Overview
Travelling has never been much of a hobby for me but this one trip overturned my long held
attitude. I finally got to celebrate Valentines and in a place that could never have been better for
a first time.
I joined this competition at the beginning off the year. I love writing and expressing myself through poetry and any form of writing. Tunda App gave me an opportunity to do what I love. I am not so used to losing so now I had to put all my effort in doing it because it had a prize. The competition became stiff later on. Didn't literally win but I was the first runner up. I finally got my chance to go on vacation on valentines weekend . My first actually. And the very best part of it, with my other half. Diani it was.
We took a train from town to the Nairobi Terminus to catch the train to Mombasa through the Standard Gauge Railway. We were seconds away from missing the train. Thank God for my long legs.
Forty seven minutes later were at the Nairobi SGR Terminus and the train left at around 2:15 p.m.
It was a slightly long and tiresome journey but we arrived eventually. I enjoyed the view of Tsavo National park. I thought elephants were some colour between grey and black but I never imagined they would be brown. Evidence of sunny and dusty Kenya at this time of the year. And I love how we have embraced our culture and language. The voice over in the train informing passengers on where we were at the journey had an accent of one of the Kenyan tribes. I need that energy of self acceptance in my life I swear.
Peter, who was apparently our tour guide and our driver was already at the Mombasa terminus. Our skins felt the humidity in the place, and I felt sticky somehow. Was I sweating? I don’t know if my thoughts were prejudiced or the air really smelt of oil. It was a different atmosphere all together. It felt nice walking around at night without a sweater without worrying if my mum will give me those eyes.
Mombasa at night was all beautiful until we were hit by a three hour traffic jam on our way to the ferry to cross to the South Coast where Diani is located. The beautiful site of the Mama Ngina drive. The confusing buildings painted all white and blue. I wonder if some shops such as the famous pink Bestlady would be painted white and blue as well.
We crossed finally and us thinking that we were there already, shock befell us. We got lost in the bushes for almost an hour. It felt like we were being kidnapped. I had my phone, money and ID just to save my young small some few slaps when the kidnappers ask for them. We made our way to Hillpark Beach Hotel at around midnight . Candle lit dinner/supper, sea food all over and drinks on us. I pretended to be having the time of my life but seriously, what was that ingredient they put in every food that makes it taste sweet and yucky at the same time? This is what Westernization must have tasted to Africans; very much controversial but were forced to like it. But how would I have known that there exists other food apart from maize and cow’s milk? I tried being romantic and dived into the swimming pool with my boyfriend by the hotel but ended up with my kinky unruly hair wetting my bed. Why was it competing with me though?
The morning came. Saturday that was. I woke up to the sound of the waves from the beautiful Ocean. I missed the sun rise which was apparently around 5.30AM. We made our way to the beach without having breakfast. You can imagine the excitement. I have always wanted to write my name on the sand at the beach and wallah.. there we were. I wrote my sister’s, my best friend’s and my cousin’s. I had to brag with my bikini body that had never actually been in a bikini. My sunglasses from carttah made that boomerang for the gram worth it. And who had seen white crabs before? And live star fish? The water was actually salty! Real salty! The excitement was on another level. Sand on my skin felt so nice. Walking without shoes on was legal for once, until my cheap nail polish chipped off.
Thank God food on that day did not have that ingredient that made me regret not having carried noodles at least. The breakfast was the sweetest meal because of the variety there was. If I could just get the recipe for those pancakes! There was this juice that the waiter insisted was not juice but called it by its native name. I didn’t understand why but I had embarrassed myself enough already.
The best part was getting time to reconnect with my boyfriend after our busy schedules separated us. I honestly had missed that man. The quiet ambience and sweet breeze took away the lecture I had planned to unleash on that boy child and suddenly the air smelt of love. We played games and made promises as if we were falling in love again. We needed that weekend so bad.
Peter who was our very abled guide was back too soon. I hadn’t done everything on my bucket list. I still had more kisses to give and more questions to expose my ignorance with. I hadn’t even picked some money on the road only for it to turn to a goat and ask me to take it back. Anyway, we enjoyed our last bit of the South Coast as we headed back to the Terminus. Back to our normal lives. Back to the noisy congested Nairobi. Back to assignments. Back to reality.
WRITER: Lynne
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