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Published: December 19th 2010
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Since our last blog we continued teaching at the orphanage in Nairobi. We were teaching the same group of 5 boys and like to think that we had a positive impact!
They seemed to enjoy our last day, when we provided them with lots of nibbles and a movie to watch on our laptop. It really was sad to leave them, they were great boys and had the best manners of any kids we had ever seen! We got so attached to them after only a few weeks, god knows what we would be like if we were here for longer!
Before we headed to the coast we met up with a few other volunteers for a meal at the popular Carnivore restaurant. The food was great and we got the opportunity to try ostrich and crocodile meat, although it was difficult to tell which was which on the platter. After the meal we had some difficulty getting back into our house arriving 5 mins after the 11pm curfew. The gate was locked and bolted and no amount of banging seemed to make a difference. We were resigning ourselves to a night in the slum but getting more nervous by
the minute. However, Andrew, one of the other volunteers decided to get over the first hurdle literally by climbing over the large metal gate! After about another 30 minutes of trying to get in through the main door, we eventually made it inside!
On Sunday night we got on the night bus and headed for Mombasa. We had heard all sorts of stories about the roads along the way but were pleasantly surprised and slept most of the way through the 8 hour journey! We arrived in Mombasa around 6am and met with Simon, our host and made our way via ferry and matatus towards Diani Beach.
We were very happy with what we found. Our cottage was located about 2 minutes walk from the beach and there were shops and a supermarket, and bars right across the road. The cottage was fantastic and although we were in a room with twin beds, it was nice and so good to have our own space. We also loved the big lounge with satellite TV and a kitchen where we could cook-woo hoo! Simon did mention we would have to move to another cottage outside for our last night, but
we got to see it and we didn't mind as it looked really nice.
The next few days were spent in a glorious state of relaxation, the beach was absolutely beautiful with the white sands and clear blue water that we had been looking for all along. It was the perfect place to lie back and enjoy the sunshine. We also had fun cooking and making the most amazing fruit smoothies. Kenya certainly does have the best fruit we have ever seen, and a real bargain at the little market stalls. We did sneak into one of the big holiday resorts a few kms up the coast and it looked great with lovely pools and bars, etc. It really does make an ideal holiday destination and is pretty cheap too.
We had heard a lot of stories about the beach boys here and were waiting to be bothered, but luckily they left us alone, apart from having conversations about the state of Kenyan politics, or one guy who we promised to come back and visit with lots of single friends!!
On our penultimate day we were just heading out to the beach to catch the last hour
of sun for the day when our host Simon told us we had to move rooms, right away. We were a bit annoyed at the short notice and even more annoyed when he showed us our new 'cottage'-an outhouse that was still being painted while we moved in! He basically admitted he was getting more money off other people who wanted the whole cottage, so we were relegated o the outhouse! Big disappointment considering we had been in heaven up until then! However, we didn't let it ruin our last couple of days and continued our usual pattern of beach life and a drink at one of the bars.
The time went so quick that before we knew it we were heading back for Nairobi. We had to get 3 matatus, a ferry and a tuktuk just to get to the coach office in Mombasa, mainly as some guy conned us onto the wrong matatu and took us the wrong way. It was a bit funny though, when all the other passengers shouted at him too!!
We eventually made it back to Nairobi, though the day bus seemed to take twice as long and the 9 hour trip
was very uncomfortable, even more so when we read about the bad weather back home on the trip.
So today is our final day in Kenya, our last day of travelling, and the day before we return home (hopefully if this snow disappears!). What a trip it has been from the 12 months in Canada to the 6 months on the road, there are enough memories in there to last a lifetime. We couldn't finish the blog without a few tit bits that stood out for us...
There have been learning experiences in Canada, from skiing (and a bit of hard partying) in Alberta to a spot of yoga to regain the balance in BC. Then there was the ability to cope with the extreme in the US as we drove for hours and hours in the heat with no aircon (in our beautiful Dodge) but with some amazing views to see along the way, like the Grand Canyon (breathtaking) and Niagara Falls. From there it was something completely different in Asia, from the madness of thousands of beeping scooters in Vietnam to the peace and tranquility of our meditation retreat in Thailand with a lot of food
along the way. We cooked it, we ate it, we talked about it, and as I am sure you all know, we wrote about it too (hmm, slight addiction...). In Australia, we got treated to the best Aussie beer and wine and went from a week of luxury and indulgence to quite the opposite when we were placed at our camp in Kenya. The volunteering itself, though, is really an experince that neither of us will forget, and we hope to do more for these people in the future.
So, 12 countires later, including 3 Canadian provinces and 18 US states (and DC aswell), our trip is coming to an end. We have been so lucky to meet some of the most amazing people along the way, and for many of you, there is no escape from us now-you never know when we could land on your doorstep! I guess Bree and Paul could testify to that one...
So now we head home to our much missed family and friends, who have all been there for us along the way. We are so excited to be going (though not really about the going back to work bit so
let's not mention that too much), and now we just have the slight matter of the worst snow in our lifetime and a few closed airports to get past, one more adventure...
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