O Happy Days...

I have arrived back to the cold of Nairobi and am so thankful for our time in Mombasa. This past weekend was filled with new adventures and growing friendships. While in Mombasa we stayed on Shelly Beach. This provided hours of entertainment for those who liked to hunt seashells, while the rest of us sat in our beach chairs and relaxed. The coolest thing about this beach is that every afternoon the tide goes out and you can walk for a mile or two out on the ocean floor. I have never seen so many sea urchins, live starfish, crabs, seaweed, and shells. It truly was an amazing experience.

My all time favorite thing was the camel ride Emily and I took. We watched people ride up and down the beach on these camels all day and we wanted a ride so bad. Therefore we decided to ask the price and it was cheaper than we thought…yea! What a camel ride it was! Funny thing was my camel’s name was of course…George…and the entire time I was riding I could feel George’s saddle slide more and more to the right! Now, I know I’ve gained weight since I’ve been here, but I’m really not that heavy. Even more entertaining was while I was trying to balance myself on the sliding saddle and actually ride the camel with a shred of grace, the camel guide talked politics with me the ENTIRE time. Poor Emily didn’t say a thing cause the guide and I discussed different political things on our ride down the beach…only in Africa.

The funniest moment was during our crazy ride to one of the nicer beaches. We were told we were taking an Express matatu so we would not have to stop along the way to pick up or let off riders…this was not correct. Our van quickly became packed and I felt like we were in a can of sardines. Just in case you weren’t claustrophobic enough, we made another stop where there was around 5 or 6 Muslim women standing on the side of the road. Our conductor opened the door and I thought he was only going to let one or two pile in…not so…he let all these women on. There was hardly room to move let alone breath. I could not believe it! When that conductor slammed the door and we started trucking down the road again I laughed so hard I cried. After my quick head count I counted a total of 24 people…that is the new record…just in case you forgot, there is only supposed to be a total of 14 people in the van…needless to say we were maxed out!

Another highlight to the trip was the food. We were able to eat at a nice restaurant where I had fresh sushi and coconut shrimp…yummy!!! The next day, Hudson, our guard at the beach, climbed a coconut tree where we were able to drink and eat the inside of the coconut…yuck…as you can tell from my reaction! We were so amazed by Hudson’s talent that we decided to try and climb the coconut tree as well…not as easy as it looks. Emily and I didn’t make it up but two steps… All in all, we had a great time at the beach!

Sorry...I didn't have time to post all the rest of my pics including me on the camel. Hopefully I will have time again soon. The internet here takes FOREVER!!!!

A New Beach Experience

Today we left at 5 am from our house in Nairobi to make our 6:40 flight to Mombasa. The early flight did not take away from our excitement. We have heard how relaxing and beautiful this place is for sooo long and now we were finally on our way. Our flight took a total of 45 minutes, which is how long it takes us to walk from our house to Lois and Roberts…strange when you think about it like that.

We arrived at the airport, sent Mesh to negotiate a price for a taxi, found a cheap taxi, went to Nakumatt for groceries, took a ferry from town to our beach, and arrived safely at our guest house all within 2 hours of leaving the airport. Once we arrived at the guesthouse, I quickly began noticing things that just weren’t normal for the beach. Although these things are not the norm, I am very thankful for them. First, the property has a barbed wire fence all around it. Second, you must have a key to unlock the gate to get on and off the beach. Third, there is a hired guard on the property at all times and if you are on the beach, he is standing at the gate to watch and protect…kinda creepy, but again, I’m thankful. Fourth, we also have a loud mean looking dog to help protect. Fifth, the lady who runs this compound warned us to not walk past the bend in both directions…never go off by yourself…yes, ma’am!! Sixth, the house has a concrete slab as a floor and only cold water…yea! Seventh, when the tide goes out you can walk for a mile or two on the bottom of the ocean floor. Eight, you must wear water shoes because of the coral and most importantly the spiky sea urchins that are on the ocean floor. As you can see, this is a very different beach experience than I’m used to. After one day down, I can testify that it is still fun and relaxing to be at the beach!