We all deserve a rest from our daily lives and routines. We can simply take time out to take a breather and rejuvenate; or just a small detour to smell the roses. After all, I am always talking about beauty and how you can be beautiful, whichever way you choose to define the word or act.

Taking a short rest can renew your emotional as well as your physical well being, which are big contributors to any definition of beauty.

This is why not long ago I took a little break from my daily routine. My port of call was in the Northern Coast of Kenya. Not necessarily Mombasa, but close by; like 20 minutes from the island. Those who have heard of Mombasa Island will agree with me when I describe it as a melting pot of different cultures. Everything from the delicacies, way of talking to how they welcome you on board.

If it serves correct, the written history on Mombasa dates back to 900 A.D. and has been mentioned by many scholars, historians and geographers. In the 12^th Century, an Arab geographer known as Al Idrisi called it a prosperous trading town. The city was also widely known for its trade in gold, spices and ivory (not that I condone the killing of ellies), with links reaching as far as modern day China and India.

Vasco Da Gama has been there and so have others including Ibn Batutta the Moroccan traveler, and yours truly. The city has been ruled over the centuries by the Ottoman Turks, the Portuguese, the Omani Arabs, the British and so on and so forth. So now you have an idea of all these cultures infused in one place. Actually, the city was once the capital city of Kenya for a couple of years but the capital was later changed to Nairobi.

Mombasa is a touristic destination what with it being on the coastline with white sandy beaches and clear blue waters. It gives you a serene feeling, one which you will not want to let go off; at least on the first day.

Now that you have an idea of the area, on my next post I will tell you how it was, where I stayed and how it felt afterwards.