Nakupenda Kenya! My second trip in Kenya

For the second experiment in Kenya, after Mambrui a year ago, this time we choose the unique sand of Watamu in search of small Mwikali

 

Preparations and departure

We are three couples aged between 45 and 59 years -. Change plans, itineraries and excursions organized by Mambrui previously, we start from Rome on the night of 13 December Assigned Watamu.
At the airport in Mombasa, our friend Nunzio makes direct knowledge of police corruption in customs, which, without beating about the bush calls without obtaining "Kito Kidong" (ie, "little something" which, translated into clear meaning, or 5 Euros a pack of cigarettes) not to open the luggage.
The transfer from the airport up to Watamu, lasts 2 ½ hours, about 120 kilometers of road disaster.

Mwikali - Sugar - Francesca

MWIKALI - SUGAR
Before the start, I made a commitment with Francesca (a student known by e-mail) to deliver "his girl" Mwikali - reads Muikalì-a parcel of beautiful clothes and products for personal hygiene.
Mwikali and Francesca had met some months earlier during a trip to Francesca, our compatriot, was immediately fond of this shy little girl, despite the difficulty of communicating verbally.
They had met casually on the street opposite the hotel Eurotel Aquarius Beach and Francesca fell in love with two big eyes that remain fascinated to see the fortunes of us Europeans, however, without ever begging pity.
The commitment I made to deliver the package to Mwikali also conditioned Atre choices as to deliver the clothes I needed someone who could lead me in the little house. And here is the role of our Beach Boy - Sugar - contact me via SMS already on arrival in Mombasa, and that he may be found outside the hotel when we arrived.
It is agreed then with our Beach Boy-cell. 00254735266394 e-mail jayjirah@yahoo.com - cost hikes 230 Euro per person, namely: 2 days Tsavo East safari alllo overnight at Voi Safari Lodge, hike Safari Blue with grilled lobster Mida Creek, tour of Malindi more trip to the kitchens of the devil Marafa and accompaniment in the house of Mwikali

Setting up at the village

The first impact with the structure is not exciting because of the outward appearance very badly treated. However, after the first impact, with the time I was able to detect even very positive elements, such as caring for the gardens, the staff's professionalism and Italian cuisine beyond any expectation.
The rooms are basic but functional sinks and some ant on the air conditioner too noisy, do not affect negatively the overall assessment.
The structure is divided into two parts, the inner is made from the rooms, a swimming pool and buffet restaurant. To achieve the second part you have to leave for a few meters from the hotel and face a myriad of cool vendors in wait to sell you anything (to me, a boy about 20 years wanted to rent his sister about 16 course I always pretended not to understand). The second part of the hotel complex consists of rooms still being built, a pool bar and a restaurant, both paid and this property is accessed directly on a beach of white sand, towering palms and a host of colorful fishermen's intent to work on their primitive boats (the Dow) BEAUTIFUL! really nice.
Another characteristic feature is the presence of askari fitted with a stick. These private guards are placed at each entrance of the hotel, again with the stick in hand, to protect the tourists "Mzungo" (Men Mzungo = white).

Watamu: the beach, the reef, the tides and the country

The beach of Watamu is an unusual white color that is almost impossible to see without sunglasses. E 'surrounded by small hotels, village-with the characteristic makuti roofs and towering palms that bring to mind images of the most beautiful landscapes of your dreams. Periodically, the oil deposited on the beach a bit of algae that are promptly removed. The hotel is located near the rudimentary shacks that serve as the store for the sale or barter of the typical products of local crafts (such as soapstone or ogettini carved in wood).
You can swap all my wife has been sought in a supermarket plastic bag Roman Achilles was requested by the insistence that the socks had to walk!
At dawn you can get amazing photographs of fishermen going back with their catch and their wives patiently waiting for the men who faced the ocean in unstable parts of the trunk hollowed by hand ... and ultimately proud of the fruits of labor can feed their family.
The living part of the reef, unlike the Red Sea, is near the beach but you meet acuna hundred meters out to sea. Between the beach and the barrier "alive", in relation to the period of the oil creates a buffer, where about half a meter of water, appears or disappears periodically changing the entire landscape. In periods of dry pools are formed where you can photograph stunning starfish, shells, sea urchins and moray white. Some young Kenyans "ends meet" accompanying tourists on Mzungo pools with moray eels and starfish .... and supplied with a stick, tied on top with a piece of fish, manage to get out of the pools for the moray photos and movies of our countrymen.
The village of Watamu is little more than an agglomeration of huts with a Catholic church and a Muslim mosque, the majority to the population is of Muslim religion and I have not noticed any signs of intolerance. Along the only paved road, where the kids will bask in the sun, is the market to buy postcards of Mama Lucia, water or even a pound of flour to children who, after confidence, I ask you kindly.

