Mombasa Ra-ha = there is fun in Mombasa.

I spent 4 days last week at Coral Cove Cottages on Tiwi Beach about 25km south of Mombasa. The beach was quiet and clean. It was a nice break from Nairobi and reminded me alot of Bali. We travelled there by bus, taking about 7 hours at night. I will never ever complain about the state of roads in South Australia ever again after that experience. My coccyx hurt. The cottage was one of 5 well spaced out in a luch tropical garden. The lady that runs the cottages is a bit…eccentric and keeps a ‘troop’ of blue-testicled monkeys who took it upon themselves to enter the cottage kitchen while the door was open and relieve us of 4 bananas and a bag of cashew nuts. Locals came by the cottage daily to sell fresh seafood and fruit and veg. We ate well. And I swam in the Indian Ocean for the first time in my life. We relied on tides to provide us with deep enough water to swim in at the beach but when the tide was out we walked around the point to a rock pool that is the shape of the map of Africa and even includes Madagascar. Checked out Fort Jesus and had a few more Matatu experiences.

Heading for Lilongwe, Malawi on Sunday.

“In Nairobi airport awaiting flight to Doha then to Bahrain tonight. Airports are the ultimate source of BOREDOM. Give me some news from home. XOXO”

“I’ve just been robbed. A monkey stole 4 bananas from the kitchen.”

So after a 10km ride in a matatu (minibus) that seats 15 but easily fits 35 I have accessed the internet. It’s costing a little less than $1 per minute. Get this…for someone to clean your house and wash your clothes for about 4 hours will cost you $4. And to have a live in maid costs $50 per month. Don’t worry Kathy, I’ve already packed one.

Have been in Nairobi for one week – just did one day trip to Nyeri about 200km away where a 1/4 acre costs $8,000. It was very beautiful, highland tropics where most of the food for Nairobi comes from. Went to the pub in Nyeri where there was a butcher shop literally inside the pub and while your throwing back beers you have them roast meat (Nyama Choma) for you for afternoon smoko. But its not a leg or a shoulder, its the ribs so everybody gets to gnaw on the bone – brilliant idea. I will suggest it to the Pier.

So, I expected Nairobi to have poverty, rubbish and traffic. And it does.
What I didn’t expect was to be going into areas where you are the only Mzungo (white skin person) thats been there for weeks/months/years. And they love to practice their english…”Hey Mzungo, I love you, buy me spaghetti”. And the kids get excited. “Mzungo, Mzungo” they yell from inside the school fence.

The food is beautiful – ugali, meat, meat, meat, veg, chipati. Not spicy but very tasty. Most people have just two meals a day – breaky and dinner.

Am heading tonight to Mombasa on the bus. Will be there for 4 days.

Sawa sawa (ok ok). Hakuna matata (no problems). Hakuna matako (no buttocks).
Seeya.

“In Nyeri near Mt Kenya, the food bowl of Nairobi. Amazingly beautiful, green, and finally some clean air. A welcome relief from Nairobi. Hakuna matata.”

“In Nairobi. All good. Use this number. SMS only. Should work all thru africa. Won’t put phone on roaming. Will find email soon. Text me back so I know u know.”

Nothing overly interesting. I messaged her back…

“got it. mum and dad were getting concerned / ready to kill you. hope all is well.”

Her reply:

“Never fear. Stayin in the flat one of the presidents security guards and the dude on the gate has an AK47. Hakuna matata.”

Just a quick update for those interested. We took Clee to the airport yesterday where she flew to Melbourne. Baggage was overweight by 17kgs. They let her leave Adelaide with it, but she had to get rid of it in Melbourne. Lucky she had some friends turn up, rather than throwing it all in the bin. No update since then, but she was due to arrive in Dubai (correct me if I’m wrong, Clee) at 10am their time / 4:30pm our time.