Mombasa in January…so many things to say about it and so many memories. We were staying in Nairobi and decided we would take the train to Mombasa. Only having a day that we could afford to spend, we took the 10 pm express train. The Nairobi station has a restaurant if you need supper and the food is served pretty quickly. The train is clean, the seats are standard, nothing special, but it does the trick and gets you where you want to go. We were in the economy, which has seats facing each other and small tables in between. First class has a little more cushy seats, but it’s also not conducive to talking to friends if you are traveling in a group.

We already had transport lined out when we got to the Mombasa station and we drove about 30 minutes to the beach. There are plenty of taxis and drivers waiting there if you do not have a driver yet. We still had a good 2 hours before the sunrise…we talked, we got rained on, we hoped for the best and ended up with a good show despite the clouds.

The next stop was Fort Jesus. I wanted a little history and it was ranked high on things to do in Mombasa. It was very intriguing, from the stories to the architecture. Our guide, Sherif, was a wealth of knowledge and very informative. He not only took us through Fort Jesus, but then took us on a street tour in Old Town Mombasa. Sherif seemed to know everyone around-we went to a local fish market and even sampled some street food. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about Kenya and it’s fascinating history!

Next stop was the famous tusks. It’s a must see if you are there. We got some history on those at Fort Jesus, as well. We took the ferry ride, over and back (it’s free and gives a nice break from walking). There are horses and camels giving rides along the beach if that appeals to you.

We went to the spice market and marveled at the smells and colors there. Be sure to try the Mabuyu, Baobab candy, it’s a sweet treat that is sure to leave your tongue red. Mombasa was fun for a day, but I’m looking forward to exploring more of the coast. We took the 10 pm express train back to Nairobi-a much quieter experience on the way back than it was going.

It gets hot in Mombasa-don’t mess around with it-take lots of water…perhaps a story for another day!