As this holiday season approached, my host family was not planning a trip up-country or to the coast so I had my mind set on staying in Nairobi. I had plans of exploring and becoming more familiar with town as well as finally picking up the book I have wanted to read since I got onto the airplane almost three months ago (I am not a very dedicated reader). Fortunately for me, my family in Kenya extends well beyond the walls of where I rest my head at night. Eric and Laurel graciously invited me on their holiday vacation to an Island off the northern coast of Kenya, called Lamu – such a sweet name for such sweet memories.
Though I refused the invitation at first and was insistent to not intrude on the lover’s tropical vacation, they were insistent that I keep them company on the trip. Laurel called the hotel to book a single room next to theirs and then walked me to the bus station to purchase a ticket on the same bus that they had already reserved seats on. If it wasn’t obvious to me then, the rest of the trip made it clear that these two have hearts of gold, solid gold in fact.
The following week was filled with trips to the market to purchase sun dresses, beach hats and Christmas stocking stuffers. Laurel is filled with family traditions and made sure to keep them alive in Africa. Eric sewed stockings to hang with care in Lamu and the two of them, with my help, spent $10 on each other’s stocking stuffers. I never knew cereal, chocolate and Tic-Tacs could mean so much but these simple gifts were from the heart with true appreciation of their love and understanding as couple – Priceless.
21.12.2010
After sending holiday emails and a few last minute Skype conversations, the trip was ready to being. The three of us loaded our hiking backpacks onto the Horizon Coach Bus and departed on an overnight shuttle to Mombasa. The road from Nairobi is bumpy and filled with crazy drivers so we managed only little and interrupted slumbers. The ride was comfortable, though as the bus was practically new, the seats were roomy and refreshments were served.
22.12.2010
Our plan was to stay in the city for one day in order to catch the bus to Lamu the next morning. We arrived in Mombasa earlier than expected, 6:00am, so we were able to purchase tickets on a bus traveling to Lamu at 7:30am. When the bus arrived at the pick up station, I reluctantly placed my bag in the dust filled compartment below the cabin as it did not fit in the racks that hung over the ripped and broken seats on the worn out shuttle bus. As we settled into our seats, Laurel warned me of the treacherous road conditions we were to face on the road from Mombasa to Lamu. After we passed Malindi, her predictions became a reality as the road turned from broken concrete to pothole infested, gravel pathways that serve the purpose of a road. To make matters worse, the bus was oversold leaving children squeezed between Eric and Laurel and others to stand for the entirety of the trip. At one point we were pulled over at a police checkpoint and through my window, I watched the driver slip cash into the policeman’s hand to avoid proper punishment for mismanaging the somewhat risky drive to Lamu – Corruption is the only sure system in Kenya and money can get you out of just about anything with the police.
Also out of my window, I watched as we passed remote villages with mud houses, extensive farms with workers carrying the crops in perfect balance on their heads, and miniature towns that were equipped with business savvy locals who waited by the road for busses to come through and then approached the open windows with anything you could possible want: warm somosas, hard boiled eggs, freshly picked mangos, cold water, biscuits, peanuts, trinkets and at one stop there was even a lady offering live chickens.
The driver tried to avoid potholes by swerving left to right, off the road and back on which made sleep impossible and comfort an unthinkable luxury. The weather had become humid and the only relief was the dust filled breeze from the windows. The vibrations from the under-serviced bus traveling in such rough conditions came straight through the seats that we sat on. You know that tickle feeling you get on your face when your lips vibrate as you blow air through them in choir warm-ups and such? Well, imagine that feeling all over your body! I had to keep scratching my back and rubbing my legs to relieve the discomfort and the worst part was that I had to pee so badly. At some point my body was so numb from the vibrations and I had so much butt sweat, that I had no idea if I still had control of my bladder. When we stopped to pick up even more passengers, I realized I had not piddled, tapped the man seated next to me and told him I had to use the bathroom. He took me to the nearest hut just off the road and those people pointed to a bush. There, I popped a squat and properly relieved myself without hesitation. We had to run back to the bus as it was ready to leave with or without me. I felt like a champion as I stepped onto the rolling bus fully satisfied by my empty bladder.
At the next stop, a lady with a handful of live chickens climbed onto the bus. She sat in the back and plopped the clucking animals under the seat. She then exited the bus and returned with two more handfuls as well as three children who also held multiple live birds by the feet. The woman tucked the birds under almost every seat in the bus to keep them somewhat confined. I was lucky to not have any under my seat, only under the seats surrounding mine. For the duration of the trip I was occupied my mind by observing their tired spirits sustain the same travel conditions as us, but from the dirty, metal floor of the bus - Only in Kenya.
I really had no idea when that trip was going to end. I kept imagining the water just beyond a tree line and was endlessly disappointed to see more trees emerge. As we arrived at the shuttle’s final destination, the ocean’s bay was in front of us and our feet found the stability of the mainland and the breeze off of the water extremely relieving. We were hurried onto an already overcrowded ferry which was soon to be chocked-full with familiar travelers from the same shuttle, including the dozens of live chickens. Slowly but surely, we began our journey towards Lamu Island and on the way we spotted our first set of the infamous donkeys, many birth-day suited local children enjoying themselves among their adventure filled environment and above all, our eyes were fixated on the beauty of the water and the skyline of the old stone town – Breathtaking.
