as planned, we took the train from nairobi to mombasa (13 hours, very bumpy, slept like a baby thanks to a benedryl) and arrived at twiga lodge on tiwi beach. it was super overcast the first afternoon we were there so we were all nervous that it would be crappy weather for the week, but it turned out to be fabulous! there were so many fun things about the trip! can i just list them? it's easier that way..
-the staff at the place where we stayed was so fabulous. i would recommend this facility to anyone. it was unbelievable.
-we got to snorkel in the indian ocean and right in the middle of this ring of coral reefs was a sand dune. we could swim to it and chill on it and feel like we were walking on water. it was breathtaking. like literally...
-the bugs in nakuru do not remotely compare to the ones in mombasa - we're talking millipedes that were a foot long (and had red legs. AHHH!) oh and snails too...?
-there were a million blue-balled vervet monkeys that would swing in the trees around dinner time. they literally had neon blue ball sacks. it was SO weird and kind of yuck...
-i met the african version of my dad. he referred to himself as "king soloman." uncanny resemblance in personality as well as large head.
-we got to meet so many neat volunteers and vacationers from all over the world! no americans though :(
-my infatuation with swahili music continues to grow. get ready, i'm bringing it back to the states with me!
-my roommate rachel and i laughed pretty much the entire trip. she is fun as hell and such great company!
on the last day we went into mombasa town to tour a little bit before we took the night bus home to nakuru. it was so interesting! first of all, since mombasa was once a really important port, there are a lot of arabs that moved there. honestly, i felt like we were in the middle east as opposed to africa because there were so many men and women in muslim garb. oh, also, i asked this guy we met if he was muslim and he was like, "what??" i asked him again and he still didn't get what i was saying and then i just randomly tried a different pronunciation and said, "are you mooslim" and he said, "OH! yes, yes i am!" hahah! not too keen on the american accent. the vibe was just so different than that of other areas of kenya that i've experienced. it was busy and hectic and crowded, but still so culturally rich. overall, i really enjoyed my time on the coast!
regardless of what you might expect, the ten hour night bus was really great! NOT. it sucked. but it did the job. we got home in one piece and avoided Al Shabab abduction! (sorry mom, i know you don't like jokes like that!)
great holiday, great week, great weekend. family, please be assured that i'm safe, happy, and healthy. miss you all! and chipotle lately...
No comments:
Post a Comment