The Mombasa Ferry

When I arrived in Mombasa this weekend I really had no idea where I was going. I know that I needed to head south to Diani and that was about it. The cab driver dropped me off and told me to walk ‘that direction,’ very helpful. I found myself walking upstream with a few hundred people coming my way, making their way into Mombasa. I later found out that they had just alighted from the ferry.

I made it to the ferry waiting area just in time for the waterfall that fell out of the sky. It rains here unlike anywhere else I’ve ever been. I waited for about an hour for Jacob to get there from his bus trip. I opted for flight.

After some time we eventually got onboard. The reason I’m writing at all was a realization that I had regarding news I sometimes have read. You hear about hundreds of people dying as a result of a ferry sinking.


Now it makes sense. They pack these things with people and send them on their way. Fortunately, the crossing in Mombasa is relatively short and the ferries seem to be in good shape. It certainly was an experience.

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