22nd April It’s a wet one today so we don’t mind working indoors.You know how it is, always tempted to sneak outside for that quick swim which turns out to be more like a long soak.Tonight we’re eating at the Pizza restaurant.Our Shadrack keeps that South African red wine flowing, aids digestion you know! The band that’s playing downstairs is from Mombasa. They’re really good and the singer’s voice is a lot like Heather Small’s from Mpeople.Agy must have enjoyed that wine, he’s asked me to dance 3 times.
23rd April
It’s my birthday today (Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me) and the sun’s come out to celebrate.We take a long walk up the beach to the creek to do a spot of bird watching.Unfortunately the tide just doesn’t want to go out today, it’s stunning when the tide’s out but never mind, we still spot quite a few birdies.
I’m all excited because Agy has a surprise planned for me.I have to close my eyes and I’m being led into a van.We’re driving along and getting some very weird stares from the locals.Funny, didn’t think we looked any stranger than normal and why’s the driver going so slowly?We arrive at that lovely spot on the creek we were at a few weeks ago and I realise that there is a table and two chairs strapped to the top of the van.That explains why Turtle Bay security were shouting at us when we left.Oh but it’s so beautiful.We’re sitting watching the sunset, drinking champagne – this is definitely the life!
We arrive back (it’s dark now so no more stares) just in time for a slap-up seafood dinner at the Blue Turtle.One more surprise as they sing in my birthday cake
A Whimbrel
Mida Creek sunset
Jayne's birthday with Ratibu serving
Fresh crayfish
Jayne's birthday in the Blue Turtle restaurant
the birthday girl,Jayne
24th April Back down to earth with a bump.It’s raining again so work time.Agy is back over at the creek working apparently.Really jealous because he sees loads of birds. Remember I told you the other day that the sad thing about hotel life is the people you have to say goodbye to?Well, we’ve just experienced the flip side of this because back here at Turtle Bay we’ve bumped into someone we met here a few years ago.They were just embarking on a 6-month journey from the UK, which actually took a year and have since moved to Nairobi.Small world and great to catch up again. 25th April I’ve decided to find out what’s going on with that boardwalk (feeble excuse to go bird watching, I know).It’s hard to get used to working with an old-fashioned hammer and nails when you’re used to the latest power tools but Agy seems to be getting the hang of it. Meanwhile I’m slogging away trying to see how many birds I can identify.Believe me it’s quite a task, have you ever tried to spot the difference between a yellow-billed stork and an African spoonbill?Well, at least I know a greater flamingo when I see one! The tide has just come up, the boardwalk isn’t roadworthy at the moment so there’s only one form of transportation left to get us to shore. Well, that was an experience.My shorts are soaked but what fun.
Greater Flamingos
Crab Plover
Agy in action on the boardwalk
Yellow Billed Stork
26th April After work we visit a local primary school, Sonneti Academy, built about 5 years ago by a former waiter from Turtle Bay called Mangi Anderson.The school takes children from around nursery to 18 years of age.We went to see him last year when he already had around 600 pupils and was doing very well.His school is currently the second most successful in the district. He has since been given funds to build a dormitory for 120 orphans (many of them due to diseases such as AIDs and malaria) from around Kenya. These children are very bright and determined to work hard.Mangi is a great encourager and when he sees one of his children crying because they miss their mum and dad, he immediately makes sure their minds are diverted to something else like playing football or enjoying music with the other students.He considers their home and family to be here now. Now you’ve probably guessed by now that we feel very keenly the importance of education in Kenya, indeed throughout Africa.Agy says that it only needs to take one person to change a country and we believe that education is very often the only opportunity that these kids have to make that difference.So, we’ve decided to get involved with Japhet’s education.Japhet is an orphan, very bright, in fact he got 100% in maths (how could anyone get 100% in mathematics!) and wants to be an engineer.He’s a lovely lad and we look forward to seeing a lot of him in years to come. We’re eating out at the kuku choma again.This time we’re joined by a few of the local boys.Omar, the cheeky one, starts asking us the usual questions about where we’re from, how long we’re here, where we’re going, etc.Suddenly his mate pipes up with “Don’t mind him, he’s from Somalia, wants to know everything.”So funny and then they start laying into each other with mock machine guns.Boys will be boys wherever they’re from, I suppose.We’ve promised to play pool with them next time, that should be interesting as I don’t know one end of a cue from another! Amazing news just in.Turtle Bay Beach Club will be hosting a touch rugby beach championship in August – top rugby players could be in town. My year is made!