Photo safari to Tsavo East

As usual we left early to get close to the wildlife park at approximately 9 am, at the entrance of Tsavo making a brief stop for any physiological needs and the opportunity to photograph the crocodiles that live in and Marabou Galana River.
Entering the park, the driver of our car had a hard time overcoming some mud pools encountered in the path.
The savannah is flourishing because of rainfall lately, yet the red dust everywhere in the park puts on our clothes and in the corners of the cameras. Since my last safari made in February the vegetation is more lush this disadvantage, however, the sighting of predators that are more successful in hiding.
The Lion King Simba Unlike last February, would not cooperate and I could barely make a poor recovery of a few seconds. Other animals, however, gave me the wonderful pictures .....
Park Tsavo East is one of the largest in the world, is about as large as an Italian region. Exception to the rhinoceros has a few pieces that all other animals are present in large quantities and is not difficult to see them. The characteristic that most distinguishes this park is the land of a very flashy red color .... to the point that a simple picture of an elephant can understand if it was resumed, at Tsavo or not, because the color of elephants (usually leaden gray) in this park, because of the dust that is sprinkled on him takes red.
I will say no more than for the safari but I want to say a word for the Voi Safari Lodge, as the network did not find any description in Italian.

The Voi Safari Lodge

And 'situated in Tsavo East near the exit for the town of You, on the road linking Nairobi with Mombasa, from a purely aesthetic harmony is a building of great beauty, has two dining rooms, some 20 rooms, a terrace for the sighting of animals, a pool and a "lookout room" placed a few meters from a puddle in the middle of the savannah. To reach this room (protected by steel bars) to go down some stairs in a sort of underground tunnel about 70 meters.
The rooms are comfortable and clean as possible, the reception asking us not to leave doors or windows open and give ourselves two Tally for dinner and the next morning.

We are going to eat a fantastic dinner under the starry sky, but ... The dining room is circular and the staff of the lodge we equip the extreme edges where you can enjoy the best view, and emphasized that full bush not seen any side lights on the horizon you can not even begin to imagine how many and which species of insects gathered under the illumination of the table.
After the dinner, consumed with plate in hand and at considerable distance from the lights that attracted all types of insect, we were in a room for a well-deserved rest, but the surprises were not over.
Nunzio and Simona's room our friends had been visited by one or a few baboons because all of their clothing had been ransacked and the ground remained cards thirty candy skillfully peeled, probably had not complied with the council close all doors and windows.
At dawn, as projected to decline in the hall of sighting. The lighting of the tunnel draws a lot of great scale insects and meet dozens of dung beetles, once at the bottom of the stairs we are below ground level, a few yards from a well for watering the animals, protected by some bars in iron but without glasses, I and Achilles, armed with video cameras, tripods and good intentions we went down the stairs groped for taking some pictures. We have resisted the onslaught of insects only a handful of minutes, the time to resume a couple of jackals very suspicious and then we fled to a dishonorable retreat.
This experience, partly negative, is still rewarded by the beauty of the place and I, with appropriate warnings, the council strongly.

Mida Creek excursion

It starts around 8 am from the beach in front of our village, the sea is relatively calm, but, because of low tide, we must bring us to walk up to the reef where the wave breaks and the boat can not get too close.
After making a voyage of a few hundred meters, then just inshore sights a school of dolphins that accompanied us for nearly an hour.
Nunzio and I don flippers and masks, we dipped to play with these delicious bottlenose dolphins that seemed curious of our presence, my wife on the boat immortalized with the camera this experience might be repeated.
Navigation proceeds within the Watamu Marine National Park where we met and photographed many pink flamingos, a dense mangrove forest and finally, on a small island we have eaten a meal with shrimp, rice, lobster and coca cola.
Not to forget that we were in the small rainy season suddenly started pouring rain that lasted almost an hour. We, or I, Nunzio Ornella and Achilles, not at all scared we accepted the offer of a ride dow the discovery deli channels that penetrate inside the mangrove forest.

All this happened between 13 and 23 December 2006.
Luciano and Stefania Canestrari