Of night cats, call girls and fleeting nature of power in Mombasa

They offer massage and other "service". [iStockphoto]

I had visions of the beaches of Mombasa, but when I finally arrived, earlier in the week, I'd be cooped up in an air-conditioned room downtown with a running stomach. I think a weak belly is the natural consequence of living out of a room without views.

I thought I had a pack of medicine in my travel bag but when the moment came, close to midnight, I realized what I had was an empty pack. So, between frantic sprints to the bathroom, I managed to dispatch someone to a late chemist.