Vacation at the Beach

Greetings from Vipingo!
This past week Steph and I took our first real vacation together since we’ve been in Kenya. It was organized by friends from MCC who rent a house along the Kenyan coast (that’s on the east side of Africa next to the Indian Ocean) north of Mombasa. That couple, Jonathan and Marti, has two small children; Elise (pronounced El-e-zay) and Calena ages 4 and 2. We also traveled with a third MCC couple working in Kinshasa (DRC) who know Jonathan and Marti from Quebec.
This was a trip we looked forward to for months. Marti and Jonathan had found the house for a two month trip this spring to help Jonathan train local artisans how to better produce and sell their products. The place is out of their budget, but the price was reduced because it was low season and they were able to re-coup their losses by inviting other couples to stay in paradise with them, $50/couple/night. A parade of MCCers looking for a break followed them to the shore.
It is almost beyond words how beautiful this place is. Along a stretch of land recently sold off by a sisal plantation, stand about 10 houses. They all are built on cliffs that overlook the ocean. In some areas there are beaches below the coral rock, in others, the rock drops straight to the ocean. The vegetation is lush, green with palms, wild flowers and bushes. The houses are mostly built in a Swahili style, a fusion of Arabic, African, and Portuguese architecture. There are four bedrooms upstairs, with two full baths and more importantly, a covered deck connecting the entire floor. Often in the morning, we spent time there watching the sun rise over the Indian Ocean.
The downstairs area is one big room with an entranceway flanked by pillars down its center. The building is designed for air, with wind constantly flowing through each room, never letting the heat (which is considerable) overcome a space. The deck upstairs is matched by the deck below, where most of our dining and reading took place. The kitchen is notable mainly for the cook who works there. His food was excellent, featuring omelets in the morning, and various lobster, prawn, and kingfish dishes for lunch and dinner. The fish were all caught by locals who come to sell their daily catch at our doorstep.
A set of stone steps lead away from the deck to the pool. Kidney shaped and built in-ground, the pool area is pleasantly situated for the shade to cover it by 4pm and stays warm all day. Below the pool is a pathway to the cliffs where a ladder can be set to allow access to the ocean. The ocean floor is covered in sea urchins up to 1ft in diameter (including spines) and numerous rock pools where various coral grow.
The best beach is found about 10 minutes down the road where rocks hang over the sandy beach. The coral is perfect for hanging things as it includes thousands of small outcroppings that make excellent hooks. We’ve tried snorkeling, swimming, and even had the opportunity to take a boat ride on a traditional sailboat local fisherman use.
Our time here has been heavenly. We sleep, we eat together, we play board games, (always my favorite) and swim in paradise. While writing this blog I was offered a mango smoothie and said to myself, it doesn’t get much better than this.