13 April

Following a morning’s work, Turtle Bay have invited us on a dhow trip to the Creek for sundowners. It’s a very pleasant way to be spending the late afternoon, sipping dawas, seeing the birds, watching the Kenya sun go down and the moonrise. Very romantic! 

  14 April 

After another morning’s typing, we treat ourselves to a lazy afternoon on the sunbed at Turtle Bay. We bump into an old friend, Denis, one of the beach boys. He tells us he’s doing ok. Now he has a spot on the beach so he can take tourists out on excursions. The beach here in Watamu is self-regulated by these boys who have mostly left school after primary so have no qualifications. This is how they get by but it’s low season at the moment so they don’t find much business.

This evening we revisit one of our favorite bars, Bustani ya Eden (Garden of Eden) where Steve, our barman, remembers us from last January (that’s a bit worrying, what did we do!!!).

 

15th April
  
  This afternoon we need to go to the nearby town of Malindi. Malindi is a an historic town once occupied by the Arabs, then the Portuguese and today is a busy commercial and tourist centre. We don’t know the town too well so decide to go with our mate Denis.  He takes us to a little bar overlooking the sea and we spy on the headland a monument to Vasco da Gama who received a warm welcome there from a friendly Sultan.  As we get out of the car an old man approaches us with a bucket of the biggest fresh prawns you’ve ever seen. He only wants a couple of hundred shillings for them, so tempting but where will we cook them. We have our supplies and decide to head home. Now I have to let you into a little secret here, Agy is not very “au fait” with the speed bumps that you find in every town and village in Kenya. We already had one close shave on the way back from Mombasa last week.  Today is to be no exception. There is a sudden jolt as my top and bottom jaw crash together and I realise that he’s just found another. We need to get fuel anyway so go straight to the nearest petrol station. He starts to panic as water is dripping from the front of the van. I know he’s worried so decide to sit it out in the van (always the preferred option!). He has a good look and decides, much to everyone’s relief, that it’s just water dripping from the air conditioning system. Phew for now!
   Tonight we’re going to try a new restaurant called Choma Village. It’s a beautifully designed restaurant, set outdoors (why would you want to be inside when the weather is always so good here) and each table has it’s own thatched (makuti) roof representing a Kenyan town. We eat in Mombasa. The food is lovely and service great. A lady comes round and washes your hands between courses, what more could you wish for?

16th April

We’re having a wonderful day chilling out by the sea. It’s marvellous living at a hotel, especially Turtle Bay. Everything’s done for you, even the thinking at times! You can relax, eat good food, enjoy a nice drink and meet some great people. The only downside being that all too soon they have to go home. Today we are saying goodbye to a lovely family we met a few days ago. They’ve ventured out with us to discover new restaurants and have been very enjoyable company.  Our game of Uno at Bustani was particular fun.

This afternoon we are treated to a fashion show of beautifully designed African clothes.  They are made by Bombolulu Workshops (www.apdk.bombolulu.com), an organisation dedicated to helping to train and employ disabled people in Kenya.  I couldn’t resist picking up these two little beauties but managed to steer clear of the bags, quite an achievement for me as Agy claims I have a bag addiction.  Never mind girls, they’ll be back in a couple of weeks, I’ll get my chance again then!

17th April

18th April

We’re on our way to Mombasa to get materials for the Mida Creek boardwalk.  There was a particularly heavy downpour of rain before we left but the skies have cleared and it’s pretty humid.  Mombasa is quite a melting pot of people with many coastal cultures rolled into one.  The whole of this Kenya coastline is inhabited by nine tribes, collectively known as the Mijikenda.  The supplies shop is owned by Indian people, it’s massive and bustling and the smell reminds me of an old-fashioned hardware store.

20 April

I’m working at Mwamba today.  A frequent event here is a power cut.  As we won’t be able to work on the computers we decide to tackle the filing system.  I’m working with another volunteer, a lovely Kenyan girl called Karo.  We spend our day ploughing through papers.  Agy, on the other hand, is having a much more exciting time.  He has to go into Malindi to pick up some more materials for the boardwalk.  Now, together with speedbumps, police roadblocks are a common occurrence.   All vehicles are stopped and, horror of horrors, they discover a problem with the insurance.  Suffice it to say that there are ways and means of avoiding 6 months in gaol and Agy will not be spending a night in a police cell.

21st April

 The heat has finally got the better of me today and I’m confined to bed (don’t worry mum, I’m fine!).

 Once again, Agy’s having all the fun.  He meets up with the guys at Mida Creek.  If you know anything about development you’ve probably heard of dollar-a-day wages.  Well most of these boys are earning more or less that and supporting their families.  Incredibly, they’re quite philosophical about it and just take it as it comes.  He meets the Chairman of ASSETS, a wonderful man called Hemed.  Hemed explains how Mida Creek has really become a community venture and everyone has a stake in it.  He owns 7 of the coral blocks being used to construct a new banda and posh kitchen/barbecue area for the tourists who visit.  They will be offered fish and crab freshly caught from the Creek.