Memorable holiday adventures....

Holidays, during my years in Kenya, were often spent in Mombasa.  The white sandy beaches; winding, twisting balboa trees; exotic sunbirds, weavers, turacos, eagles; and the need for total relaxation--all magnetic forces calling us to caravan toward the warm, restful waters of the Indian Ocean.  Of course the hours of reading, lying on the beach, and sneaking out at dawn to watch the sun peak over the water's horizon--a phenomenon for one who grew up in Oregon--added even louder calls to this exotic place. 

A reef along the Kenyan coast extends about half a kilometer--where we often found small species of shark and octopus swimming in pools.

But rentals of quaint 1940s era cottages added the real adventure to the experience...  

Plumbing and electricity kept us busy!  At one bungalow we discovered the well and septic placed side-by-side.  So do we really push the owner to make improvements for bathing and toilet use--or do we haul water daily from a safer distance? 

At one cottage, getting water into the house was not the problem.  The challenge was the slanting bathroom floor that kept the bather standing in a pool of water from previous showers.  

And a hot plate that worked for breakfast had succumbed by lunchtime...either due to age or yet another power outage...all in a day's adventures.  

Mosquito netting is a must in Kenya--especially along the coast.  The hot, humid temperature draws those flying, buzzing little creatures--who easily find their way through the numerous holes in the netting hanging over our beds.  Another use for duck tape!  Works great--except for the claustrophobic feeling of being locked in a small, metal cell.

At another cottage missing cement blocks at floor level provided air conditioning OR an open door policy for mice who boldly entered to join our long evening conversations.

In one kitchen, a large grate hung over the work area.  Bush babies--those adorable little furry creatures with large, protruding eyes--loved to climb down through the thatched roof and lay on the grates to watch meal preparation.

Staying in the old cottages gave me the sense that we were in a time warp.  Memories of war movies--the kind that romanticize war--came to mind as we planned these cottages-by-the-sea holidays.  What new adventures awaited us?  They really were what made these treks memorable.