Lamu Dhows, Donkeys, and Doors

These pictures are from our weekend trip to Lamu, which you can read about in my post earlier this week. 

Dhow Graveyard.

Donkey train on Main Street. In Lamu there are no cars.  Instead, there are donkeys, and lots of them. 

The donkey owners will carve or brand distinctive marks or letters into the donkey's necks or flanks so people know whom to return wandering donkeys to. The donkeys on Lamu are actually treated quite poorly by the owners and locals who often overload and undernourish them. Because of this, there is actually a donkey sanctuary in Lamu that was set up by a concerned expat who came and made Lamu his home, and donkey salvation his mission. The sanctuary, which is located on the main stretch along the water, is open to all and has become a tourist attraction of its own on accident.  

Lamu Lovin'. Why stop such a beautiful thing?

This is a typical Swahili door carved of gorgeous mangrove hardwood. These doors are very important to the Swahili, whom pride themselves on their craftsmanship and artistic talents. These doors are found all over Swahili neighborhoods and are beautiful. Below are a couple more examples of some weathered entryways that have survived in town for centuries. 

This example from the Lamu Museum shows a more fortified