Diani Beach

---

First of all the bad news. Just as I had finished uploading the photos for my last blog, the memory card in my camera became corrupt (how does it even do that?!) and I've lost every photo that I've taken so far. :-( I guess to look on the bright side I've still got 10 weeks in Mombasa to catch up but it still kinda sucks. Thank you to everyone who has emailed me or left comments, I really appreciate hearing from back home and keeping in touch! I had a Club Sandwich (chicken bacon lettuce tomato) earlier to make myself feel a bit more at home! But anyway...
On Saturday morning 11 of us made the 1 hour matatu drive from Mombasa, across a ferry and down the coast to Diani Beach. It is possibly one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and definitely the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! We got there just in time for lunch and then spent the afternoon sunbathing and swimming in the sea. The sea is so warm and the waves were really good so I stayed in for about an hour and half splashing and frollocking about! In the evening we all went to a restaurant called Ali Barbour's Cave which is an underground restaurant set in some old caves. Sounds a bit bizarre but it has been done so nicely and is the most beautiful restaurant I have ever seen! The whole place is built into the rocks and there's a big hole in the ceiling so you can see the stars and nightsky and the place is lit with candlelight and gentle soul music playing in the background. I had a seafood platter which had lobster, prawns, crab, oysters, several different fishes and a whole load of stuff that may have still been alive! It was scrum-diddly-umptious and was washed very nicely down with half a bottle of white wine. After dinne we were all led by a Masai Warrior to the nearby beach bar - Forty Thieves. It's a fairly westernised bar with a lot of Mzungus there but it's set on the beach and serves nice cocktails and I had my first experience (or 5!) of tequila here! A few drinky-poos later and we crawled into our very basic beach huts at about 4:30am... The following day we all wobbled down to the beach (5 minutes walk) and lay there for the morning. Lunch was by-passed and we all headed home in the afternoon to collapse into bed at about 8pm!
School holidays are now officially over and the 130 kids have been back in force for the past couple of days! I'm teaching the whole of Class 2 (about 20 6-8 year olds) by myself at the moment as one of the teachers has left. It's very challenging as most of them don't understand much English but I get by with help from the couple that do! There are textbooks but they haven't been handed out yet for this term so currently I just pick a topic (body parts, animals, gardens) and try to think of something they can get stuck into for an hour or so! If all else fails I just tell them they can sing and dance and they love it! They have a few certain songs that they all know and a few kids get up the front and dance (some of them are really good break dancers!) and the others sing and clap along - it's amazing! The weather here is bizarre. It's constantly hot (about 30 degrees) and humid and for a day or two it will be clear and sunny but then once in a while it will absolutely tip it down! I've never seen rain like it! It's so heavy and constant and in the house it's seriously loud and wakes everyone up! That might last for half a day or so and then it's back to clear and sunny again! Ahh wel only another 2/3 weeks of rainy season... There will be some Diani Beach photos on the way but I came unprepared this time so you'll have to wait a little bit for those... Heading to Lamu this weekend with 5 girls (shush don't tell Amy!) so should have a wicked time there and will make sure I have plenty of photos to bring back! Love to you all xxx

---

Comments

[Sam]

trello!!
hello there my dear, sorry about your camera, i think it must be an African thing...blame spud!! Thats always fun heehee. That beach trip sounded amazing, i'm so glad your living it up! I did my second 3 hr exam today....not fun, i was so hungry through it i could hear my tummy rumbling! But i sorted that out with a bowl of cereals as soon as i got home! and they tasted gooooooood! I only have two exams left now and then i'm home for the summer, i cant wait! I hope you have a good time with all your gf's heehee take care my dear x x x x x x

[Megsy malone]

Just woah!
So this is my first comment to you since you went to have the experience of a life time, so sorry if i've been neglecting you! (mind you, i doubt you noticed!) Things sound pretty amazing out there, and its highly entertaining to read about the food you're having! You've not changed at all! I'm suprised you found a club sandwich. Thats just cool! was it yummy? I'm not sure how killys going to cope with all this talk of all these women! We keep telling her you're going to come back having wed a kenyan princess. she gets really angry!! hehe :) I wanted to say something very profound in this comment.. but unfortunatly my brain isnt that advanced, so you'll have to make do with my ramblings! Man I can't tell you how jelous I am of you!! Being stuck in scabby old wantage and all :( eh wells I shall leave you more love soon :) Tata! xxxxxxxx

[Huey]

Hey ben, sounds like your having a great time - when you say there were lots of Mzungus in the bar is that a new name for norks?! if not it should be! i've got exams for the next two weeks then i'm finnished until sept! rawk on.............cant wait for cheese rolling - some guy at my halls is actually going to do it and i'm contemplating it (probs wont have the mzungus tho) laterz, hugh

[Claire]

:)
Ah Ben! Thank you for the details of your diet! Although If you are missing English food then I'll send you some sardines on toast (which may be an English invention!) they really are very yummy :) I have them for lunch on lab days! Oh my days what am I talking about!! How gutting about your photos - really sorry to hear it, may be worth buying a few disposable ones incase it happens again? I'm sure you'll manage to take loads more though, do the kids love having their photo taken? Heehee I do love the word frolicking - there were some ducklings faffing around earlier (so sorry about the randomnes of this! Not sure whats going on!) and they were very sweet. Wow- beach days sound amazing! So jealous of you - it's been raining for a while here - Easter holidays were the nicest weather of this year so far! Good luck with your teaching! I'm sure you are doing a great job - I guess with the younger ones it mostly about getting them involved and building relationships between them. Hope it continues to go well and that you can establish a good routine with them and that it's fulfilling :) Oh - by the way, last week (Thursday 3rd I think) Laura Hawsworth had her baby - a little girl called Rebekah. According to Aj she is very adorable and wriggley and would make me broody!! Claire x

[granny and grandad]

Hello Ben
We have just had our first computer lesson so that we can send you a message. W e are very interested to read all about your experiences in Kenya,and hope all goes well with you,sounds as if this is something you will never forget. God bless you. Love from us both.Granny and Grandad.

[Jennie]

Hiya
Hi Ben, Amy's (finally!) given me the link to your blog! Sounds like you're having a great time. Wow, teaching a whole class on your own sounds like a bit of a challenge... just helping out for one afternoon a week makes me tired! Sounds like you're coping with the language barrier, though, have you picked up any of the local language yet? You'll have to come back and teach us all some... Anyway, I'll stop rambling now - got to go back and read the other entries now. Jennie