The First Visit to the Beach, Mara ya kwanza kutembelea pwani

 Dear family,

Yesterday was a visit to the beach, and what a wild west show that was! I am going to give some simple do's and don'ts for a visit to a public beach in Kenya, along the Diani coast.

Do bring a towel or blanket of some kind, because the sand is a very fine grain and will get stuck on everything: your phone, snacks, the pages of your book, among other things.

Don't speak to the beach hawkers, or "wabunifu" in Kiswahili. They will 1. Think you are their new best friend and 2. Definitely their next customer for whatever they happen to be selling. I learned this the hard way, it took me about 45 minutes to get away from the throng and sit down, and another 20 minutes when we are trying to leave the beach.

Do take the opportunity to ride the beach camels that come through on a daily basis! Because when are you going to get to do that again?


Don't come to the beach having to go to the bathroom. The bathrooms are private to hotel guests only, and the shacks along the beach boy's area are... unsanitary at best. Either go in the house before you leave or be prepared to pee like the fish in the ocean.

Do come early in the day if you can for a run along the ocean. I have been doing this a few days a week and it has been a peaceful and healthy habit for me to work on. Most of the locals are willing to point you toward other access points to get to the beach if you are patient enough to explore for them.

Don't give out your number to anyone on the beach... They will call you frequently, wanting to know when you can hang out or purchase their boat safari packages. Most of the beach boys are persistent, and they will remember your name and face the next time they run into you. Just be careful on what you agree to is all!



The beaches here are beautiful, and a welcome change from the cold water of the Pacific Northwest. You can swim any time of day and watch the white crabs dance across the rocks, if you look carefully in the dry coral geckos can be found everywhere. I love being here, karibu Diani Beach Kenya!

Miss you all,

Andi


Comments

  1. MamaJanuary 31, 2022 at 8:09 PM

    Did you do the camel ride? Hard to stay on?Sounds like great fun👏😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MamaJanuary 31, 2022 at 8:09 PM

      Susan

      Delete
    2. A.M. UtterFebruary 1, 2022 at 11:03 PM

      Hello Susan! I have not quite yet, but will be doing one here in the near future!

      Delete
    3. BaiyushFebruary 2, 2022 at 9:22 AM

      Do you have fun at the beach, now that you know how to ride the waves?

      Delete
    4. A.M. UtterFebruary 17, 2022 at 4:40 AM

      I sure do! The water is so nice and warm for a change, everything is so cold at home!

      Delete

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