SEPT. 2008: Friends' Romantic Wedding on Lamu Island, Kenya
We maneuvered our African trip schedule to attend the wedding
of very close friends (to each other!). Anna and Greg were married in a
small ceremony
on Lamu Island off the northern coast of Kenya with 25 friends and relatives (7
from Poland where Anna grew up). They treated us to a weekend of
activities including a henna party for the women, a dhow ride to a floating bar,
dhow races for the men, a beautiful hotel, and lots of fun.
Visit our blog at BLOG for more details.
NOTE: Most of the photos in the 1st 4 rows were taken by our
friend Sheila Fraser.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
After the 1.5
hour uneventful flight from Nairobi, we boarded our boat to Lamu
which looks like a Greek isle both from a distance (Above Far L),
|
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
(Above Far L) Lunch with friends leads to walk with friends along
the beach (Above L). On their walk, Greg, Anna and her mother
(Above C) meet one of the many protected sea turtles on Lamu. (Above R) That evening, all 25 of us board dhows--typical Swahili sailing boats--which take us to a floating bar for drinks and "bitings" (aka munchies) which we obviously enjoy (Above Far R). |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The morning of the wedding, all the women gather on the bridal
suite's terrace (Above Far L and L) for our own henna party.
Though some less adventurous opted for manicures, pedicures or massages, Wendy shows the henna tatoos on her wrists, both ankles and both shoulders (Above C to Far R). Hers lasted almost 3 weeks, leading to many interesting comments from colleagues at work! |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
(Above Far L) Anna and Greg arrive for their wedding which was presided
over (Above L) by Lamu's District Commissioner and celebrated with male (Above C) and female guests (Above R) at an outdoor reception overlooking the beach. To honor Anna and Greg, a friends' daughter danced her own choreography to traditional Indian music and wearing traditional dress (Above Far R). |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| On
Sunday , we visited Lamu Town on our own, exploring the seafront
(Above Far L) and interior winding streets (Above L & C), wide
enough for 2 donkeys to pass. Though Swahili is Lamu's main language, many street signs are in English, e.g., (Above R) about the primary school's hours and (Above Far R) an ad for the Liverpool soccer team outside a bar or teahouse (since Muslims don't drink alcohol). |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Lamu Town's ambience is what I would imagine in Cairo or
Marrakesh: (Above Far L) Arabic signs;
(Above L) women in long
robes called "bui"; and (Above C) architectural style. There's also (Above Far R) primitive poverty demonstrated by run-down buildings and donkeys foraging in dumped garbage. The only private car (Above Far R) on the island is owned by the Lamu District Commissioner, who also keeps donkeys to run his administration since there is only one road less than 2 miles long on the island. Rumor has it that there's also an ambulance as well as a few tractors for mechanized vehicles. |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Indian Ocean's influence is noted in the seafood collages (Above
Far L), the donkey's carrying loads along the beach (Above L), and
the classic sailing dhows (Above C). At the end of our Lamu stay, we check in at the airport (Above R) and eventually take off from the dirt and paved airstrip (Above Far R). The wedding, town and scenery made Lamu Island truly a memorable experience. |
||||