PIRACY IN MOMBASA, KENYA
…And we were there! You probably saw on the news all the excitement about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. We were docked in Mombasa April 9th and 10th when the pirates were holding the captain hostage just a few hundred miles away from us in the Indian Ocean. We left the pier at 7 p.m.on Friday evening and saw the Alabama sailing into the same pier where we were in Mombasa. Kenya is bordered on the north by Somalia and this is a very dangerous area; the waters are filled with Somali pirates hijacking mostly cargo ships for huge ransoms. There are wealthy Somali war lords who have palaces in an area of Somalia called Puntland and they hire pirates to hijack the ships and collect the ransoms. These hijackers are mostly out-of-work fishermen who have no income. Thanks to the U.S. Navy, the crew and captain of the Alabama are all safe and home. However, we experienced several tension-filled days being in the midst of all the piracy activity.
Kenya gained its independence from Britain on December 12, 1963. The population is 38 million and Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya, is the capital. Main languages spoken are English, Kiswahili.There are 50 different tribes and 40 different languages.. The Masai are a nomadic tribe of about 250,000 who have herded cattle for centuries. Masai warriors greeted us at the pier and put on a native show for us. Some of us visited them in their villages on safari trips.
The hassle factor is very high in Kenya. The natives are constantly pushing their wood carvings, beaded necklaces, baskets, bastik hangings, T-shirts etc.The carvings are made of rosewood, mahogany, ebony and teak.You can get good bargains but you have to bargain. Some of us became experts at this game! Unfortunately Kenya is a poor country with 30% unemployment.
One of the highlights was a visit to Bombolulu Village which supports 150 disabled adults in a workshop funded by the government. They also make bicycles specially adapted for the disabled, pedals on the handlebars for those who are unable to use their legs. This allows them to have transportation and can get employment as messengers, etc. It was truly an inspirational visit.
After 2 days in Mombasa, we headed for Maputo, Mozambique.
…And we were there! You probably saw on the news all the excitement about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama. We were docked in Mombasa April 9th and 10th when the pirates were holding the captain hostage just a few hundred miles away from us in the Indian Ocean. We left the pier at 7 p.m.on Friday evening and saw the Alabama sailing into the same pier where we were in Mombasa. Kenya is bordered on the north by Somalia and this is a very dangerous area; the waters are filled with Somali pirates hijacking mostly cargo ships for huge ransoms. There are wealthy Somali war lords who have palaces in an area of Somalia called Puntland and they hire pirates to hijack the ships and collect the ransoms. These hijackers are mostly out-of-work fishermen who have no income. Thanks to the U.S. Navy, the crew and captain of the Alabama are all safe and home. However, we experienced several tension-filled days being in the midst of all the piracy activity.
Kenya gained its independence from Britain on December 12, 1963. The population is 38 million and Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya, is the capital. Main languages spoken are English, Kiswahili.There are 50 different tribes and 40 different languages.. The Masai are a nomadic tribe of about 250,000 who have herded cattle for centuries. Masai warriors greeted us at the pier and put on a native show for us. Some of us visited them in their villages on safari trips.
The hassle factor is very high in Kenya. The natives are constantly pushing their wood carvings, beaded necklaces, baskets, bastik hangings, T-shirts etc.The carvings are made of rosewood, mahogany, ebony and teak.You can get good bargains but you have to bargain. Some of us became experts at this game! Unfortunately Kenya is a poor country with 30% unemployment.
One of the highlights was a visit to Bombolulu Village which supports 150 disabled adults in a workshop funded by the government. They also make bicycles specially adapted for the disabled, pedals on the handlebars for those who are unable to use their legs. This allows them to have transportation and can get employment as messengers, etc. It was truly an inspirational visit.
After 2 days in Mombasa, we headed for Maputo, Mozambique.
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