Mombassa, Kenya

For some reason known only to the chain of command, instead of going to some of the more exotic places on the cruise,
we ended up for some weeks in Mombassa, Kenya.

It was not real high on my list of places to go and I didn't do a lot there.  You took your chances eating anything off the ship.
A couple guys ended up eating rice and charcoal for several weeks because that was all they could hold down. 
I think the culprit was 'Monkey on a Stick'.

Bottled beer wasquestionable because it was normally served with ice that was more than a few shades off of white. 

There was a lot of disease and poverty,  and AIDs was just ramping up.  Over there they called AIDs the Thinning Disease.

I pretty much confined anything I did to day trips. 

One day my photography buddy Bill said he and some others were going to spend a weekend out at a game lodge
and the cost was around $300.00. 

Did I want to go?  Heck no. 

The price was too high and I didn't want to end up contracting some previously unknown viral disease for which there was no cure.

That was probably one of the few trips I regret missing. Those that went had a great time and they came back healthy.

The first two photos Bill took:



An awesome sunset out at the lodge.



Bill also got a picture of a five legged elephant.  That is a leg, isn't it?

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Fort Jesus



This is the city of Mombassa.



Not too much to look at so Bill and I started looking around for something else to do.



We heard there was an old Portuguese fort around somewhere and started looking.



With the help of a guide, we found it.



Plaque


Portuguese Ship



One wall inside was covered with drawings.  Most were too faded to see but these stood out.



Information about the paintings



This was our guide, explaining the armaments.  After a brief intro, we were free to go exploring.



The most fascinating part of the whole place was downstairs in the ammo storage rooms.



The ammo rooms were damp and musty with moss, lichens and other stuff growing on the walls.  
Cave crickets ate the green stuff.  

Skinks, bats  and the biggest whip scorpoins I'd ever seen ate the crickets.

It was a thriving ecosystem.



It was very difficult to get decent pictures down there.  This is of a whip scorpion. I would say the body was about
the size of a quarter. Legs and all, they were about 4-5 " in circumference.



Here is a close up. with babies on her back.



Going back upstairs, we  overlooked the ocean and there were a number of canon.



Bill at an obversation post.



Out back was entrance to the beach.  A very popular spot  on those hot summer days.



Outside, there were some pretty neat lizards and a spider that was about the size of my hand.  

I suspect the little guy on top is the male.  The web was over 4'  in diameter.

All in all it was a pretty nice day.  Lots of hiking and naturally most of it was up hill.