WATAMU - SAFARI - SEA - GIOVANNI IN2KENYA

Our first week in Kenya. Having got off the plane at Mombasa, we were assailed by the scents, the smells, and the African heat. Caterina, the family photographer, started shooting as soon as we left the airport. The journey to Watamu was more than anything a: "don't do this, don't do that". We instead like to wander, talk to people, "try" to see how one lives in a different place. The village chosen was the Acquarius of Watamu, above all because the single room was free!! Comfortable rooms, with a nice big bed, ceiling fans. The village is divided into blocks, not on the beach, but this is fine, a couple of steps to reach the sea do us good. A beautiful garden, saltwater pools, we were happy. Inside the village, however, we spent very little time. Watamu is a village that you can get around in no time, small, but alive.

In the morning or afternoon long walks on the beach, if it was low tide we went to the other lagoons passing beyond the little islands in front of the beach. Bring rubber shoes!! they are really needed, and you will have beautiful walks. The bb assail you as soon as you leave the village, but we discovered that, by saying that we had already booked everything, or if I was alone with my wife and we wanted to take a romantic walk on our own, they left us in peace!! I have never made Matilde take so many romantic walks as this year!! Bought a few souvenirs at the stalls on the beach, flip-flops, masks in the village. everyone greeted us with a jambo, a how are you? (guys, the greetings are really very long) and then they turned to the "new arrivals"… Safari: having only one week available, we opted for the 2-day Tsavo East one. The journey to reach the park is already beautiful.

This road that changes colour as you get closer to the park, and there the red colour of the earth begins, which meets the blue of the sky, is truly fantastic!! We saw many animals, elephants, many, all the red colour of the earth, zebras, buffaloes that from the edge of the road watched us almost tired of seeing us tourists with cameras pointed at them. A lioness hidden in the grass with two cubs. Here, inside the minibus, no one spoke, seeing those cubs so small was something I cannot describe. We would never have expected to see them. We also spent a whole day at the mangroves. Here the journey inside the channels with their canoes is very particular. For the safari and the excursion we relied on Giovanni, recommended to us before leaving, he has a website and collaborates with a local agency. He is not a beach boy

The days passed quickly, between safaris, excursions, walks around the village, stopping to talk to people, watching the children playing in the water, the families strolling on the beach on Sunday. The birth of a new day sitting on the beach. A "dinner" with grilled skewers, an always grilled chicken, very tasty, at the stalls on the street in the centre of Watamu, accompanied by a kind of piadina, (were the cooks from Romagna??) sitting on a bench, with a dim light, it was nice. So, our week flew by. And we came back with the idea of returning soon!!! I strongly recommend you contact Giovanni, from Watamu, his website is called: Email: in2kenya@gmail.com If you want info you can ask me holi776@gmail.com Shortly I will tell you about the second trip in January 2011, because yes, we went back!! Marco