Celebrated my birthday in Nairobi in style--watching "Borat" and gorging on Italian food and the local equivalent of Kahlua, Kenya Gold. Oh the joy, the joy...

Now that the celebrations have calmed, we're leaving in a few hours to board an overnight bus to Malindi, on the Kenyan coast. From there we head straight to Lamu, otherwise known as Island of Muslim Paradise (Donkeys Included). Which means there will be plenty of time for contemplating the coming year in which my age is no longer a prime number. Sad.

But I'm that much closer to being able to rent a car in California! How humbling. I can backpack across Africa and smoke shisha in shady Islamic bars, but I can't rent a car in my home state. Kindof like being able to die in Iraq at 18 but not being able to buy alcohol. Except buying alcohol is far greater a prize than renting cars. So, I guess it's not really the same after all.

Once on Lamu (no cars necessary), we'll devolve into a state of beach-centered vegetation, rousing only to type the occasional wistful words on my powerbook or refresh our tastebuds with freshly squeezed passion juice. This will continue for a month, give or take, after which we'll emerge fully re-energized for the World Social Forum in January. Think: giant cluster fuck for anti-globalization/anti-corporate/kumbayah-singing folks from all over the globe. YESSSSS!