Varied days
with planting mangrove trees, fishing for barracuda and tuna, swimming with dolphins and traditional culture in Mararani
A fantastic EFHS group visits local small shops, enjoys Lamu and Shela. Lamu was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 and is a great melting pot of Swahili, Arabic, Persian and Indian culture. Many of us eat far beyond our own borders with seafood. At home we are very concerned with ultra-processed food, while here there are perhaps a handful who know what that means.
On Saturday everyone went out into the open sea and provided dinner for the next three days (read tuna, catfish, queenfish and large barracudas). There was a swim with dolphins and a handsome sea turtle looked up to greet the FHS gang. After a small lunch we went to Mararani where there were several cultural performances from magic, acrobatics and traditional dances with and without us.
The transition from Mararani to Sunday's visit to Manda Island and Majilis was huge. But great to experience these contrasts. Pizza lunch, sun loungers and a lovely pool area. While today we have been with a young "birdwatcher" and seen and learned about local birds, plants, insects, crabs and the mangrove forests. Everyone joined in and planted two different types of mangrove. So Elverum fhs will have a small mini-forest on Lamu in a year.
When we arrived by boat we were invited to break the fast with the local Muslims, the Maasai from the mainland and us. Next last day of Ramadan. We are looking forward to ID
