WE HAVE A LIMITED WIFI CONNECTION. PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED LATER.
There was no need to get up early, other than breakfast ended at 9:00 am.
But we were both awake before then. The tide was way out with about 500 paces of tide flats to explore a bit before breakfast. I went out again and observed some fishermen. I chatted with a couple of them with some simple sentences in Kiswahili.
One told me about the small fish that they were catching with a net held by two men who walked chest deep and dragged it back to shore. Another speared an octopus and a small ray of some sort with intriguing colors.
Afterwards, we sat around doing whatever caught our fancy. I won the battleship game by just two pegs.
Later, Susan (from yesterday) stopped by and welcomed us to walk down the beach to their property. I joined her, while Anya stayed put. The two families from our snorkeling trip (including the father Nathan) were camping at their place. They have two large cone awnings, about 25 feet in diameter, made from poles and thatched with banana leaf “shingles.” Underneath are tents, camping chairs, and a well-equipped camping kitchen. We sat and talked for some time, catching up on the past few years and plans for the future.
One of the plans is a Great Rift Valley Walk. About 18 months ago, I woke up with a crazy idea to repeat a classic 8-day walk that the late Rev. David Simonson did with his sons, including Nathan, from Loliondo (by the Kenyan border) to Monduli. (They actually walked to Ngaramtoni, but Monduli would be a way to support the MaaSAE Girls School.) I threw out the crazy idea, and several were actually interested. Jean started talking with Nathan, and now there is some momentum to the planning. I didn’t tell Nathan today that I was the one who broached the idea to Jean, but since life is changing for me, it would be slim chances for me to be able to participate, because Nathan is suggesting a May date after the long rainy season and before the heavy tourist season.
If anyone is interested in this or know of anyone who would like an adventure which supports girls’ education, let me know. I’ll get you in contact with the right people.
I walked back for a late lunch of very nice beef samosas, and then we got ready for our kayaking trip. Nathan told me the trick is to paddle out just before the high tide mark, as the rising tide will help us get into the river with the mangrove forests. Then after high tide and our peaceful paddling among the mangroves and bird calls, then we turn around so the out-going tide helps us cross the breakers into the ocean beyond. So, Anya and I shared this adventure together.
I am one who must have descended from farming Norwegians instead of the seafaring Norwegians, because the ocean isn’t very peaceful for me. In the Old Testament, the “sea” is a metaphor for chaos. While I don’t get sea sick, I am not typically seeking out sea-related adventures. The snorkeling yesterday was a surprise for me at how much I enjoyed it, in spite of the wet and somewhat cold conditions. Perhaps this being my third trip gave me some understanding of what to expect, and really, the panorama of colorful fish was beyond what I had experienced before.
We returned to our beach lodge, showered, and I washed out our salty clothes. With the return of both power and internet, I’m able to make a post on the blog.
Dinner and packing will close the evening, as we leave tomorrow at 7:00 am after an early breakfast. We have a 3 hour drive to Segera, where we will be dropped at the roadside of the village. Then the bus from Dar es Salaam will pick us up and take us to Arusha. We’ll get a taxi to our hotel for the night. There is a chance we’ll see some of my former students. If it is a full night, I may not be able to get a blog post out.
Right now, we only have two more nights before we fly home. We haven’t been home since January 24, so it has been a long time.
With blessings,
Beth