Jambo! ("hello")

After having two days to get settled in here in Diani Beach, I’m starting to feel like I’m adjusting to the time difference and the heat and humidity a bit. It’s been about 90 degrees I think, but the sun is so much stronger than in Ohio – even in summer there - and the humidity constantly high that I am constantly very warm… but I’m not complaining ; ) I’ll take skirts and sandals over boots and gloves any day!

So far life here has been a fun adventure. I was sure we were going to hit dozens of people, carts, and vans (we didn’t) during the hour it took to make our way in a taxi from Mombasa to Diani Beach (on the wrong… er, left side of the road). I rode with two Germans who were there on holiday, one an opinionated construction worked with super long hair and the other with hot pink hair, so we had a long chat and I got to practice my German earlier than I’d expected.

As it turns out, there are quite a few Europeans, or Mzungus (white people) in this area, and many of them have moved here permanently because they love the slower pace of life, the simplicity, and the sun. I got to meet quite a few of them at a local restaurant/pub that they all go to, so that was fun. In that same place about 20 women watched Mamma Mia together last night and I went… made me forget I was in Africa at all for awhile!

There are other things, however, that you couldn’t mistake for something I’d see at home. There was a power cut last night, for example, and I have already used interesting toilets and have seen lizards in the house and sleep under a mosquito net. The pace of life is soooo much slower than at home, which is a nice change actually. It’s just very different!

I won’t get into a regular routine until Monday when I’ll start interviews at the eye clinic, so basically… I’m doing a whole lot of nothing. It’s probably very good though to have the time to adjust. For now I’m just hanging out with Simone, the Dutch woman I live with, and reading, catching up on sleep, and spending a little time on the beach.

Speaking of which… I’m going to close with a fun story from today. If you read a few posts down where I talk about Simone saying I’m not allowed to bring any beach boys home, let me just tell you that I had my first encounters with them today and I can see why she said what she did!

Okay, so I headed to the coast of the Indian Ocean today and was loving the clear, bright blue water and the sun and the white sand and just walking along, minding my own business, when I was approached by person after person wanting to sell me something or give me some service. Luckily I escaped with only two braids in my hair with little beads on the ends, but here’s what I COULD have had: two male bodyguards, personalized keychains, carved figurines, a massage, more braids, henna tattoos, a personal snorkelling lesson, a canoe ride to a distant sandbar, an escort to the local club tonight (it’s an Obama reggae – they all LOVE him here), and illegal substances. Um… NO!!!!

And all I wanted was to go for a swim! I have got to learn to fend them off better, and guess I’ll have two more weeks to practice, right?