Mombassa

I have finally set eyes on the Indian Ocean. It all started with an eight hour bus ride on a Friday night. We arrived the following morning at 6, took a matatu to our hotel, in hopes to shower and rest a bit. We arrived only to find that our reservation had been lost. So we gladly wasted time by finding a place to eat breakfast and going for a walk along the shore line, waiting for the hotel manager to come into work.

The view was spectacular. Just like the Pacific, there was fine white sand (minus the dried out seaweed), blueish-green ocean water, unique tropical plants, and the smell of fresh salty water. It wasn’t long before my shoes were off and my feet were in the soft sand. I approached the water, preparing myself for a shocking cold. To my surprise, it was a pleasant temperature.

The manager eventually showed up and found a place for us to stay down the street. It wasn’t quite as nice as our original location, but still a site to see. Because of the last minute changes, all eight of us teachers crammed into a two bedroom place, where we fixed our own meals, played some competitive card games, and rested from the long journey the night before. Most of our time was spent around the pool, sipping on coconuts and enjoying the slow pace of our weekend.

The location even included our very own family of monkeys. These guys were an active bunch, swinging from tree to tree, only stopping for a bite to eat. I finally had to leave them alone when they started to use me as a tree.

I would have to say, there were two highlights from this trip. The first was a camel ride down the beach and the second, an exploration through the deep waters, with a snorkeling mask. I saw some fascinating creatures. I only wish I could have captured them all on camera. Sunday night we started our journey back home. Another 8 hours on the bus and no sleep. Thankfully, Monday was a holiday, so I slept the day away. It was a fabulous weekend.



Pictured: Jen, Brenton, Jonathan, Kate, Joel, Steven, Becca, Amy