more coastal adventures.

Hello All,

Since leaving Mombasa, we have been to Watamu, Gede, Malindi, and Lamu. We are still in Lamu, enjoying our last few days in Kenya on a quiet Swahili/Arabic island where Donkeys and Dhows are the main forms of transportation. We can't upload any photos here due to slow internet... but we will add some to this post when we get the chance.

Perhaps I should start with Watamu - we arrived by matatu and got to our hostel via motorbike. It was a nice town, full of Italian influence - as most places on the coast seem to be. Our plans for Watamu were to see the sea turtles and visit the Gede ruins. The sea turtle rehabilitation centre was closed in the morning, so we went to Gede first. It was amazing. We walked into the ruins of a 14th century village. Nobody really knows why the village was abandoned - not even our Gede tour guide "Mr.T". They suspect that maybe the water table dropped and their wells were no longer useful, or perhaps they were invaded... It was a peaceful and enchanting way to spend the morning, walking through crumbling walls of a home left centuries ago.

Then, we saw the sea turtles! The Watamu Turtle Watch and Rehabilitation centre is doing a great job to save these amazing animals. We got to visit two sea turtles (one green and one hawksbill) who were in the rehab programme - one for a broken shell, and the other had been there for five years because she has a curvature of the spine, and needed to learn to adapt to her condition and get strong enough to swim in the ocean. They are hoping to release her sometime this month!

Next, We caught a matatu to Malindi. We went to a restaurant there serving amazing italian food and spend the evening walking along the boardwalk, piers, and the beach.

Bright and early we caught a bus to Lamu, where we are now. The bus dropped us off at a ferry, and we  arrived to Lamu island by boat - The best way to arrive at any destination. The town is made of narrow walkways, three-storey stone buildings, and has a relaxed atmosphere. The guest house where we are staying is a restored coral castle. We had breakfast in its central courtyard this morning, and played board games on the rooftop lounge area last night. Lamu is great. Fresh juices that cost about a dollar Canadian for a pint, and lots of seafood. Kyle even ate a king crab last night! We had to break into it and everything! haha

We will be here for one more day, and then return to Nairobi to catch our flight to Europe. We will arrive back in Canada on April 5th.

Our time on the coast has been fun, relaxing, and has given us time to reflect on our volunteer experience. We are looking forward to sharing some more stories, photos, and videos with you once we return home.

In Peace,
Kate and Kyle


p.s. miss you moms and dads, brother and sisters.