Blogs from Watamu, Coast Province, Kenya, Africa - page 2

Hello again! well not really gone to see the animals! things changed plans on the evening of my last blog! I realised that I had forgotten one of my HIV pills, ones that need keeping in the fridge, so I had to instead of going to the natural park and see animals, instead we made our way straight to Watamu, as I needed to go to a Hospital to try and get the pills I am missing. So we made our way by tuktuk to another part of Mombasa and got there a bus that brought us for 200shillings to a crosspoing on the high road, and from there a matatu to the village itself. We got welcomed by a gorgeous guy talking to us straight away in Italian, everybody suddenly was at it! a couple ... read more

Leaving Mombasa proves to be more hassle than the arrival, when my train made its slow, stately way into the station. The departure is pure chaos - equal parts Grand Central and Little Bighorn. I’ve hardly pulled my bags from the back of a tuk-tuk when I’m hustled to the curb; someone foists my pack into the belly of the bus, someone else scribbles on a pad and presses a ticket into my hand. This is the scene at Bondeni station, a chaotic, gas-choked strip of sidewalk where passengers, pick-pockets, and low-grade hustlers are tripping over each other to the throaty serenade of diesel engines. “Malindi Malindi Malindi,” says the guy with the ticket book. “Watamu Watamu Watamu.” I cast one last wavering look at my bags and squeeze into a seat, the sun-warmed plastic sticking ... read more

Saturday 23rd I’d given up on kite surfing and Dan, Claudie & Lucy invited me to go with them to the Northern coast. Following 5 matatu (minibus), a ferry and a bus up the coast, we arrived in Watamu. We’re staying in a basic hostel and I’m sharing with Lucy, so finally she doesn’t have be the gooseberry! We went for a wander to the beach and got bargaining for a fishing trip (for them) and snorkelling for all. Food at the hostel took forever to come (like Malawi, Dad, but worse), and it was the wrong order when it did finally arrive. We saw him run out to buy an onion to make my order, which wasn’t worth eating in the end. Lots of mosquitos about, so hid under Claudie & Dan’s net to ... read more