Lamu and a thousand legends by the sea

A dhow in Lamu. [Peter Muiruri, Standard]

Ali gently steered the dhow out of the small jetty and into a small lagoon for what he had promised to be a 'wonderful sundowner'. The team of local and international journalists who were inspecting marine conservation projects in the area perhaps expected the dhow to dock at a nearby shore followed by a free flow of drinks while watching the sun sink into the horizon.

But this is Lamu and local customs dictate that alcohol be kept out of public view and save for some samosa offers, Ali did what his forefathers have done for centuries; set sail and let the wind do the rest. And how calming and therapeutic the sound of silence is! With the gentle waters of the lagoon hemmed in by the mangroves lapping the sides of the dhow, time in Lamu stops.