Week 28 - Kenya
We took the weekend and Monday to reorganize after our safari. I went grocery shopping, did laundry, planned school work and planned two more day trips.
Tuesday we went on a glass-bottom boat ride. It wasn't exactly what we expected. Our safari guide arranged it for us and offered to pick us up and take us there. We didn't realize that it was the place right down on the beach we walk past all the time, so we really didn't need a ride. That place advertises scuba and kite boarding, but not boat trips. The kids and I wore bathing suits, but J was assuming we were embarking from a dock and had to go back for his. It turned out to be more of a snorkeling trip than anything else. They can't take the boat over the reef because it's pretty shallow and might damage it, I guess. C and I snorkeled, S and J didn't want to so they played in the shallow water. The guide was great at helping C. We've snorkeled a couple times before, but neither of us are very experienced. The mask and fins were too big for C and he struggled a bit. I actually got the hang of it this time and stayed in a little bit longer after he went back to the boat. It was a neat experience because we were able to see a lot of fish without having to go very far. It's so beautiful down there! Snorkeling is something I could really make a habit of. We don't have any pictures because we didn't want to risk ruining our phones. As it was, we lost C's glasses, so I guess we'll find out what it's like to go to an optometrist in Mauritius. We don't have time to get them back before we leave if we ordered them here. It was still a fun day.
Wednesday we did school work, laundry and swimming. I went back to the beach to give the young man who helped C snorkel an extra tip because he really went above and beyond. He said he'd keep an eye out for the glasses when he was out next, but it's pretty unlikely they'll be found.
Thursday, after math and reading for S, we took a tuk tuk ride (something S had really wanted to do) to the colobus monkey conservation center. We took an eco tour and learned about the different types of monkeys that live here. They rehabilitate orphaned and injured monkeys and release them to the wild. We got to see some monkeys in cages, some monkeys in the wild and took a nature walk on which we learned about native trees. S still hasn't forgotten the monkeys at Gibraltar, so it was good that he saw an example of a better form of human/monkey cohabitation.
Then home for a quick lunch and long swim. S started swimming all by himself today! That was my main goal for our time here and I'm so relieved we got it done. Obviously, he still needs supervision, but I just feel like knowing how to swim makes kids so much safer. I'm so glad we had the opportunity with a great pool to practice in and all the extra help around the house to give me the time to put into working with him. It was a good experience for me as a teacher too. I couldn't get either big or little C to swim and it was important to me then too, so I outsourced it to swimming lessons. Not having that option with S, I had to figure out how to teach something I learned young enough that I don't even remember how I learned. That was good practice for me.
Overall, Kenya has been a great experience for all of us.
Friday was our last day in Diani. As usual, it was a busy morning. I hung out a last load of laundry first thing, did math and reading with Sean, then we went off to Diani Beach hospital for PCR tests. It was a nice facility, well organized and pretty quick. We went back home and packed, then had lunch and enjoyed a last swim. S can't get enough of practicing his new skill. Then one last home cooked Kenyan meal, and we got ready for bed.
Today, Saturday, we had time for a nice breakfast and last minute packing, then got a taxi to Ukunda Airstrip. We now know that it's a much better airport to fly into Diani Beach than Mombasa. It's tiny, just one runway and a little waiting room. No hassle or anything. The taxi was late, but we had allowed way more time then we needed so it didn't matter, because it literally took ten minutes to get from taxi to "gate."
We made it back to the Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi where our Kenya adventure started. We had a great lunch and a quick swim. S, now an expert, prefers the pool at the villa. True, this one was a little cold.
Now we'll just relax this evening and fly to Mauritius early tomorrow morning.
Some last thoughts on Kenya. If you have the opportunity, go! Tourism is important here and the country does it well. Everywhere we went the hospitality was wonderful. Even Hilton, a big chain and one we've often used in the US and Canada, is more focused on guest comfort here. Little things like a fluffy robe in the bathroom really make a difference. Travel can be difficult — it's hot, airports aren't air-conditioned, roads are rough, mosquitos are hungry and flies bite — but once you reach your destination, everything you could want is provided. Africa wasn't honestly high on my list, but as a parent I felt strongly that if we're traveling the world we're not skipping a whole continent. I'm so glad we came, and now, not only do I want to come back, but I'd like to explore more of continental Africa as well.