Friday afternoon, we all ran out of work early to get to the airport in order to make our flight…which was 2 hours late (on time for this particular airline). When I start my own low cost African airline, it will send you text messages with delays (L. and I spent some time today at work fleshing out the business plan for this venture). However, as a result, the 9 of us were able to have our Tuskers and bad airport samosas before we boarded. I’m becoming quite a connoisseur of fried dough wrapped around potatoes and peas. (It is also worth noting that my version of Word speaks Yiddish but not Hindi – it suggested shamuses as a replacement for samosas).
Our flight got us safely to Mombasa, where a van from the hotel picked us up. It was time to play the Kenyan version of “are we there yet” – sit in city traffic for over an hour and then drive down bumpy roads for two more. It was actually kind of a cool drive – the sun set as we were going, and the trees on the road morphed into these dark squat shapes that vaguely resembled huge sleeping animals. Tree-spotting – the Kenyan version of cloud-watching.
Our driver had promised food when we arrived at the hotel – soup and grilled fish – but none of us had high hopes. Given our usual success in feeding ourselves while traveling, any food sounded good. But we got reallllllly lucky. Che Shale, the boutique hotel we stayed at, and Kijame, the beach bandas adjacent to it, is an amazing place – all sustainable local materials woven into a breath-taking hotel complex. It’s run by Justin, a third generation Kenyan who has turned the complex – one main lodge, 5 super lux cottages, 5 basic bandas – into a real destination, and Kenya’s first Kite Surfing school.
When we arrived, we collapsed onto the couches in the main building and were whisked away to our respective accommodations. Somehow, I wound up at the budget end of things, Kijame, a perfectly nice tree house (read: hut on sticks) a short walk up the beach. Because this was the budget option, showers and bathrooms were detached and communal, but the comfy beds more than made up for the need to take a lantern to the shower. After settling in, it was time for dinner in our semi private dining room – beautifully laid table, flower center piece, freshly baked bread and chili jam. Dinner was a really nice vegetable soup and freshly prepared local salefish (like flounder). After stuffing our tired faces, we got distracted enroute to the beach bonfire by a platform above the main dining room filled with cushions and cool breezes. After a cocktail in this nest, it was time for bed.
Saturday dawned not too early over a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs, toast and coffee. This was followed by a mid day activity of jumping off sand dunes and reading on the big swing on the beach. The only thing interrupting the absolute bliss was the occasional rain showers, which merely meant we moved up to our nest until the showers passed.
The highlight of Saturday was our Happy Birthday USA celebration for the three proud Americans in the gang. Someone stealth organized a birthday cake (with 3 candles) and champagne, and we all sang. I then promptly fell asleep in the nest. All that lazing about had made me tired!
Sunday was distinguished from Saturday only by the lack of papaya on our fruit plates and our mad dash to the airport. Despite the sand roads and being stuck behind a donkey cart pulling logs, we got to tiny Malindi airport just as our plane did, and had just enough time to walk through the tin waiting hut onto the flight and back to Nairobi. As hard as it was to leave paradise, it was nice to be home, and to have hot showers!
Our driver had promised food when we arrived at the hotel – soup and grilled fish – but none of us had high hopes. Given our usual success in feeding ourselves while traveling, any food sounded good. But we got reallllllly lucky. Che Shale, the boutique hotel we stayed at, and Kijame, the beach bandas adjacent to it, is an amazing place – all sustainable local materials woven into a breath-taking hotel complex. It’s run by Justin, a third generation Kenyan who has turned the complex – one main lodge, 5 super lux cottages, 5 basic bandas – into a real destination, and Kenya’s first Kite Surfing school.
When we arrived, we collapsed onto the couches in the main building and were whisked away to our respective accommodations. Somehow, I wound up at the budget end of things, Kijame, a perfectly nice tree house (read: hut on sticks) a short walk up the beach. Because this was the budget option, showers and bathrooms were detached and communal, but the comfy beds more than made up for the need to take a lantern to the shower. After settling in, it was time for dinner in our semi private dining room – beautifully laid table, flower center piece, freshly baked bread and chili jam. Dinner was a really nice vegetable soup and freshly prepared local salefish (like flounder). After stuffing our tired faces, we got distracted enroute to the beach bonfire by a platform above the main dining room filled with cushions and cool breezes. After a cocktail in this nest, it was time for bed.
Saturday dawned not too early over a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit, eggs, toast and coffee. This was followed by a mid day activity of jumping off sand dunes and reading on the big swing on the beach. The only thing interrupting the absolute bliss was the occasional rain showers, which merely meant we moved up to our nest until the showers passed.
The highlight of Saturday was our Happy Birthday USA celebration for the three proud Americans in the gang. Someone stealth organized a birthday cake (with 3 candles) and champagne, and we all sang. I then promptly fell asleep in the nest. All that lazing about had made me tired!
Sunday was distinguished from Saturday only by the lack of papaya on our fruit plates and our mad dash to the airport. Despite the sand roads and being stuck behind a donkey cart pulling logs, we got to tiny Malindi airport just as our plane did, and had just enough time to walk through the tin waiting hut onto the flight and back to Nairobi. As hard as it was to leave paradise, it was nice to be home, and to have hot showers!
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