SIGHTS and SOUNDS from KISUMU.

Hot and humid , 3^rd largest Kenyan city lies on the sloping shores of the largest fresh water lake in Africa, connected by regular local airline flights, road and linked by ferries from Kendu Bay, Homa bay and Mbita. Kisumu is not only a Port city but an urban diverse city full of cultural integration and scenic beauty.

Being a City that has been a core Centre for opposition politics in Kenya, Kisumu is an interestingly peaceful City that is on about business as usual. Every businessman from every part of the country goes on with their daily business routine while trying to escape the heat which is the only mean thing here.

I wanted to do a single post about what to do in Kisumu but I realized I can’t fit it all in a single post because I have so many beautiful photos from my Kisumu birthday trip that I’d like to share with you. This year I chose Kisumu for my destination because I felt maybe it’s time to go back after 10 years and see what has changed in this old colonial, railway terminal city.

SUNSET SILHOUTTES AT LWANG’NI.

Arriving in Kisumu at 6:00 p.m. just in time to catch the sunset and satisfy my hunger for Lake Victoria sunsets and lakeside fish there was no better place than Lwang’ni Beach. I was afraid at on arrival because the clouds were really trying to challenge my mission, the sun was completely covered and there was no sign of a sunset. I still went Straight to the beach and hoped for an opening and at around 6:40 p.m. rays started to appear on the west side of the lake, the sun came out to show its last glamour for the day and my Camera has never been this amazed with sunset views.

I had forgotten about my hunger for a while, going all crazy with sunset photos n silhouettes. Arrival of our dinner brought me back to reality that the photos could never be enough. We sat down to catch Large plates of fish (my first ever biggest fish meal) while overlooking the last rays just before the sun sunk into the lake.

We then took a street walk before heading to cool the evening off and it’s noticeable how this city is quiet at night and with just countable people walking down the streets. One thing I Liked about Kisumu is the wide street space and lack of human congestion.

SUNRISE VIEWS AT DUNGA BAY.

Up at 6:00 a.m. the next day on my Birthday and like the Bird I was born to be, I head over to the Lake to catch the sunrise. This time on the other lakeside at Dunga Beach. With the current weather already changed to a rainy season, the clouds trying so hard to compete with its rays and it rising from the Land side and not the lake side, the sun is not so appealing. There is also more of hyacinth action at this side of the lake which I was told that at times it clears and other times even covers a more wider area. Still the rays and sunrise views were amazing.

Dunga beach is full of life at this time; everyone with their part to play is here trying to catch the early worm not mesmerized or even noticing the sunrise. The fishermen are sailing their boats to go draw their fishing nets, hoping that the night was a lucky catch. The women are here waiting on the fishermen coming back to pick the best catch. It’s a quick and organized trade, with everyone having their own entrusted customer, I guess by who gives them a better deal. They are not friendly to photos though, so we just observe and only stick to sunrise photos.

The sun is totally up by 8:00 a.m. and most fishermen have sailed back by this time and even cleared their sale. We leave Dunga beach and walk towards another side of the lake at Dunga bay with more amazingly clear lake views.

We also find some of the women who’d already bought their catch on this other side specially cleaning the fish and paying attention to finer details before taking it to the market for consumers like us.

The Lake views from here are so breathtaking and for a moment I get lost staring and mesmerized at how magical this place is. The quietness and calmness sends some kind of peace down my soul and I could not have asked for a better way to turn 26.