Slim Silversmith

Lamu, Kenya

As you stroll down the “main street” of Lamu (which is really just a wider alley), you’ll find a silversmith shop owned by a man who will act as your unofficial ambassador to Lamu, Slim the Silversmith. He makes beautiful jewelry including his signature pieces - pendants from his remnants from Chinese porcelain found embedded in some of the Swahili houses in Lamu. But if you’re open to talking longer, Slim will become a fast friend. We spent a couple hours with him over the course of two days. Although we bought some jewelry, we got way more in return - a lot of great stories from his life (including the time Jude Law stopped by his shop) and a chat over coffee and halwa (cooked sweet jelly) that Slim made and bought for us despite his fasting during Ramadan. The man is not the average shopkeeper and given the chance, you’ll find yourself with a new friend. We have great souvenirs to bring back with us from his shop, but the best part is the story that goes along with them!

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Slim the Silversmith: Your Local Ambassador

As you stroll down the “main street” of Lamu (which is really just a wider alley), you’ll find a silversmith shop owned by a man who will act as your unofficial ambassador to Lamu, Slim the Silversmith. He makes beautiful jewelry including his signature pieces - pendants from his remnants from Chinese porcelain found embedded in some of the Swahili houses in Lamu. But if you’re open to talking longer, Slim will become a fast friend. We spent a couple hours with him over the course of two days. Although we bought some jewelry, we got way more in return - a lot of great stories from his life (including the time Jude Law stopped by his shop) and a chat over coffee and halwa (cooked sweet jelly) that Slim made and bought for us despite his fasting during Ramadan. The man is not the average shopkeeper and given the chance, you’ll find yourself with a new friend. We have great souvenirs to bring back with us from his shop, but the best part is the story that goes along with them!

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