Our ride back
Here we go
Can you see Agy working on any of these? I think he’s fishing
Where's Agy? fishing
Sonneti Academy,Timboni
Sonneti Academy,Timboni
Japhet and Mangi
Japhet, the magnificent Mangi (and us)
The dormitory for orphaned girls
27thApril We’re sitting drinking a beer on the terrace and watching the sea come in.We were hoping to go to Ocean Sports Bar, a couple of hundred metres away, but the tide is so high at the moment that swimming would have been the only option.This hotel has already lost a couple of trees to the sea.It’s quite sad watching this forlorn little palm waiting for the water to sweep it away.What am I like, getting all emotional over a bit of wood! 28thApril Hadn’t realised that it’s the Turtle Bay annual bike race.It’s 7.00 am, I’m sitting on the balcony watching a lot of wheels whiz by and hearing a load of cheering.It’s a shame we couldn’t have organised ourselves to go and watch it.Anyway, we find out that Mohammed who is in charge of the cycles, was the winner.Do you think he fixed nails in everyone else’s tyres?Only kidding, Mohammed, well done mate. The rains are becoming more and more heavy.We’re reading that flooding is causing a problem around the country.Refugee camps are being swept away and in parts food rations are being distributed.It’s quite ironic really that Kenya has been desperate for this rain yet, when it pours like this, and it can be torrential, crops are ruined and the people are often find themselves in a worse situation than before.Another problem is that so many people are getting sick in these humid conditions.Many are suffering from malaria as the mosquitoes love this climate.A lot of the staff are afflicted with anything from a cold to malaria.Poor Agy is quite sick with gastro but we’re fortunate as there is a very good resident doctor here who has given him some good medication.Never mind Agy, just think of all that weight you’re losing.
29thApril
On my own today as Agy is getting over his tummy bug.I’ve decided to brush up on my kiswahili.The rain has stopped so enjoying sitting on the balcony and watching Kenyan life.I think there must be a wedding as a car has passed by with all horns blazing.Now I can hear singing, it’s lovely.
It’s after dinner, the staff are getting ready to go to their annual party and they’re in a carnival mood.So sorry we can’t be there this time. Anyway, before they go off duty, I’m going to check up on that Swahili I’ve been learning.We’ve picked up bits and pieces from nearly everyone we’ve met so most of the notes have been jotted down phonetically.Well, the boys have a jolly good laugh at some of it.Then I discover that Nairobi Swahili is nothing like that spoken on the coast.We clarify a few things (I need an extra drink to keep me going) and they promise me a night out on the local palm wine.That’s going to be an experience.
30thApril The hotel is closing on the 2nd and we’re planning our safari for the next few weeks.As the rainy season is in full flow we don’t know how far we’ll get but hoping to make it to Kampala, Uganda.We had hoped to visit Tanzania too, however prices apparently have become ridiculously expensive so we’ll have to give it a miss for the moment.Anyway, we hope to begin our trip by flying to the island of Lamu for a couple of days.Just read in the paper that, despite the flooding, they have just celebrated the annual muslim festival of Maulidi to mark the birth of Prophet Mohammed.It was attended by over 40,000 people.I’ll tell you more about Lamu when we get there.However, it may be a while before you hear from us as communication will be difficult over the next few weeks.
