Watamu and Lamu: my unforgettable experience in Kenya
After only 3 months since the last time we decide to return to that country and Kenya is the only one that she embraces our great friend Thomas. Booking only KLM flight via AMS and Nairobi, but traveling by night it did not weigh us landing in Mombasa early morning. The next time we go to Nairobi and from there the Fly540 cheap flight that arrives directly to Malindi, from Malindi to Watamu, the route is much shorter!
We rent a room at the Beach View Apartments in the heart of Watamu. The sea is approx. 200m in the direction of the Love Island, we like to walk the streets of the country so it's perfect.
The room (in the structure there are also some apartments that are rented for long periods) is small, with a large bed with mosquito net and the bathroom is fine but for us the day we never, back at the end of the day and for sleeping. Outside the room there is a nice terrace where we relax, read, enjoy the breeze from Kenya. In most swimming pool, barbecue and friendly staff and helpful. All at a very low price! At lunch, lots of fresh fruit, excellent!
On our friend Thomas in the first days there, is out for a 7 day safari organized flights from Nairobi to the Italian boys who turned out to be very nice, and then that, too, are captivated by his sympathy and total reliability.
We do not make this year's safari and take the opportunity of our freedom by deciding to go to Lamu. The other Kenyan our dear friend Philip, a friend and associate of Thomas, we will arrange everything perfectly, flight Fly540 (the alternative is by road but there is to use approx. 5h to arrive), 20 minutes and arrive at airport Manda (called the airport I smile!). Upon arrival we expect Juma, a likeable guy who was in our provision for all 3 days we stayed. With 5 minutes by speedboat to get to the island of Lamu, it's hot! Lamu is a total swarm of people, goods that are loaded and unloaded from the boats which are crowded on the waterfront, and is beautiful and fascinating watching all those scenes of real life. The house takes away our breath for what is beautiful, it's called 'Baytulkher' in Italian 'house of blessings'. This is a 4 bedroom house more beautiful than the other, Arab-style, with the central open-air, and then the room on the roof is something spectacular! All completed with jacuzzi and bright spaces, where one breathes a charming atmosphere Arabic. By Juma visit Lamu, beautiful, is so hot but we can not remain fascinated by this place where time seems to stand still, where there are no cars, only donkeys are the only means of transportation for people and things.
In the evening we go to eat, recommended by Juma, the 'restaurant' where Olympic Sahid was immediately friendly and nice. The 2nd day we go to Manda island, a paradise where you come up with a 10 minute speedboat and where we seem to be the masters of the beach, giant, of a peculiar reddish color and even there the local people we encounter in leaving us a indelible memory. We drink and eat something at Diamond Beach Village, an eco resort where the tree house attracts our attention. Here Combo, which works with just winning eco resort us and asks us not to forget when we go home! Juma and the captain to take us back to the end of the day, at dinner we return to Olympic where to taste 2 fabulous crab Lamu accompanied by many other things great! Unfortunately, our days are finished in Lamu and a little 'sad but pleased with our experience of return to Watamu.
We arrive in the afternoon we relax on our terrace. Suddenly a huge surprise, Thomas has returned from the safari and we came to say hello. What joy to see him!
The day I stroll to Watamu and Massy, meeting all our friends, who almost did not believe that after such a short time in October we are still there.
Mr. Blue, Salvatore, Pantani, Isaac, Squid, Shaggy, and many ten thousand other guys keep us compagnia.Mr Blue with his kindness, his curly hair curly with whom we were at the blue safari in October, Salvatore, a special person , an almost embarrassing professionalism, a perfect Italian, very high, Pantani, with its beautiful smile, Isaac, polite, author of our plaque in ebony that we attacked outside the door of our home in Rome, Squid, a real discovery of sympathy and affection, Shaggy, dancer, always with his black hat, dancing again on the beautiful beach where you'll always find him (in front of the hotel Aquarius), Ten Thousand, an acquaintance a bit 'special, which also deals with social exclusion (from he tells us). But one out of all Thomas, who led us to revise its 3 beautiful grandchildren, Bella, Sienna and Anthony, who go to school in the mornings and afternoons playing outside their home. Their amazement was indescribable to see you again, you throw him fill the heart with immense joy in seeing them, despite the enormous difficulties, are doing well, smiling and make us a thousand questions. They grew up, are beautiful, and shake them unbreakable promise that we will do everything to help them grow well, to study, to a future. We have dinner together all'Ascot Residence, Italian-owned, where to eat well but do ordain as a place where, at least I and Massy, not stay ever: too luxury, comfort, too much Italian atmosphere. But children, along with their pal Patrick, are happy for us this is important.
The next day he met Rita and Albert Thomas who have been with the safari. We are told of the wonders seen and lived through, all the animals, the many photos taken and the facilities where they slept. Always with Thomas, have managed to fish offshore fishing fabulous fish, eaten in the evening in a local African, near the Blue Bay. After dinner I met Mr. Blue and Massy and squid that we want healthy because the next day is our last day in Watamu. We exchange e-mails, promising to stay in touch and do not forget about each other waiting to meet again in a few months.
The last day there are 38 °, there is no wind, makes a stifling heat. Thomas takes us to the reef of 'our' beach thanks to the phenomenon of low tide and there too many emotions, starfish, rocks shaped by wind and sea, moray eels, sea urchins, and fish of all colors!
We give an appointment with Thomas for the evening when we accompany Mombasa airport for departure. In the evening we have dinner with a very good 'Choma' cafes on the road to Watamu, where even there, I make friends with so many likeable people and eat well for a few shillings. And then, like every night, we take a good coffee in a 'bar' along the road where a boy of Watamu always welcomes us with a fantastic smile.
Thomas comes to take us to 23h00 and suddenly realize that our stay in Kenya is over this time. Thomas salute with tears in her eyes (this time in the true sense of the word), our friendship is the great, real, genuine, without reservation, and are sure it will be forever.
Kwaheri Kenya, tutaonana tena, Asante sound back again with such a melancholy within us but with so much happiness for even more detailed and magnified on our love for a land with so many difficulties, past, present and likely future but that any time there is give you savings in time, to welcome you with open arms, in you fall in love.
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