Lamu Island · An Old Town with Only Donkeys and Boats

There are no cars on Lamu island, only donkeys and dhows. The lanes of the old town are narrow enough for a single donkey to pass; the doors are carved wood, and the walls are built of coral stone and mangrove poles.

Swahili culture is preserved here more completely than anywhere else, mixed with traces of Arab, Indian and Persian traders. In the belief of the island, spirits live in the sea and in the houses — so some people leave a little food by the threshold, and leave room for the spirits in the trees.

The islanders say: a donkey is better than a car; a donkey knows the way.

Historical Mysteries / Lamu · Kenya / 14th century