Nyali Mombasa – Monday July 30th

As today was a ‘significant’ birthday it had been penned in as a relax and reflect day. This quiet part of Nyali with a sparse sprinkling of tourists was perfect. The area around the long white beach right in front of me had a Robinson Crusoe feel to it and you could look for a mile in either direction only making out the odd local guy patiently shore spear fishing in the distance. I had decided not to venture anywhere further than this ‘petite paradis’ for the day and just soak it all up.

I met a guy strolling along with his camel and thought “what the heck” asking him if he could give me a lift for about a mile down the beach for a few schillings. The guy had no problem with it but I’d swear that the camel threw his eyes up to heaven when he saw me! Now anyone who ever rode a camel will know just how difficult it is to get on and off and I sure ain’t no Lawrence of Arabia. Anyway off I strolled on my desert ship.

We stopped further down the beach when we came across a coral reef boat just sitting there. They had told me back at the hotel that I would likely find one around here and within a couple of minutes the “captain” came running over to me. I told him that I just wanted to take a spin over to the long coral reef which could be seen about half a mile offshore and perhaps have a swim out there. We had an enjoyable haggle for ages during part of which he insisted that I would need a passport to go there. He maintained in all seriousness that the offshore reef was an island outside of Kenya (bear in mind that the reef disappears each time the tide comes in). We eventually agreed a fee, no passport, and off we went (but first I had to wait for ages while his helper went off to fetch an engine). The fee was also to include anchoring up to do a bit of snorkeling.

I could see a similar boat with several people onboard in the distance and we came alongside them out at the reef. These shallow bottomed boats can get right onto land, needing only a couple of feet of water. He dropped anchor and stepped off the back of the boat onto the sadly dead coral. As I was in my bare feet he kindly volunteered his flip flops for me to walk on the sharp surface. What Kenyan people lack in some aspects, they more than make up for in kindness and by simply being nice.

We spent a while on the reef island and he very knowledgeably described the various and unusual species of shellfish and sea spiders. These have a very ticklish sensation when you hold them in your hand and look a bit creepy. Then, after making our way back to the boat, we headed about half an hour southward towards a good area for offshore snorkeling.

The other boat headed in the same direction and soon both were anchored close by. Getting in to snorkel was no problem but I wasn’t so sure about getting out again because he had no ladder. Anyway overboard I went without any further hesitation and started to look around below. However a swell suddenly came up making the water very choppy and the visibility poor. Given that the boat had now started to drift on it’s anchor he called me in. Clambering back onboard took several attempts and I now have plenty of bruises after trying to use the engine as a ladder. We had been out for about four hours as we made our way back to shore.

I bought a fresh coconut from a guy along the beach as I walked back to the hotel. The liquid inside was so nice. When I got back to my room I showered and rested up for a bit before heading out to the same restaurant I had eaten in previously.

I mentioned in conversation with the waiter at the start of the meal that it was my birthday and, even though I had declined a dessert, they produced a beautiful ice cream dish on a plate which had inscribed on it with chocolate “Happy Birthday”, and it really had been, the perfect start to the next decade….