An Ital diet can mean many different things, depending on who is giving the definition. Some of the ways that Ital food can be defined include: Only consuming food you grew yourself Eating only plant-based foods Restricting the diet to the foods that are considered “clean” in the Old Testament of ... read more
Rice, Beans, Greens
Fruit Juice Cocktail
Masala Fries, Handmade Veggie Burger, Egg-Free Coleslaw

Africa » Kenya » Coast Province » Mombasa November 27th 2022

The Rastafari Community Development Office of Mombasa began with an idea from elder Ras Simba for a Rastafari library…. He told me this idea of his back in 2007. I had no idea how to do it then, but now I have some clue. And here we are. In those days, I was a mostly-clueless 25-year-old backpacker. I'd spent basically a decade of my life as a skinhead, in a maligned fashion cult, messing around with street gangs and punk bands while vibing to a soundtrack of Jamaican ska & reggae mixed with UK Oi! and US hardcore. Spiritually, I thought of myself as a Rasta, but I had no idea what that meant really. Politically, I was pretty much a softened Anarchist. I'd been to college and got a business degree. I'd started building a ... read more
Some book selections
Children enjoying the books
The boys up front are drumming




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