I loved the Islamic architecture I found in and around Lamu. It was even prelalent in these back rooms. I found myself constantly taking pictures of ceilings and door frames. Just one last snapshot of the Whispers Cafe before we move on. But you won’t see this if you step into their cafe. I believe the back rooms are invitation only. (-:
Catherine Bush was my instructor for the SLS Fiction course. It was an extremely informative course…I took a lot home with me to help me reconstruct the novel that I brought to Africa with me. Although I was able to take in so many of the sights in Kenya, what amazed me was that we were also learning so much during our classes. It sometimes felt like we were living two lives at once. And I can’t call one WORK and the OTHER play, because the writing classes were too much fun to call WORK. I can never quite bring myself to call writing work, no matter what kind of writing it is.
Here’s Catherine reading from her as yet unpublished fourth novel, THE THIEF.
This was another alcove that we walked through to get to the back garden at the Whispers Cafe. This is where I first spotted the white rabbit. He was just hanging out by the pool. I was sure I was imagining things. We walked into this tiny cafe, walked through the back and suddenly we were in this beautiful maze of rooms and gardens. Had we fallen down the rabbit hole?
Yes…there was a white rabbit wandering around the grounds as we gathered around to listen to the Summer Literary Seminars faculty members read. There seemed to be no end of little things that were just slightly off, slightly fantastical in Kenya. These little twists seemed to make the whole feeling that it was a dream all the more believable. But it wasn’t a dream. I kept pinching myself. I really was there. And so was the white rabbit. I have photographic evidence!
After our Writing Kenya outing to Matondoni, we came back to Lamu Town. It was time for an evening of readings! The SLS Faculty were giving readings from their published works at the Whispers Cafe in the heart of Lamu Town. Actually, the readings took place in a garden out behind the Whispers Cafe…and there were wonderful rooms and cobbles and pathways that lead to the back garden. It seemed a bit magical walking through the tiny cafe and outside and inside and outside again to get to the garden. I think I want to own this cafe. Absolutely beautiful grounds! This photo shows the room immediately before we came to the final garden area where the faculty performed their readings.
A Writer Travels - Photo Blog of a Wandering Writer... 